salt water users

[boatdryver]

I am looking to buy a 17 or 19 CC and plan salt water use. Anybody out there with experience leaving a roplene boat with no bottom paint in salt water for 1-3 months? Is this feasible, then just pressure wash?

[MolarBoater]

There is a thread on this site about how and what to do for painting the hull. Biggest concern could be keeping the bilge dry/batteries charged etc.

[MolarBoater]

Might want to check with Dick on the Tech Talk section, I couldn't find the thread on bottom painting. Would expect it to invovle, cleaning/sanding/priming/painting though since "paint" etc doesn't stick to the plastic hull well.

[NCangler]

There is an article located here:

http://www.triumphowners.org/forums/...rticle&artid=1

This was from the Triumph factory on how to apply bottom paint.

[Mainer]

I have left my 17' CC in the salt water on a mooring for a month with regular use and had no problem using a pressure washer to clean the bottom. I know that there are people on this site that leave their boats in the salt water for longer periods than a month. Hopefully they will see this thread and let you know what their experiences have been.

[Fabio Londono]

I purchased my triumph in 2001. I have left the boat with no bottom paint in saltwater up until this day. I strongly do not recommend it. Barnacles will not only stick, you will also constantly have to scrape the bottom. In time your hull surface will be very rough that it will affect your top speed and performance. With fuel prices so high, your fuel consumption will dramatically increase, even if you scrape off the growth. If you plan to keep it in saltwater, see if you can invest in a boatlift. If not, then seriously consider bottom painting it. It will be worth it. I am currently going to bottom paint my boat, but now i have to smooth out the surface again.

[Mud Skipper]

I agree with Fabio. I have a 2005 170 CC which has been in the water for two months. I have used it 5 times this year and each time performance diminishes due to an increasing number of barnacles and algae growth. Performance was way down the last outing. She's now in the driveway, the bottom is completely covered in barnacles. A modest pressure washer takes care of the algae, but the barnacles are more persistent. A few days of drying followed by a few days of scraping removes them but it's an awkward and time consuming process. Definitely recommend a boat lift or using your time to bottom paint instead of scrape barnacles.

DSC00632a.JPG

For anyone who thinks the barnacles "pop right off" take a look at the photo. This is after pressure washing with a 2100 psi machine. I think this might be what Mud Runner refers to as UGLY.

[Mud Runner]

Just hauled a 170CC after 7 weeks.

UGLY