Bottom paint?

[ingawalker]

I own DS #4489 from 1971. It was sailed on a lake for years and therefore no salt damage and never bottom painted. I have owned it since 2018 and spent one summer on the water sailing her in 2019 and then COVID hit. I didn’t launch her last year in 2020. I will launch her this summer and she will be kept on an I dock for 7 weeks in salt water at the Cape.

What are your thoughts about bottom painting a pure DS from 1971? I know once you start, you always have to do it and the original hull coat will be lost. Should I just get used to cleaning her weekly and keep her pure?

Thank you!

[jalmeida51]

If you aren't going to bottom paint I would check the condition of the bottom every 4 or 5 days at first. If you dock on the southside of Cape Cod the water gets rather warm for New England waters. Barnacles can grow on your bottom rather fast. Barnacles can grow on the inside of your c/b trunk which can cause your c/b to jam up in the trunk.

Several years ago I kept a Rhodes19 on a mooring in Cotuit Harbor and barnacles really grew fast there. I used a good quality ablative bottom paint, multi season, soft bottom paint. Some people prefer a hard bottom paint usually good for 1 season but you can polish it for a smooth finish. What ever type of bottom paint you use you nee d to follow the manufactures instructions or your paint job will never last. Pettit and Inturlux have good application guides.

For a 7 week period I would would use a ablative type paint that less expensive. You will need to prime the bottom and give it 2 coats of bottom paint. Some bottom paints work better in different waters. Practical Sailor does tests on bottom paints or check with someone that knows the water and which paint will work the best. You can see the tests, Google Practical Sailor bottom paint test.

You need to figure out if the cost and your time is worth it or just putting the boat on a sandy beach on its side and checking for growth and barnacles.

John

[ingawalker]

Thank you so much for the quick reply and the helpful information. The barnacle growth was heavy the year I had it in the water and I had to scrub weekly. I am not sure I want to do this anymore. But I also don’t want to change the historical integrity of the boat by painting the bottom. Not sure what to do. Your information was very helpful and I will continue to think about it.

[GreenLake]

Inga, I would not worry about any "historical integrity". These boats are meant to be sailed, and when kept in the water, they get bottom painted. Just keep it to below the waterline and nobody will notice as you sail by.

Likewise, don't hesitate to adjust your rigging to suit your preferences - that's what most DS owners do, and because the class never regulated that, it's also an accurate reflection of what a DS is (compared to other classes where you were supposed to get only identical parts from a licensed supplier).

I totally get the idea of respecting the DS as a classic design. I've walked it slow with changes on mine for that reason, for example, I totally resisted cutting down the wooden coamings. However, I've sailed for years now without the original floor boards, enjoying the extra inch of leg-room I get - but they are there to be put back in, if I ever sell the boat.

Mine happens to have been painted by a previous owner for cosmetic reasons. The choice of a rusty red for the deck is such an improvement from the original aqua-green that I'm going to repaint in that color if I ever do. It may not be historically accurate for a '63, but it's not a classic car: it's a boat I'm taking to the water to enjoy.

[Fly4rfun]

". It may not be historically accurate for a '63, but it's not a classic car: it's a boat I'm taking to the water to enjoy."

nice perspective on working on our boats

[ingawalker]

Thank you Greenlake for your words of wisdom. This is exactly what I needed to hear so I feel better about painting the bottom.