I'm doing some bottom fiberglass work and will be sanding down a fair amount of paint so there will be some bareglass and primer showing here and there.I moor my boats so am wondering would you use an anti-fouling paint or poly.I'm just going to paint the waterline.I used Interlux VC 17m before on another boat with mixed results.I've heard good things about Interlux Brightside.But like i said this will be moored and would prefer not to spray .Suggestions/Thoughts.Thanks

Beach cats are not meant to be mored and it will most likely create problems if left in the water foe extended periods of time..... like... condensation in the hulls, water logging in the fibers (and foam)....

excessive wear on rigging... sundamage to tramp/lines/blocks

excessive corrosion.... etc...

Sea life will look at your boat like a developer eyes water fronts. When you get a growth, it causes little holes in the paint that become blisters eventually. Fiberglass is not glass.

Someones gotta have experience painting a Cat.

Andy & deepsees are right.... don't leave it in the water, one of my friends did~~his mast came down !!!
What do ya wanna know about paintin ? I've painted 4 cats, but not with bottom paint......

--
~ Vietnam Vet 69-71~ 17 Hobie w/big jib, ~18 Hobie mag,~DN Ice sailor,
and other toys.......
~~ I live in NY state on the north shore of Oneida lake in
Bernhards Bay. ~~~~~~
--

I have friends with larger cats that have tried anti-fouling paint. it has limited resistance. you still need to put on scuba gear and scape off the growth.

They have tried everything from adding peppers to the paint, to adding toxic chemicals to kill growth... none works to well....

You guys are killing me with the mooring issue! No disrespect, you people have been priceless with info. Esp Andrew Scott, Damon, deepseas and many others.

I was talking with Brjonair last night. Here's the deal. If one has a cat that costs 6k or more I would probably not moor. Maaaaaybe. The real crux of the issue is....Do I want to trailer, unload, mast step, hook up all the gear and then do it all again when I leave? HELL NO!

The cats we sail are 500-2k in value. We walk out our door ride bike, walk or drive 1/4 mile to the mooring area (oh, there is a lot of eye candy on the way) put up the sails and boom and off we go. 10-15 minutes upon arrival. We go out for a few hrs after work or a couple times a day, doesn't matter because it's so convenient.

As for wear and tear, the sun is probably the only real threat. I've had the H14 out there for 3 seasons and it looks no different than the day I bought it. Yes, over time the tramp we break down, but just wright it off as the cost of hassle free fun. The mast needs to have a bunjie hooked thru the cleat and pulled to one side and fastened off to front corner of tramp. The tiller needs to be wrapped with a bungie and secured. I'm sure one could cover it they wanted. Waves are small because it's in shallow water. The crud that gets on the hulls...well, last year I had to clean them twice on the beach. The crud stays soft when the cat stays in the water. A plastic putty knife and ten minutes will work just fine.

I've never had one tip over in the water while moored. Really, there has been no problem even in the worst of weather. Tie the mooring rope to the bridal and the cat will always face into the wind. If you don't do this you could have problems.

Trailerless and loving it, don't be afraid to give it a shot. I can't speak for the ocean, but I think you would need to be in a protected area to moor.

Hey, Spray well put after reading that i was thinking the only time i had a problem was after i bought the H16 within a week the shroud broke,other than that no problems i've had An H14,H16 and my power boat all moored and as you know never any problems other than taking a scrub brush and sponge over bottom from time to time due to slime but i'll take that pay-off.I don't have any blisters water etc in hulls so i can live with a little TLC everynow and then.
It's a pretty cool convience to say hey i'm going out sailing and grab a couple of things hop on my bike and ride 3 1/2 blocks to the water and be up and out in minutes.Considering how short are summer is up here with are boats be moored i would bet and i'am a betn man that we probably sail more than most due to the convience.I think this season i will make a log like a trucker does of how many hrs. put in a day on water cause were usually down there daily.The thing that cracks me up is boats are made to be in water with our technology today what is there to worry about we can fix anything including stupid.Trailering all the time i'd rather stick a fork in my eye.thats for the weekend warriors.No pun intended.Brad



edited by: brjonair, May 12, 2009 - 11:36 AM

If there is no wave action then you will have less wear on the rigging for sure.

You may not notice any problems but i have to think you will reduce the life of the fiberglass/foam with the heating and cooling condensation... but its a trade off... less life for more convenience.

I make the same trade off with my spinnaker. I leave it in the snuffer during the week. this reduces its life by 1/2 but i don't have to spend 45 minutes rigging it every weekend (not to mention the drama if its rigged wrong and its to windy to test on the beach prior to launch).

At $1300 - $2500 for a new spin.. i hate the thought of annual replacement... but its a trade off i take.

Hey! I need an answer to the original question that brjonair asked also: What kind of paint do you recommend? (I'm not going to tell you how I store, or moore, my boat... for fear that you'll get off subject)!?

Thanks for any help,

Steve

Well, after searching this site, It has come down to: Interlux Brightside, Imeron, Awlgrip and Easypoxy. I had no idea that this question had been asked so much? There must be alot of us out there saving a bunch of old cats!?!

Way to go!!!

Old cats never die.. they just smell that way



edited by: andrewscott, May 13, 2009 - 09:27 AM

I painted my G-Cat with Awgrip. Quite expensive. I started with an off brand marine primer and no gel coat. Awgrip told me that I should stick to the one family chemistry. This was five years ago... the boat looks great. The Awgrip is TOUGH. Stands up to feet grinding sand on the decks well. But like I said... it is expensive. Most likely the most costly chemistry to paint a boat with. You get what you pay for.

I did use yellow interlux for the under water line over the Awgrip eggshell white. It aheared well but is fading to chalkiness compared to the Awgrip exposed to the sun. The eggshell white is still like the day I sprayed it.

Thank you so much Deepsees! That kind of info. is just what I needed.

You're right: you Do get what you pay for...

Steve