Painting the Bottom of a Dinghy

[landonshaw]

So I have a dinghy that is in the water 24 7, 12 months a year. It comes out when we are on the hard, maybe every 1 & 1/2 to 2 years. I try to clean the bottom of the dinghy every 2 weeks, that goes to 4, that goes to 8. What are your ideas of painting the bottom of the dinghy with antifouling paint? either boat or stuff for dinghies. Still try to clean every 2 weeks, but it probably will go to 4 and then 8 at times.
Do you run into any special problems after painting the bottom with paint? I have an AB dinghy. Thanks Dave

[Unicorn Dreams]

We just flip it over occasionally and use our bottom cleaning gloves fot a quick wipe down.
Bottom paint gets all over tou if you're swimming and rub up next to the dink..

[felixqld66]

I haul mine up out of the water each night on a spare halyard from the mast sits against the hull drys out all night. I winch by hand but the old salt who showed me uses his powered anchor winch to do the job very slick. I have a RIB but have seen hard dinks do it with fenders.

The old salt also recommended a few layers of car wax after you clean the bottom....3mths now clean as a whistle

May not fit your situation but I'm sold

[MarkJ]

I am going to do mine with the anti fouling I use on the boat. Extra coat or 2 for the leading edge.

I'm not spending extra for special dink paint.

[SailFastTri]

I use Pettit Hydrocoat on my dinghy. Been using it for years. No problems. Highly recommended.

[Wand]

Just use the antifoul that goes on the boat. You don't need anything special and there's always some left in the can. My dinghy's in the water 24/7 also; works for me.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by At sea

Just use the antifoul that goes on the boat. You don't need anything special and there's always some left in the can. My dinghy's in the water 24/7 also; works for me.

Many sailboats will have a soft sloughing antifouling on their bottoms. These paints are designed for slow moving hulls and will slough too quickly if applied to a planing hull like your average tender. I'd recommend a hard bottom bottom paint for the tender instead of the soft ablative. You'll also have less problem with the paint coming off on you as a previous poster mentioned. Some places sell quarts...

[landonshaw]

Thanks, I like the idea of a hard paint on the bottom. Had not thought off the soft rubbing off when swimming and rubbing up against it. The bottom paint on the boat sure comes off when touched.