Bottom Boat Painting

Houseboating is a ton of fun but it also comes with a price.  The not so fun part of houseboating is the maintenance part, but it has to be done. We spent the month of April redoing the bottom of of our houseboat to get it ready for this year's adventures.  It is a critical maintenance part of the boat to make sure the hull is always solid and shows no leaks.  Our houseboat is aluminum so we had to apply a special anitfouling paint designed for aluminum boats. It's purpose is to help keep the bottom of the boat and motors free of algae, and zebra mussels. The antifouling paint we used is called Alumacoat SR. We found our best price for the paint at Wholesale Marine at $174.99 a gallon. It is very expensive so you want to make sure you know exactly the amount you need.

We prepped the boat first by powerwashing the bottom of the boat to clear it free of all old zebra mussels and old loose paint and any water scum.     

We then applied a primer to the boat because there was exposed metal and we wanted to make sure the anitfouling paint would adhere to the boat properly.  We used Zissner 1-2-3 primer.

After the primer was good and dry we then applied the anitfouling paint, Alumacoat SR, to the bottom of the boat. We applied two coats to make sure we had full coverage and good protection. We also applid the paint to the outdrives to aid them in staying clear of algae and zebra mussels.  It is always best to do the work while also enjoyng a cold beverage.

It is very important to wear protective clothing, chemical resistant gloves, and eye protection. This antifouling paint has a strong pesticide in it that can injure you easily. Once the boat is finished you can look back and marvel at your work and you must let it dry for a MINUMUM of 16 hrs. for the solvent to escape and dry fully. Now the houseboat is ready for SPLASH-IN.

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