SERVICE
Bottom Painting
The following are some tips on bottom painting your boat.
Your trailer should be on firm level ground. Concrete and asphalt are preferable to gravel but Gravel will work. You will want to open your boat on it's trailer. Keep in mind that when one side is open the boat will be unbalanced and you want to be sure to have it tied of to the trailer. For a 31 it is nice to have 4 adults holding the side you are opening. Once one side is open you want to place supports under the akas You want to use boat supports with adjustable heights. Once this is done the boat will be more stable. Open and support the other side. Jack the boat about 8 inches off the trailer. You will probably need to lift the tongue of your trailer to pull it out from under the boat. Using a level make sure the scum line on the boat is level with the water. A laser level will help you with this. Mount the laser level on a tripod and adjust that boat as needed. All the time you spend doing this properly will pay off.
If you are going to put a barrier coat on your boat paint it after it has been out of the water for a month or at the very least a couple weeks. If you are applying only the antifouling paint you can paint it after less time.
Cleaning
Once you have marked the scum line on your boat if you are applying the first bottom paint, or altering your water line due to changes in weight distribution. You need to get the bottom really clean. if you have a pressure washer this will help. If not a bucket and a brush and scotchbrite pads will suffice. If you are reapplying VC 17 you do not need to remove all the old VC 17 just the scum. Do your cleaning as soon as possible and let the boat dry for a couple of weeks if possible. The paint you are applying will give you good directions on how to treat the bottom. In most cases wet sanding will give you a good mechanical as well as chemical bond. In any case if your boat is new you want to be certain to we sand it to remove any mold release wax because paint will not bond well. If there is any left on the boat. If you are painting a brand new boat you need to dip it in the water with everything in it's normal position to mark the water line.
Masking
Be sure the boat is clean and dry. use two inch masking tape. You want your waterline to be about 3 inches above the scum line/ water line. Use the best quality tape for this waterline you can use cheaper tape to hold paper or plastic mask in place. If you are spraying I recommend making up to the deck. You can get a plastic film which will save a lot of time versus news paper. Though reusing the paper is better for the environment. If you are just applying VC 17 and doing it with a roller you do not need to mask as high up. Keep in mind if you are painting the bottom with an epoxy barrier coat that it is next to impossible to remove it.
Painting
Follow the directions for the paint you are using. VC 17 is applied well with either a roller or an airless sprayer. keep in mind with all paints that more this coats are always smoother than too few thick coats.