Tips and Tricks for bottom painting your boat

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Most popular comments
for Tips and Tricks for bottom painting your boat

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James Ardilla - 6 years ago

Dustin Hoffman was a great narrator

brianroark88 - 7 years ago

He’s a perfectionist, so am I. Wouldn’t have it any other way

Demetrios Manekas - 7 years ago

this guy is the saltiest. great video.

Kelly Malone - 7 years ago

I didn’t know rolling out the bottom could be so much fun!!! ⛵️

Peke's Repose - 7 years ago

green frog tape for cut lines works much better to stop the paint from bleeding over.

Shaun - 7 years ago

very well done

squatchfan fay - 7 years ago

Nice video,it was enjoyable to watch

Maine Archery - 7 years ago

Don't u know it's bad luck too paint ur boat blue "blue pig. why don't u turn a hatch cover over spit into the wind , throw money over board call her a pig or any the outher bad luck things

Anthony Maniz - 7 years ago

I samdblasted my boat painted it turned out beautiful took her out for some night fishing 30miles out she sank further analysis after I had to pay 30k for a salvage crew to pull her out on holes from samdblasted smh

10. comment for Tips and Tricks for bottom painting your boat

Martin Adelaide - 7 years ago

I was advised to use pre-coat before putting International Toplac. This will be above the waterline on a trailer boat. I presume the bottom paint here is antifoul.

H Pac - 7 years ago

the finish didn't look that good. looks kind of textured and doll. I would rather look high gloss smooth

Pistolen08 - 7 years ago

Why no primer since you've gone through to the gelcoat?

Eight Crows Media - 7 years ago

I know my husband will be watching this video for sure, thank you.

South Florida Fishing Channel - 7 years ago

Def. bottom paint your boat. I left mine in the water for only 20 days and it got covered in growth. I just uploaded my vid of what my boat ended up looking like. Now I have a nice black bottom paint and life can go back to normal =)

Richard Schroeder - 7 years ago

I like the way they applied the paint with a roller brush.

gronnelg - 7 years ago

That narrating was fabulous!

Antifoul Awl - 7 years ago

No primer? I antifoul boats for a living, and always use primer. When we lift boats out the water, you can tell boats that haven't been primed, the antifoul flakes off when you pressure wash it.

Oh, and you're right, it IS fun putting on what you call 'bottom paint'.

Hugh Hart - 7 years ago

great video. What type of roller would you suggest, i.e. foam? Light nap?

Adam Fulleringer - 7 years ago

Thanks for the great info. I was also wondering about the old paint. Would the new anti-fouling stick to it well enough. Total newbie.

20. comment for Tips and Tricks for bottom painting your boat

John Karcher - 7 years ago

No primer is needed?

BandB1111111 - 7 years ago

Not just this video...but I'll never understand why so many people will watch a video and not take 2 nano-seconds to give it a thumbs up.

motorhead6868 - 7 years ago

rats arsed retard... it has freaking top to seal it...smart one...lmfao

rats arsed - 7 years ago

Maybe they were upset about the half gallon of paint they wasted by punching holes in the can letting it dry out on them.

John Rowley - 7 years ago

Avinesh Surujbally - 7 years ago

How much paint did you use?

HillbillyMatt ExtremeDIY - 7 years ago

do I have to buy expensive marine paint or is there a cheaper alternative. I'm looking to paint my entire sailboat.

Mike Murphy - 7 years ago

call Johnstown distributors. They sell the totalboat line which sponsors these videos. Bottom paint is for below the waterline, and topsides paint is from the waterline to the guardrail. You want to use high quality marine paint, or you will just waste your time.

socialyenept - 7 years ago

what kinda boat is that ?

Romy Pie - 7 years ago

I love it when people do things carefully and with their heart...the outcome is always great.

Timothy Chapman - 7 years ago

This bloke is such a great craftsman. His knowledge of timber and the correct way of doing things

Jason Zamojcin - 7 years ago

This guy is really awesome!

Binaashkaa Anishinaabe - 8 years ago

I give it a thumbs up because the guy is old school. Which in this day and age ain't such a bad thing.

30. comment for Tips and Tricks for bottom painting your boat

Ryszard Jacek Ruśniak - 8 years ago

What lousy and poor craftsmanship! I wouldn't let you anywhere near my boat.
1. Old paint must sanded completely off, the new paint will not adhere to the chalk like surface. The surface is not even, got ridges of old paint.
2. The first two coats should be done with 15% thinned paint so it will go deep into the porous surface. Than two coats of full paint should be applied.
3. Close cell 1/4 foam roller should be used to ensure nice bubbles, flat finish. This finish is just pathetic.
4. No clean, sharp edge of painted area due to lousy taping, see the bow and topsides.
This paint cold maybe pass on old barn, it will slow the boat a few knots.

Frankie Kay - 6 years ago

Ryszard Jacek Ruśniak probably has a row boat.

Giovanni Nicosia - 7 years ago

Anishinaabe.5 Ogichidaa couldn't of said it better myself the bottom of the boat dosent matter nobody sees it it's the bottom of the boat for christs sake and them "bubbles" are nothing to worry about because they just pop after a minute or too and the paint just fills in where it wasn't before

SIX SIX SEX - 7 years ago

I have to agree with Ryszard. I dont know much about painting boats, hence the reason Im watching this video. But I own a residential painting company and I was not impressed with what I just saw. The edges looked like crap. And who cares if its under water and the only ones seeing it are fish. I try and do my best work, even if no one will ever see it. That being said, the dude is super cool.

Jim Langley - 7 years ago

Ryszard Jacek Ruśniak it's a working fishing boat, not a Trumpy

Tim Brown - 7 years ago

Tell ya what Ace. You go ahead and SHOW us your stuff. In the meantime, I'm sticking with Luis. All we have from you is whining...

Binaashkaa Anishinaabe - 8 years ago

Ryszard Jacek Ruśniak Sorry pal but it's a god damn boat. Only one seeing it are the fish. He and his partner did what anyone who works in a marina would have done. It's not a god damn race boat. Another thing...who the fuck told you that you should thin the first coat! That only applies to freshly stripped teak and before you apply varnish above the waterline! Not a god damn bottom. Gel coat is meant to be porous and you can try to stop it from absorbing water but thinning your bottom paint will not solve the inherent stupidity of the manufacturer by using gel coat in the mold layup of a fiberglass hull.

alex tworkowski - 8 years ago

I had tried the method of punching holes in the can too. I started to think that the seal is made at the inner contact point between the can and the lid and not the outside point. After the can had been left for a long time, the paint was dried out. Are you sure of which surface is actually doing the sealing?

rats arsed - 7 years ago

Not to worry. The sponsor sells you more of the paint after that happens.

MV Solitude - 8 years ago

Nice work, enjoyed the video

Nathan C - 8 years ago

What tape do you use???

Martin Adelaide - 7 years ago

Masking tape IS painters' tape. Just depends on which tape you use.

Terry Peake - 8 years ago

Nathan C painters tape. never use masking tape

Mojo Motive - 8 years ago

so do you lift the boat and reposition the supports and then paint those areas

chris williams - 8 years ago

Even though you can wipe a bit of the sanded paint with you finger you don't clean it any more before painting.

littlestworkshop - 7 years ago

That's the nature of the paint, it is ablative paint which means it can be rubbed off, it is part of what makes it anti-fouling. Even if you wiped it down it would still be chalky to touch.

Tony's Water Maker - 8 years ago

little tip to make the mixing easier. The day before useing the paint put the can (closed can) upside down . The sediment starts to flow to the top and start to premix by gravity. All the rest of the procedure are right. The final mixing can be done without taking a bit of paint to get to the sediment.

homie789 - 8 years ago

You painted right over your prop shaft support? It looks like it's metal or aluminum are you not worried about galvanic corrosion?

Jayman2I7 - 8 years ago

use a paint gun way easy then using a brush then it will apply the paint evenly on the boat

Alex Nagle - 8 years ago

Do you find that poking holes in the rim leads to the paint drying out in the can when stored?

Alex Nagle - 8 years ago

I've not had the same luck when I've tried it in the past. I think in this case they are using the whole can and storage isn't as much of an issue.

MountainTech - 8 years ago

When you put the lid back on, it covers the holes so the can is sealed. My carpentry teacher taught me this year's so and it's a great tip.

Amadeus Rocks - 8 years ago

what about under the stands

Tray Muse - 8 years ago

you move them later and paint them then.

landon webb - 8 years ago

what about the biger boats?

Jim Langley - 7 years ago

landon webb use a bigger brush

Mobile Boat Guy - 8 years ago

landon webb Same method.

Chad Kovac - 8 years ago

How do you deal with the jack stands and boards?

Broxty - 7 years ago

Henrique Borges who cares... it's under the water.

Henrique Borges - 7 years ago

Does it not look uneven if the area around is already dried? That's what I'm afraid of...

ytkingster - 8 years ago

Paint around the jack stands and boards leaving 1 or 2 inch space. When paint is dry and not tacky, if you have extra jack stands, place a new jack stand next to the jack stand that still haven't been painted yet to support the boat. Make sure to use wax paper or some protection paper on the jack stand board as to not scratch or damage the paint when placing support at new location. Then remove the jack stand where it hasn't been painted to expose that area for painting. If using boards to support bottom of boat, do the same. Add another bottom support next to the one you're going to remove, so that the unpainted area is expose and can be painted. It is a tedious process, and by not taking the time to do it right can be dangerous and costly if the boat tips over.

Coastal Sailor - 8 years ago

Another tip, if I may. Since you are putting on two coats, which I always feel is a minimum, why not make the first coat red. Then you can make the second coat your choice. As the outer coat wears away, the red will show through to alert you it's time to apply more paint. Just a thought.

Tim Chapman - 7 years ago

Geoffery, why would that be wasteful or more expensive? Can you buy a quart of each color to make the same half gallon he used?

Giovanni Nicosia - 7 years ago

My dad always does that technique on our 60 ft oyster Lugger,what we use is Pettit Trinidad and what he does is buy 4 gallons in total 2 black and 2 red and what he does is put a coat if black then a coat of red so you can see where you missed a spot and then do the same again to put the last coat as the red paint for it to be the final color it may be kindve pricey ($250 a gallon) but it's worth it because it will foul early if you don't put it on right

Geoffery Goggins - 8 years ago

+Coastal Sailor That would work, but it would be a very expensive and wasteful way to do it.

travers hornsby - 8 years ago

what paint you using? I know its a small boat but isn't it better to spray rather than roll and brush?

Sideslip - 8 years ago

Antifouling paint is generally pretty thick, thinning it to spray defeats the purpose of a good film build up. Rollering the paint is definitely the neatest, easiest and cleanest way to do it and you don't have to mask half the boat up as you would if spraying.
I have seen airless spraying used to put bottom paint on and it worked fairly well.

Samuel Hensley - 8 years ago

So do you not tip the bottom? Is tipping just to make the paint look pretty and wouldn't affect the performance of the boat (like create drag)?

CodedToast - 8 years ago

Error!...if the air bubbles burst,it could easily go down to the bare bottom and cause all sorts of issues tipping not only causes a gloss but seals the finish

Tips from a Shipwright - 8 years ago

+Samuel Hensley In general people don't tip bottom paint

John Gardner - 8 years ago

This is a fantastic video. I am about to do this to the boat I just got. Well done and thank you.

Zulu Man - 8 years ago

My book sitting on my trailer what would be recommended when I paint the bottom of the boat because the spots where the rollers are I won't be able to get what would be recommended that I do you get the spot when I think about just the bottom?

Sideslip - 8 years ago

Put a stand under the rear of the trailer and push the boat back on the trailer about a foot or so.

Charles Canipe - 8 years ago

Great tip for me on Bottom paint! Thank you guys good job!k

Into The Mystery 13 - 8 years ago

i found this extremely helpful and enjoyable to watch. thank you so much!

50. comment for Tips and Tricks for bottom painting your boat

Face Book - 8 years ago

last year I had lots of rock guard that had not been used laying around and I sprayed mine with that stuff and 6 cans later I was done and it lasted the boating season with minimal fouling ,I goes on like a gas and thickens up ,not the neatest job but it did work ok .

dawnpatrol2020 - 8 years ago

Thanks for the video. enjoyed it and learned a new tip... Thanks

cherfieldm - 8 years ago

Hi type of Paint your are using that could stand pressure and salty water?

Nat M - 9 years ago

Wondeful tips, thank you so much! Quick question: are there advantages to using non-ablative bottom paint?

Tips from a Shipwright - 8 years ago

+Nat M It could be that non-ablative paints are better for harder surfaces like racing boats

Greg Butler - 9 years ago

Would you still need to apply anti- fouling application? If so, when would it be required?

marcos22571 - 9 years ago

What kinda person uses home paint on a boat? Lol WTF?!?

Martin Adelaide - 7 years ago

Both. Of course that's on a 14' 60 year old timber working boat. My 18' trailer sailer gets International Marine Paint.

Tim Chapman - 7 years ago

Hi Martin. Do you use Exterior Gloss Enamel for bottom paint or for above the waterline?

Martin Adelaide - 7 years ago

Me. I have a 60 year old wooden working boat and use Exterior Gloss Enamel. Works just fine. My GRP trailerboat get International because it goes better over 'glass and I want it to be prettier. Both boats are on trailers and don't need antifouling.

Nichy D - 8 years ago

marcos22571 it says boat on the paint bucket

Tray Muse - 8 years ago

I know, who does that?

chui chan - 9 years ago

What about the spots where the boat is blocked? Do those get sanded and painted too?

vxnova1 - 7 years ago

chui chan he shows this on the previous video while sanding

Chris - 7 years ago

you set a new stand right next to it and take up the weight then remove tbe old stand and paint that spot. Similar story with the large blocks underneath lift the boat up move the blocks then paint that spot.

Polis Dimitriadis - 8 years ago

Yes, thought so but you cannot have a perfect finish at the same time i suppose

Chad Kovac - 8 years ago

+Polis Dimitriadis so I guess you can move one of the three at a time.

Polis Dimitriadis - 8 years ago

+Chad Kovac same question here...

Chad Kovac - 8 years ago

This is what I wanted to know.

Fishing Network West - 9 years ago

aluminum foil for liners cheap...great vid we just did a 40 ft trawler bottom

Steve Utermahlen - 9 years ago

From what I have viewed Louis you are doing the right job. From the sanding to final stage it's all good. 35+ years for me and many boats later I follow the same methods. Yours is the right info. Out here in the SF Bay area we use Trinidad. Lots of growth and this brand seems to be the best protection. Keep making your videos. Most owners do not have a clue. Thanks. Steve

Steve Utermahlen - 7 years ago

From Steve U. Regarding your question of hauling multi hulls, I'm not sure. Although, contact Matt at San Rafael Yacht Harbor off E. Francisco Blvd. . He has been around for some time and is a good harbor master with his yard. Make sure you talk to Matt or get a direct message from him. KKMI is Sausalito is not good and very expensive. Going north there are some independent places I do not have information on but someone does , maybe Matt can help.

ABlueDoorProduction - 8 years ago

Hello Bay Area. Do you know any other places besides Napa Valley Marina that can haul out multi hulls at 26 ft beam. I'm at a loss and Google can't find another place.

Jon Lindberg - 9 years ago

Sweet. Great Series. Thank you.

vaskco10 - 9 years ago

subscribed
=)

vaskco10 - 9 years ago

fantastic

Chris Kealey - 9 years ago

Great informative video. Looking forward to bottom painting after this loonnnnnggg winter in Newburyport MA.

Tim Grimes - 9 years ago

Nice work

Thomas Sayles - 10 years ago

The other obvious step left out is never clean the hull or surface with any chemical other than acetone. All other cleaners leave a film residue and this can have a detrimental effect on the adhesion of your coatings.

Thomas Sayles - 10 years ago

His reasoning on the "bubbles" in the paint is incorrect, whenever you agitate paint with a roller, it will leave bubbles, proper reduction of the coating given the temperature conditions will allow the coating to float and the bubbles will disappear. Secondly, the additional coats are to ensure there are no pinholes in the coatings that are not apparent to the naked eye. And finally, use the highest quality rollers and or brushes in your work and then clean them properly. Personally, using a conventional spray gun is best due to the physics of uniformity of coat which reduces and eliminates stress in the coating face that can lead to early failure or delamination. I hope this is helpful. TXS Industrial Ctgs. Inc.

CodedToast - 10 years ago

Is this the deep south?

jmendoza328 - 10 years ago

I had a question, is this paint waterproof?

Mason Dyer - 10 years ago

Louis great job, you sure preach what you know well.
I'll love for you to take me on as an apprentice.

lynchtoddo - 10 years ago

How do you paint where the stands are?

Nigel Kerr - 9 years ago

You jack up the boat and move the stands along.

Kito - 10 years ago

sorry i forgotten, mr. what brand are you using? do you think interlux ultra is good??

Tips from a Shipwright - 10 years ago

TotalBoat by Jamestown Distributors http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=64116&familyName=Jamestown+Select+Ablative+Bottom+Paint

Kito - 10 years ago

very nice work. well i got a problem i got no boat stand and i just have it in my trailer, hmmm. i guess i have to jack it up bit by bit. what is your advice sir??

ed lewis - 10 years ago

Don't use U.S, bottom paint.....colors are not accurate and customer service is non-exsistant

Chris Landry - 10 years ago

What about the unpainted spots where the stands were holding it up?

Alex P - 10 years ago

Also, use mineral spirits with a rag to wipe down after sanding.

Alex P - 10 years ago

Im just going to add here that if you are a stickler for sharp edges you need to use better tape with edge tech and burnish it in with a plastic spatula.
Also, if you still have a 1/2 gallon left, why not give it a third coat...

Mr. Midshipman - 10 years ago

That's for Benjamin Carnochan, were gonna tie him upside down and paint his feet.

mmanut - 10 years ago

You must wipe the bottom of boat down with clean paint thinner and rag to remove that dust you just referred to. This is a must do. If not you will not get the proper adhesion required for that paint to do it's job. There is allot of good imformation on that can.

Verd Gj - 10 years ago

use a foambrush, looks like a spraypainted finish after the roller

raph salh - 10 years ago

Wouldn't be easier to turn the boat up side down? Just an idea not a criticism

Mr. Midshipman - 10 years ago

+Benjamin Carnochan Benjamin Carnochan, that's got to be the dumbest thing I ever heard.

Benjamin Carnochan - 10 years ago

+Betty Ann Mangold Sure it would, only if it was a canoe or 16 foot cedar strip motorboat lol.

Betty Ann Mangold - 10 years ago

NO!

D Wetick - 10 years ago

My boat trailer has rollers so it is a pain to paint my bottom. I usually block it up with 4x's, but it still is a messy time consuming job. Smaller diameter and shorter paint rollers may do the trick this 29th year that I have owned this boat.

Gregory J - 10 years ago

"something fierce"

Tommy Short - 10 years ago

please give me a job iam begging you.I will bust my butt for you.Just give me a chance.

James Brohard - 10 years ago

What is the easiest cheapest way to raise a boat off of the trailer to enable one to paint under it? I have a 17 foot trihull that I need to repaint from the keel to the first set of ridges. Rest of the paint from that point up is in very good shape but it is coming off on the keel.

It was a two part Poly marine paint put on over the original gel coat. It lasted 15 years but now thanks to a small water seepage through the lowest point on the front of the keel moisture has made the brittle paint come loose from the gel coat.
I plan on fixing that small leak both inside and out first, building the keel back up by about an inch, then repainting it.

I'm just not sure how I'm going to lift the boat up off the trailer and get the trailer out from under it without a hoist?

sbc388550 - 9 years ago

+James Brohard ,
Cheapest way to raise your boat would be stout lines and a set of sky hooks.

b24tnt - 11 years ago

I love his commentary. I could listen to it all day. For someone doing this for the same time, it's a reassuring tone.

ScoobTEQ - 11 years ago

Nice work, guys.

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