Time for Bottom Paint

Bottom paint, or anti-fouling paint, is a coating of special paint applied to the portion of a boat that is below the water line. This coating makes it difficult for organisms to adhere to the hull. Super important for boats like ours that are kept in salt water year round. Our friends who keep their boat in their barn, and trailer it to different destinations, have no need for bottom paint. We know that bottom paint needs to be reapplied every couple of years. We were trying to get one more year out of Europa’s paint (it’s pricey!) but after hauling her out of the water, we’ve decided it’s time. Here’s a photo showing how much has worn off. (Bottom paint is black.)

This means she needs to stay at CSR Marine is Des Moines for a few more days. They will begin the bottom painting process today, and then it needs to sit for a few. So, we will most likely bring the boat home next Monday.

In the meantime, Nick and Steve Z. worked hard over the past two days to bring Europa’s gel coat finish back to a glossy shine. She looks good!

Tomorrow (Friday), we hope to finish up a few other things to get her ready to hit the water again. Still need to reinstall zincs, work on rust spots, and finish buffing a couple of areas. Some spots are really hard to work on when the boat is in the water, so we need to take advantage of having the boat on land.

Before I go, happy four-week birthday to Malcolm! (I got to babysit yesterday…otherwise known as grandma-bliss-out-time.)

Me & Mac