Despite what appears to make sense, boats are not really designed to be left in the water, not without some prep. Boats that are left in the water usually have two extra layers of "stuff" applied to the hull up to the water line. Typically we will see a barrier coat applied first, to seal the fiberglass from the water to prevent osmotic blistering. Then on top of that a coating of bottom paint is applied. Bottom paint is specifically formulated to be used on boats left in the water and there are two different types. The fist type, often called a hard bottom paint is designed to prevent marine growth from attaching to the hull by means of some type of biocide, (copper is a common biocide that has historically been added to bottom paints). The other type of bottom paint is called ablative paint. Ablative means the paint slowly wears away with use, and any marine growth that does attach slides off with a tiny amount of paint during use of the boat. Bottom paints will have a max life of around five years, and some are to be applied annually.
If you are going to wet slip for the season look into getting a bottom job. Your boat will thank you.
Phil
Kicker
Last edited by philwsailz; 04-20-2016 at 7:15 AM.
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