Painting under pads and keel blocks

[thinwater]

I've been through this drill dozens of times. Moving the pads is pretty easy. Some just paint under them while the boat is in the slings (oil paint only), but you don't get two coats that way.

But what about under the keel blocks? I never worried about it before. The spots were small and the keel rubbed the bottom now and then anyway. But my new-to-me trimaran had some big blocks under it (two by 12" x 12") and I had to do something about that. Fortunately, the boat is light and I could safely move them by unweighting them with bow, transom, and ama jacks in just a few minutes. But that wouldn't be practical on a heavy boat or on a monohull in general. They charge a hefty fee to move the blocks with a travel lift.

So how many people move the keel blocks while painting?


[I am an engineering and worked for a rigging company for a time--I do know what I am doing and no short cuts were taken. Temporary blocks were placed during repositioning. I'm not suggesting this is a DIY thing.]

[Bean Counter]

We just put a really think coat on the bottom of the keels, the yard lets it sit for an hour in the slings. The paint cures under water we are told. We go very slowly from the yard to our anchor spot and sit there for a day before moving on. When we have scrubbed the bottoms at anchor 6 months later there is no more growth on the keel bottoms than other parts (we just ran out of Seahawk Biocop this year and painted the keel bottoms with left over sail drive paint, Trilux 33 - will see how it stands up)

[Chotu]

You paint it as it's in the slings getting relaunched.

[David M]

Never ever do this. This is in the agreement that you signed. Boatyards specifically prohibit this and many will kick you out if they catch you. This is for your safety, others safety and for the safety of the boatyards employees.

Wait until your boat is on the Travelift right before launch to paint the spots you missed, if you insist on going cheap on this. Otherwise, do the right thing and pay the yard to move the supports.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by David M

Never ever do this. This is in the agreement that you signed. Boatyards specifically prohibit this and many will kick you out if they catch you. This is for your safety, others safety and for the safety of the boatyards employees.

Wait until your boat is on the Travelift right before launch to paint the spots you missed, if you insist on going cheap on this. Otherwise, do the right thing and pay the yard to move the supports.

Let us be clear. I am NOT suggesting you do this on your own. I wrote "I" but that was a euphemism for working with the yard guys. Let's just skip that topic as obvious.

The question is how many people have the marina move the keel blocks. The marina indicated it is something they do for some racers. But I had never seen them do this for anyone. Moving stands is rather common; most yards charge ~ $25 per stand, though this yard does it for free, probably to eliminate the temptation. Most folks just paint in the slings. That is what I always did.

a. In the slings you get only one coat (2 is normal for multi-season use).
b. No drying time. I've yet to see a yard that gives it anymore drying time than the 10 minutes it takes to get it to the water. But based on experience, this is not a big deal.

[Cheechako]

You need a yard that will let it sit for a half hour or so in the slings. You can get two coats on the keel bottom that way. Dry enough. But a lot of yards will lift the boat early before splashing the boat, and just leave it lifted in space where it was before launching.
Often you can get this done 1/2 hour or more before their lunch time, then it sits through lunch hour also.
My experience is the barnacles grow faster the closer they are to the water surface anyway though, bottom of the keel rarely has much on it.

[David M]

My apologies, let's say this is addressed to anyone who is contemplating it. Leave moving the supports to the yard's professionals.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

... My experience is the barnacles grow faster the closer they are to the water surface anyway though, bottom of the keel rarely has much on it.

Slime, yes, barnacles may be just the opposite.

I was rather surprised to see zero grown inside the centerboard case. Not even any bottom paint.

---

It doesn't take a storm, just a mistake. [Although I'm not sure I've ever heard of a multihull falling off the stands, hurricanes excluded....]

[Franziska]

Barnacles seem to like light and oxygen.Both are available closer to the waterline, less so in board cases.

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Barnacles seem to like light and oxygen.Both are available closer to the waterline, less so in board cases.

Yep, one marina I was in they grew very well on one side of the boat, in the top 2 feet or so, and the other side had few.

[Franziska]

The other side was probably shaded more...

[Don C L]

Never get to move keel blocks, I have to chase the boat with a paint brush while she's heading for the water! And yes those spots may get some growth I need to dive down and knock off sometimes. Or I just sail extra fast and that cleans the hull.
My yard does give me one move on the braces though in the price, so those pad spots get what they need.

[unbusted67]

I use a small tire jack and some blocking/shims to disperse the load on the keel. It only takes 1/32 of an inch clearance to slide the blocking forward. If you don't want to do it yourself pre negotiate with the yard that they move the blocking for you free of charge.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Bean Counter

The paint cures under water we are told.

Umm... not so much.

As a hull cleaner, I see this all the time. Pad spots get painted while the boat is in the slings just before splashing. What the yard either doesn't know (or want you to know) is that anti fouling paint "cures" when the solvents in the liquid flash off, leaving the paint a solid coating. This process requires exposure to air, which does not happen when the boat is in the water. The result is the paint in these areas never cures and remains unstable, soft and short-lived. It's a poor practice.

[44'cruisingcat]

If you organize to have your boat be the first launched in the morning some yards may agree to lift the boat last thing the day before, giving you the opportunity to do a decent prep and antifoul on the patches.

We did this last time we slipped the boat.