Wet Slip and Bottom Painting... Do I do it?

[1BadTundra]

I have an opportunity to get a wet slip at a great price for the rest of the year. The only drawback is, the marina requires bottom paint. Idk why they care, but they do. I don't really want to bottom paint the boat.. Am I paranoid for nothing? Should I just go ahead and paint it? This is for the upper Chesapeake Bay, brackish water.

 

[TommyMcK]

Unfortunately, if you keep the boat in the water, you'll need bottom paint. Doesn't matter if it's fresh water or salt water or anyplace in between. I agree it's weird that the marina cares, but in any case you'll be surprised how quickly stuff will start growing on an unpainted hull.

 

[1BadTundra]

Unfortunately, if you keep the boat in the water, you'll need bottom paint. Doesn't matter if it's fresh water or salt water or anyplace in between. I agree it's weird that the marina cares, but in any case you'll be surprised how quickly stuff will start growing on an unpainted hull.

Not the answer I was hoping for... I appreciate the info. My other issue is how to safely block this thing up so I can prep and paint it right.

 

[TommyMcK]

Some marinas have DIY space that they rent out for a small fee and they'll pull the boat and put it on a stand. It's a messy job though. I used to do it as a teenager for a boatyard. Hated that job. I'd happily pay someone else to do it if I had to do it today. Probably worth getting a quote to see how much you'd actually save.

 

[Julian]

I have an opportunity to get a wet slip at a great price for the rest of the year. The only drawback is, the marina requires bottom paint. Idk why they care, but they do. I don't really want to bottom paint the boat.. Am I paranoid for nothing? Should I just go ahead and paint it? This is for the upper Chesapeake Bay, brackish water.

My guess is they require bottom paint because they offer a service to charge you to do it! No you don't NEED bottom paint (especially not in fresh water). I assume this is brakish or salt water - if so, not sure I'd wet slip in salt water even WITH bottom paint. I'd invest in an Airdock, or similar free floating dock to put your boat on.

 

[TommyMcK]

No you don't NEED bottom paint (especially not in fresh water).

Hulls will typically grow a beard in as little as a few days even on a lake in my experience. It's harder to sort that out than it is to paint the hull. The upper bay is certainly on the fresh side of brackish but he'll definitely need paint if he's keeping it in the water there.

 

[Julian]

Hulls will typically grow a beard in as little as a few days even on a lake in my experience. It's harder to sort that out than it is to paint the hull. The upper bay is certainly on the fresh side of brackish but he'll definitely need paint if he's keeping it in the water there.

I am quite familiar with these boats in both fresh and salt water, have had one model or another (3) since 2003. In cooler water up north things grow slower, the warmer the water the faster stuff grows. Salt water barnicles are the worst.

My boat wouldn't grow much when wet slipping in Wisconsin, and I had no issues there. Wet slipping in NC is a whole different ballgame! In 3-4 weeks I would have a furry boat who's top speed would go from 48 to 35. That doesn't sound like much, but when you think about the fact that in order to go 35, you have to have your throttles at max, it would burn gas crazy fast just to do 35. This is why I bought an Airdock.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/airdock-a-way-to-wet-slip-with-no-worry-and-no-fixed-lift.139/

 

[1BadTundra]

Ok, I pulled the trigger... I went with a "dry sail" cradle. They say they will forklift it into the water in <10mins when I arrive, and once it's in the water I have access to a transient slip for up to 5 days. No bottom paint needed!!! I feel much better about this now. I have 24/7 access to the boat in the yard, with full water/electric access.

 

[johhnyboat]

I was in a wet slip in Maryland for two summers without an issue using this product: https://store.auroramarine.com/vs721-bottom-coat.html
You will need to pull it out a one or two times to hose it off, but it does work very well if put on properly. I had no interest in bottom paint on a jet boat.

 

[TommyMcK]

I am quite familiar with these boats in both fresh and salt water, have had one model or another (3) since 2003. In cooler water up north things grow slower, the warmer the water the faster stuff grows. Salt water barnicles are the worst.

My boat wouldn't grow much when wet slipping in Wisconsin, and I had no issues there. Wet slipping in NC is a whole different ballgame! In 3-4 weeks I would have a furry boat who's top speed would go from 48 to 35. That doesn't sound like much, but when you think about the fact that in order to go 35, you have to have your throttles at max, it would burn gas crazy fast just to do 35. This is why I bought an Airdock.

https://jetboaters.net/threads/airdock-a-way-to-wet-slip-with-no-worry-and-no-fixed-lift.139/

I didn't mean to discount your experience Julian. I've had a Yamaha boat continuously since 2003 also (starting with my beloved and missed AR230) operating on the middle and upper Chesapeake. In my experience, even as far north as the Elk River, boats left untreated for a season are a complete mess and hard to set right. I think that the OP would not be happy if he did so... I don't have any experience farther north though... I assumed it would be similar, but evidently not. In any case, it sounds like the OP is going to be high and dry, so it isn't an issue for him....

I was in a wet slip in Maryland for two summers without an issue using this product: https://store.auroramarine.com/vs721-bottom-coat.html
You will need to pull it out a one or two times to hose it off, but it does work very well if put on properly. I had no interest in bottom paint on a jet boat.

Cool. Never heard of the stuff, but good to know about. You can't really "undo" bottom paint, so I get the reluctance to use it.

 

[johhnyboat]

I didn't mean to discount your experience Julian. I've had a Yamaha boat continuously since 2003 also (starting with my beloved and missed AR230) operating on the middle and upper Chesapeake. In my experience, even as far north as the Elk River, boats left untreated for a season are a complete mess and hard to set right. I think that the OP would not be happy if he did so... I don't have any experience farther north though... I assumed it would be similar, but evidently not. In any case, it sounds like the OP is going to be high and dry, so it isn't an issue for him....


Cool. Never heard of the stuff, but good to know about. You can't really "undo" bottom paint, so I get the reluctance to use it.

I knew that I was going to go hi and dry when I moved to Ocean City so I didn't want to do that. Basically you would need to have the bottom stripped and repainted if you no longer want bottom paint.

 

[1BadTundra]

I knew that I was going to go hi and dry when I moved to Ocean City so I didn't want to do that. Basically you would need to have the bottom stripped and repainted if you no longer want bottom paint.

Yea, no thanks... This is exactly why I am reluctant to paint it. The only way to not paint it was to "Dry Sail" it... They had one dry cradle left for the season, so I took it. I was all set to take the wet slip, the prorated rate was $900 for it. The dry cradle is $1800 for the rest of the year. It is an extra $900, but its almost $500 to bottom paint the boat, and to redo it every year going forward would suck.
I've been trailering it for the last 3 years to the Chesapeake Bay from my home, almost 60 miles away. We only use it on the weekends, but just about every weekend from May-September. I'm thinking that with it already there and readily available, we will use it much more.

 

[Jim_in_Delaware]

Given the price of paint, $500 is a pretty good price to have the bottom painted. Wouldn’t have to be done each year, but the bottom would have to be cleaned each year. I think dry cradling is a great choice.

Jim

 

[1BadTundra]

Given the price of paint, $500 is a pretty good price to have the bottom painted. Wouldn’t have to be done each year, but the bottom would have to be cleaned each year. I think dry cradling is a great choice.

Jim

That was me doing it myself. They wanted $1160 to professionally do it. When they found out we were talking about a jet boat, the quickly advised against it, citing that it would affect performance and maneuverability.