Newcomers to Southwest Florida, and new to boating in the salt waters of the gulf and estuaries, can be taken by surprise to find it necessary to coat boat hulls below the water line with an “anti-fouling” paint. Commonly referred to as “bottom painting” this application is required if a boat is to rest in salt water for several days or more. Bottom painting with a product such as Interlux Fiberglass Bottomkote ACT will prevent marine growth on hulls and exposed areas of tab controls, outdrives and outboard motor shafts. Properly applied bottom paint should provide protection for a year or longer for boats that will be in salt water full time and even longer if a boat will only be docked occasionally.
While bottom painting a small craft can be a DIY job, care must be taken to properly prepare the surfaces by sanding and/or priming and carefully following the paint manufacturer’s directions regarding application. Generally two or more coats of bottom paint are called for and it is important to respect the prescribed dry time between coats.
Boats that have been left in salt water for any length of time are likely to have accumulated marine growth in the form of barnacles and other shelled creatures that have more or less permanently affixed themselves to all uncoated underwater surfaces. Barnacle covered hulls will produce a great deal of drag and will result in loss of speed and wasted fuel. Removing barnacles is a challenge and it is likely the affected surfaces will remain pitted to some extent despite your best efforts. Start the removal process by power washing all surfaces. Power Washing is most effective in removing loosely attached creatures if the hull is first allowed to dry for several weeks. After power washing, the surfaces should be scraped with a putty knife or paint scraper like device. The last bits can possibly be removed with the application of muriatic or hydrochloric acid. Be sure to wash the boat thoroughly after acid treatment. Note: Sanding is, for the most part, ineffective in barnacle removal.
It should be apparent that, whether removing barnacles, bottom painting a boat for the first time or repainting a previously treated hull, these are onerous tasks. The boat is likely to be either in the water, on a boat lift or on a boat trailer and must be either overturned or placed on boat stands. Lying on ones back, sanding and painting for hours under a boat might be a chore best left to professionals at a boat yard!
For professional barnacle removal and/or bottom painting, please consider using our services at Sunset Dreams, Boat Service, Storage and Sales at 5149 Pine Island Road, ¼ mile East of the 4 way stop at Pine Island Center.