To bottom paint or not? A dinghy...

[4sandybutts]

I have a rigid bottom Avon dinghy. What are the thoughts and experiences of using bottom paint on tenders/dinghies such as this? Thanks.

[puffcard]

I did mine, with a gray water-based ablative. Glad I did. If you pull it every night, painting not required. But you leave it in the water a week in the mid Atlantic you're gonna have some barnacles striking. Florida is maybe worst.

[Sailormantx]

My dinghy used to have a painted bottom, it's a necessity if you leave it in the water all the time. But... I have a hard dinghy and store it upside down on deck if I am not using it while in a marina or underway. After a summer docked in Texas, the frequent rains caused the ablative bottom paint to leach green stains from the copper onto my cabin top and side decks. Now I just hang it on the side of the boat when I am anchored and it only goes in the water when I am using it, no bottom paint needed.