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Tony B · 04-07-2014, 07:07

In about a week or so I will be putting bottom paint on my dink.

I will be putting it on to about 2" above the waterline.
I was thinking of setting the dink in the water with the outboard and then marking it with a grease pencil if I can get a good shot at it.

The other choice is setting it in the water with the outboard for a day or 2 and then measuring from the slime line. The downside to this would be all of the extra cleaning again.

What have you guys done?

Vasco · 04-07-2014, 08:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony B

What have you guys done?

Nothing.

neptunesjester · 04-07-2014, 09:12

I've done this a few times before. Place the dink loaded with normal gear in the water for a week or so to develop a slime coating. Then pull it, tape it, and clean / prep it. On a new hull, any mark I tried to place would wash off while cleaning it.

chris95040 · 04-07-2014, 09:22

What paint have folks used on, say, hypalon? How's it hold up? Will it be a mess when I throw the dink in the back of the truck at the end of the season?

Stu Jackson · 04-07-2014, 09:32

If I was doing this, I'd put the dink in the water, load it as you would for normal loads, and get some masking tape and put a couple of pieces in strategic locations. Done. What's so hard?

**David M** · 04-07-2014, 10:04

I agree, put a number of pieces of tape a couple of inches above where it sits in the water when normally loaded, pull it out of the water and then put a nice smooth tape line around it and then paint it.

Tony B · 04-07-2014, 11:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by chris95040

What paint have folks used on, say, hypalon? How's it hold up? Will it be a mess when I throw the dink in the back of the truck at the end of the season?

The 2 paints I looked at were AquaGuard and Pettit. Both state in large lettering "For inflatable Boats". Either one will work on PVC or Hypolon.

From asking on several forums, apparently, the bottom paint holds up well and does a great job. Cleaning and prep is everything.

I was tempted to get the Aquaguard because it comes in light gray, but the Pettit has a much higher % of cuprous oxide. Unfortunately, the Pettit only comes in black. I'm sure of you man handle the dink the paint will come off on your truck. I don't expect it to if you handle with reasonable care. Maybe throwing a cheap tarp down first will help you.
Mine will spend most of it's life in the water or on the davits.

Vasco · 04-07-2014, 11:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony B

Mine will spend most of it's life in the water or on the davits.

Why are you painting it? My AB RIB is fine after 10 seasons on hard use in the Bahamas. Kept on davits but in the water a lot. A little scrub now and then and it's like new. With a PVC dink you'll need chaps more than bottom paint.

Blue Stocking · 04-07-2014, 13:35

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasco

Why are you painting it? My AB RIB is fine after 10 seasons on hard use in the Bahamas. Kept on davits but in the water a lot. A little scrub now and then and it's like new. With a PVC dink you'll need chaps more than bottom paint.

X 2

Tony B · 04-07-2014, 17:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vasco

Why are you painting it? ......Kept on davits but in the water a lot. A little scrub now and then and it's like new.......

Kept on davits and in the water a lot is not the same as in the water for 2 weeks and not being moved.
When on the Gulf of Mex. I could just wash a wipe away 2 weeks of sea life. Not so on the Tennessee River. The growth was really thick and very difficult to remove. Sometimes I like leaving the dink in the water for a week or two.
I don't need more chaps than bottom paint if I'm in the shade.

Our uses are different.

**Ex-Calif** · 04-07-2014, 17:53

Most dink waterlines I see are at the gunwales when loaded with 4 fat bastards, groceries, ice, beer and other essentials...

Quote:

I was thinking of setting the dink in the water with the outboard and then marking it with a grease pencil if I can get a good shot at it.

This is the answer... Load it with anything that it would be loaded with for the two week periods - full fuel, beach anchor, oars, etc...

sparrowhawk1 · 05-07-2014, 05:37

It depends where you are as stated earlier. In Miami I had barnacles grow after 4 days in the summertime. But why not combine both recommendations. Mark a few inches above the waterline with tape then measure down from those pieces of tape to make your water line. paint and then after a week or so inspect it. if there's any growth above were you painted it that's all you have to clean n paint. Or third option paint the majority of the bottom but don't even try and find a water line and then after a week you just have to scrub and paint that smaller section

builder dan · 09-07-2014, 03:09

I swam round the dink with a waterproof pen and put lots of little black lines worked really well

**minaret** · 09-07-2014, 04:46

Bunch of posts from guys who have clearly never done this. How are you gonna mark the waterline with tape or a grease pencil while you're in the boat? Only way to do this which doesn't require going swimming or a scum line is to rub chalk all over it and splash it very carefully. Then tape below the chalk line, wash off the chalk, and move your tape line up. Easy and fast. Obviously any wave action at all makes this impossible.