2 questions!

[Bobby Beard]

Having boated in Tennessee on fresh water river and now living in Panama City Florida salt water I have a couple questions!
Looking to pick up a new 29 CB next week. Super excited!!!
I have located and renting a covered slip with a lift.
Question 1, with a lift do I need bottom paint? If not how long could I stay out with out having to worry about the bottom?
Question 2, IF I was to keep the boat in the water so I need to shut off the strainer and flush the motor with fresh water after every use? I would assume being on a lift I would need to flush it each time I use it correct?

Thank you in advance for your answers!

 

[Red Raven]

I used to keep our old boat without bottom paint out most of the summer here in the PNW. I would pull it out and clean the bottom every 1.5 months. In that time the barnacles were starting to attach and it was starting to get slimey. I would think if you stayed out less than a month and put it on the lift every time you came back you would not need bottom paint. Besides if you did get some growth you could pressure wash the bottom when on the lift.

Your boat does not circulate raw water into the engine block (there is coolant used in there) and thus does not need to be flushed after each use though it doesn't hurt to flush the raw water system now an then. It is a simple step to close the raw water valve and open the sea strainer and stick a freshwater hose in there and start the engine and run it for a minute or two.

 

[Brian B]

I would talk to the local folks about the bottom paint issue. Being in warm FL water the growth will happen faster than you think. Boats that are bottom painted and sit at the dock without much use have divers scrubbing the bottoms on a monthly basis in FL. If you are going to do any extensive cruising with the boat you will want to have it painted.

 

[knotflying]

Water conditions have affect bottom growth. You will see day use type boats without bottom paint more often because they do not stay in the water long. Scuffy, Tiny Town, had no bottom paint on his C-dory, but put a good coat of wax on it. Usually a month or two in Marathon, FL during the winter and there were a few barnacles to clean off. The summer will be a different story. You can accumulate a lot of growth in a week. Last year, Knot in Court, who kept his on a lift without bottom paint had issues with growth after a one week trip and bit the bullet and did a bottom paint job. You can give it a try and if it does not work out get the bottom done.

As far as flushing your system after each use; I do it before the boat is going to be laid up for a while. The boat has a closed system and a raw water system. The Raw water system cools the closed system antifreeze. Flushing the system will clear the salt water from the raw water system. Does flushing help, sure, but so does a good cleaning with Ridlyme every few years. A good Ridlyme flush will clean it to pristine condition.

 

[trailertrawlerkismet]

We never got around to bottom painting our R27 when we bought it 5 years ago, our plan was to do it once we trailered it to Florida. Arriving in Florida I thought we'd boat for a month or so and then do the bottom job. After 30 days in the water, never sitting for more then 4 or 5 days at a time, I was very surprised to find the hull completely covered with barnacles when we trailered it in Ft Myers Beach. If I had to do it over again I'd bottom paint the boat bottom at the start.

Jim F

 

[JamesTXSD]

Another Gulf Coastal opinion (though on the other side of the Gulf and further south): 10 days here in south Texas will have growth on the bottom, even if the boat is being run regularly. BIG difference between what grows in the warm water and the Pacific Northwest... and the speed of accumulation.

We have bottom painted every boat; if it is going to be trailered or put on a lift, be sure to use a bottom paint that does not lose the effectiveness when pulled out of the water. Best advice: check with a local boatyard to see what they recommend.

 

[Scuffy]

Mike,
The longest I stayed in the water with the C-Dory was about a month usually in February. I worried about the bottom growth the whole time. Believe it or not I would wax the bottom with regular old Turtle wax car paste wax. At the end of the month pencil point sized barnacles. I would re wax the bottom after I got home flicking off the barnacles off with my thumb nail usually while waxing. I sold that boat and when purchasing our R 27 the first thing I had done was have the dealer add three coats of epoxy followed by Mar Pro Super B Gold black in color bottom paint. No more waxing the bottom of the boat. At 67 years old I have to say I really don't miss crawling around under the boat waxing the bottom; really. I tried to talk my wife into it -FAIL! Bottom paint is the bomb!