What type of bottom paint is right for my boat?
Capt. Marshall A. Sklar
December 10th, 2024
Mizner MarinaLet's go over the most commonly asked questions with regards to boat bottom painting in South Florida.
What paint to use: One of the most popular questions that we receive from boaters is, "what type of bottom paint should I use on my boat?". The answer to that question is that it really comes down to what your intentions are for the vessel, what type of hull construction your boat is made of, and will the vessel remain in the water full time or will it be coming in and out of the water? Like many products, you get what you pay for. Here at Mizner Marina, we typically use AF-33 (Anti Fouling) made by SeaHawk. We can however provide boaters with any brand, quality and color paint that they desire.
Paint Types: There are two main types of boat bottom paints. There's ablative paint and non ablative (hard) paint. In summary, ablative paint is used on vessels which will be going in and out of the water. Non-ablative paint AKA hard paint is intended for vessels that remain in the water full time and don't get removed from the water. Non ablative paint will lose its effectiveness after approximately 72 hours of the vessel being out of the water, so it is important to keep this in mind when choosing a paint.
Colored bottom paint options: Colored paints have come a long way over the past few years. Manufacturers such as SeaHawk now produce an entire line of colored boat bottom paints. These paints often look great when initially installed; however, they tend to stain over time. At Mizner Marina, we offer a full array of bottom paint colors for you to choose from.
How often should I plan on painting the bottom of my boat? This question comes up very often.....and the answer is that it depends on a number of factors including how often you use the boat, how often you have a diver/bottom barnacle removal service scraping the boat and the turbidity of the water in which you store the boat. In general, the warmer the water, the faster the bottom growth. We advise our clients to have their hulls scraped at a minimum of once a month in the winter and two times a month in the summer. There are many reliable, professional services available for this type of bottom scraping service in South Florida. As for re-painting your hull, we advise our clients to paint their hulls once a year.
What's the best color for my boat bottom? This is a very popular question as well, and while many boaters want to match the color of their hull and/or striping, we advise our clients to use black bottom paint whenever possible.
What does it cost to paint the bottom of my boat? Boat bottom pricing is not a one size fits all. There are many factors that contribute to the cost of a boat bottom paint job. A few of those factors are as follows........What is the length, width and hull design of the vessel? Has the bottom been previously painted? (And if so, with what?) What material is the bottom of the boat made of? Does the bottom have blistering or gel-coat damage? Does the bottom need to be pressure washed or acid washed before we start? Is there barnacle growth on the bottom and if so, how much? Does the vessel require a sanding and primer prior to painting? So as you can see, the variables are huge, and hence, in general, bottom painting can range anywhere from $46-$100+/ft here at Mizner Marina.
What other costs besides the actual bottom paint work should I expect to pay for? Generally speaking, when your boat is out of the water and being painted, it's also a great opportunity to catch up on other maintenance as well. When it comes to our marina and bottom paint jobs, our fees are straight forward and are also listed on our "services" tab on the website. You will be responsible for the painting labor and materials, a minimal shop fee (to cover the cost of brushes, rollers, pans, disposal, EPA compliance, etc), plus any additional yard labor which must be pre-approved by you before we start work on your boat. Your vessel will also need to be hauled out of the water (or off of your trailer) onto a service rack in order to be painted. We charge a minimal load fee for this service. Additional yard labor hours can range vastly depending on the amount of preparation work needed for your boat to be painted. Preparation work AKA "prep work" can be for sanding, pressure washing, acid washing, gelcoat and fiberglass repairs, blistering of hull repairs, if you want us to paint your trim tabs and/orengine skeg/bullet(s), and many more options which you can consider at your own discretion. Lastly, we will do a thorough review of your zincs (annodes) and advise whether or not you should replace them at the time of painting. We recommend replacing zincs once they've worn down to approximtely 50% of their useful remaining life or less.
Questions? Comments? Feel free to email, call, or text us any time. Our friendly and knowledgeable crew is always here to help and advise you on your vessel service and maintenance needs.
Thank You So Much,
Capt. Marshall A. Sklar
Owner, Mizner Marina
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