Bottom Paint Basics

If zebra mussels are an issue in your area, consider using bottom paint with a high percentage of cuprous oxide. Paints for Metal Boats If you've got a steel- or aluminum-hulled boat you likely know that you can't simply slap on any old bottom paint, especially one containing cuprous oxide.

How to Restore Gelcoat on a Boat | BoatUS

The outer surface of a fiberglass boat is normally a special resin called gelcoat. Gelcoat has little structural value but gelcoat protects the hull and gives it its color and shine. The ultra high gloss most new boats exhibit …

Bottom Paint Terminology and Information – Zincs For Boats

Bottom paint is applied below the waterline on your boat, and typically refers to antifouling paint that prevents marine growth from clinging or growing on your boats' hull. This marine growth, which can consist of barnacles and slime, can slow you down and increase your fuel costs because the engine has to work harder to move your boat through the water.

Exterior

Articles and information from the experts at BoatUS Magazine. Featuring common maintenance tasks to keep the exterior of your boat in the best shape possible.

Boat Bottom Paints in 2022: Best Eco-Friendly Antifouling …

Boaters use bottom paint to reduce friction, enhance speed, improve fuel efficiency and protect fiberglass and metals continually exposed to water. Micro …

Best Bottom Paint For Trailered Boats

TotalBoat Underdog Bottom Boat Paint. TotalBoat Underdog Bottom Boat Paint. TotalBoat Underdog is an excellent choice for those who own trailered boats and are looking for high-quality, affordable, and effective bottom paint. This antifouling paint is designed to provide single-season protection in low-fouling conditions. It's a solvent …

Boat Topcoat Painting Simplified | BoatUS

Author Lenny Rudow. New Boats, Fishing & Electronics Editor, BoatUS Magazine. Top tech writer and accomplished sports fisherman, BoatUS Magazine Contributing Editor Lenny Rudow has written seven practical …

Boat Bottom Paint

The best bottom paint for your boat depends on the type of boat you have, how you use it and where you use it. Environmental regulations also have a bearing on paint selection. Types of bottom paint include ablative antifouling paint, modified epoxy antifouling paint, hard vinyl and thin film paint.

TotalBoat Bottom Paint | Antifouling Protection In All Waters

Boat Bottom Paint Bottom paint, also called antifouling paint, is designed to prevent barnacles, mussels, weeds, and slime from clinging to the bottom of your hull below the waterline. Not only does marine fouling look bad, it can be costly and dangerous. It affects your ability to maneuver safely, and increases fuel costs because your engine ...

The Battle Against Underwater Corrosion | BoatUS

Magnesium anodes can be used for cathodic protection and perform well in freshwater applications, but they damage bottom paint and can actually cause cathodic-corrosion damage to aluminum when used in seawater. Too many zinc anodes can also damage some types of bottom paint in extreme conditions but won't damage underwater metals.

The Truth About Ceramic Coatings For Boats | BoatUS

Author Lenny Rudow. New Boats, Fishing & Electronics Editor, BoatUS Magazine. Top tech writer and accomplished sports fisherman, BoatUS Magazine Contributing Editor Lenny Rudow has written seven practical boating books, won 30 awards from Boating Writers International — many for his marine electronics articles – and two for excellence …

How to Bottom Paint a Boat – DIY Guide to Bottom …

Check the bottom paint compatibility chart below to see if the paint you plan to use is compatible with what's on your boat now. If old paint must be removed because it's incompatible or too deteriorated to overcoat, be sure to have Aqua-Strip™, Ready-Strip® or other stripper system or other material on hand.

Gelcoat Blister Repair

There's nothing complicated about blister repair. It starts with breaking open every blister. Pressurized acidic liquid often sprays out, so wear eye protection and use the corner of a sharp chisel at arm's length (Figure 1).Damage can extend beyond the dome, so reverse the chisel and use the handle as a plastic mallet to tap the laminate all around each …

Bringing a Boat to Mexico | BoatUS

Most of the Mexican boat owners hired their own lawyers." In Washington D.C., "As soon as our BoatUS Government Affairs department received the first call, we talked to the U.S. Department of State's Mexico Desk, as …

How Long Does Boat Bottom Paint Last | BoatUS

Bottom paint (aka antifouling paint) is a paint or coating designed to discourage weeds, barnacles, and other aquatic organisms from attaching themselves to (and in the case of wooden boats, eating) the underwater …

How To Repaint Your Outboard

Use masking tape to protect the lower seal on the bottom of the cowl if it's not being replaced. It's important to release your finger from the spray button at the end of each sweep, otherwise you'll be applying much more paint to the surface at the ends of each sweep, potentially causing runs from too much paint.

Applying Bottom Paint | BoatUS

Sand. When the old paint is in good condition, in general you need only sand it, wash it, tape the waterline, and roll on a fresh coat or two. A grinder loaded with 80-grit disks on a pad can quickly prepare a hull for …

How to Prep and Bottom Paint Your Boat

A step-by-step process for sanding, prepping and bottom painting your boat [VIDEO] Bottom paint (also known as antifouling paint) helps protect your boat from barnacles, weeds and other aquatic organisms from attaching to the underwater portion of your boat's hull. If you leave your boat in the water all season, you need bottom paint.

Servicing Your Stuffing Box

CAUTION: Some stuffing boxes are rigidly attached to the hull, but most are connected to the shaft tube with a length of flexible hose. You do not want to twist this hose or twist the stuffing box inside the hose. If the adjusting nut does not turn easily, use a pipe wrench on the stuffing box flange — located just forward of the hose — to keep the box from …

Insurance Requirements in Mexico

Insurance Requirements in Mexico. Get a Quote 800-283-2883 | File a Claim 800-937-1937

Bottom Boat Painting in Charleston, SC

Bottom Paint application (2 coats with Bottom Paint brands listed below) Marine Painting Depending on the current finish of your boat or yacht, determines how the boat should be prepped. 99% of the time, we are going to use Awlgrip paint, specifically, Awlgrip Awlcraft 2000, is a very reliable paint that can be buffed, and lasts for years and ...

Tips for Painting Boats | BoatUS

The adhesion of the new paint is only as good as that of the paint under it, so watch for signs of adhesion failure. Anywhere the old paint is flaking or lifting, scrape exposed edges with a knife or small chisel. If the paint zips off, the bottom may need to be stripped of paint. You may also have to strip the bottom if you are changing paint ...

Boat bottom paint: choose the best antifouling …

Boat owners apply antifouling paint to the bottom of boats that are left in the water all season because it reduces the growth of marine life (fouling). Fouling not only reduces a boat's performance but can also …

Bottom Paint for Pacific Mexico

When the boat was left for the summer we bagged the prop and instructed the man watching the boat for us to only clean the bottom every other month. We found that the Comex paint lasted three cruising seasons with the third season requiring more frequent cleaning .

How to Bottom Paint Your Boat

Know What Paint Is On Your Boat Already. Some paint formulas don't play well with each other so if you are painting over existing bottom paint make sure that the new bottom paint is compatible with the old. Most for-sale listings will say when the bottom was last painted and what paint was used so you should know what paint is on …

Bottom Paint for Pacific Mexico

Bottom Paint for Pacific Mexico. I have just sailed from the Pacific North West to Mexico. At the end of this season I will haul the boat and will redo the antifouling …

The Best New Electronics Of 2023 | BoatUS

Color & Clarity. Navionics digital cartography is known for its level of detail and ease of use. Garmin bought the mapmaker in 2017, but only now has fully integrated Navionics charts across its entire line of Garmin GPSMAP units (look for Garmin Navionics+ and Garmin Navionics Vision+).

How Boats Are Built | BoatUS

There are many sources of VOCs in industrial applications, but you're probably very familiar with the resins used to make fiberglass boats and the paint and finishes used on boats. Bottom paint in particular is going through a revolution right now, with the introduction of water-based paints.

Installing a Bilge Pump

Corrugated hose reduces pump output by as much as 30%, so always connect the pump to the discharge fitting with hose that has a smooth interior surface.. Bends and long runs also reduce pump output, so make the hose run as straight and as short as possible. That may mean discharging the pump through the side of the hull rather than through the transom.

Choosing the Best Bottom Paint for Your Boat

The best bottom paint not only protects your boat's performance, it looks good, too. By Lenny Rudow. Bottom painting your boat is a tough, dirty, time-consuming job, but choosing the best …

Anti-Foul Paint in Mexico / Bottom Paint in Mexico

When you are looking for products to paint the bottom of your boat, Mexico Marine has the answers. We are a Mexico Master Distibutor for the Sea Hawk line of anti-fouling bottom …

Varnish Care

BoatUS Editors. Contributor, BoatUS Magazine. Award-winning BoatUS Magazine is the official publication of Boat Owners Association of The United States. The magazine provides boating skills, DIY maintenance, safety, news and more from top experts.

Boat Restorations: A Return To Glory | BoatUS

These two BoatUS Members know their way around a DIY project, and know what it takes for a full boat restoration. ... (except handrails on the roof) from the boat for paint prep. The original Chrysler Marine 318 inboard engine was beyond overhaul condition, but there are still a lot from the 1960s through the '80s, so I had no problem finding a ...

Give Your Boat A Lift | BoatUS

Boat lifts deliver multiple benefits. They keep the boat out of the water when not in use, so antifouling paint may not be required as the bottom is unlikely to get very heavily fouled. And if boats are securely held, you …