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Boat Painting in Finger Slip

chrisoelder

Member II
Hi All,

Looking to give my 78 E27 a facelift with some fresh paint. I am wondering if anyone has any experience of painting their deck, transom, and hull (above the water line) in their finger slip?

I don't see the painting being a problem but I can see the sanding being a possible environmental issue. OR am I wrong even thinking I need to sand it down?

Any and all tips, tricks, and advice is greatly appreciated! Thank you!
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
You can't paint a hull in the water, at least if a good result is required. Decks, yes. Also, the prep is considerably messy and probably be a problem if dockmates complain.

Suggest exploring hauling out at King Harbor, where you can do work yourself, and where they have painters around to advise and consult.
 
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chrisoelder

Member II
You can't paint a hull in the water, at least if a good result is required. Decks, yes. Also, the prep is considerably messy and probably be a problem if dockmates complain.

Suggest exploring hauling out at King Harbor, where you can do work yourself, and where they have painters around to advise and consult.


Yeah, that is something I am going to have to look into.

Is it common for skippers to only paint the deck and hull at separate times?
 

Martin King

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
You can't paint a hull in the water, at least if a good result is required. Decks, yes. Also, the prep is considerably messy and probably be a problem if dockmates complain.

Suggest exploring hauling out at King Harbor, where you can do work yourself, and where they have painters around to advise and consult.

King Harbor lets owners work on their own boats?
 

Christian Williams

E381 - Los Angeles
Senior Moderator
Blogs Author
That's the main draw. Several forum members have had good experiences there. My own experience, while OK sort of, because it is so hard to find such a place, shared some aspects of this (scathing) recent review:

2/13/2018
Not DIY friendly in any way.

I brought a 25' sailboat to the shipyard to bottom paint work on it myself for a six day stay. Although the cost to have it stay there was in line with other shipyards I've been to, it was the ridiculously bad management and lack of concern that makes this shipyard next to have the EPA shut them down.

1) Cramped quarters. The boats are anywhere from 3 ft to 5 ft hull to hull from each other, at least during my stay.
2) Paint over-spray and dust everywhere. The yard didn't adhere to vacuum or paint control standards and the staff was open sanding and spraying bottom paint without vacuum use or tarps. Paint was all over my boat and the ground.
3) No Bathroom use without getting the staff person to let you in each time. This was an insane attitude of distrust from the management, stating they don't trust the clients to not lose the key or to sell it to a homeless person...really? When I asked about the policy, the manager just got angry. My son was waiting ten minutes while the staffer was chatting away with another client, until I came up and interrupted them.
4) Ruined my bottom paint job due to lack of consideration and knowledge. Their lift operator put paper on their straps so that it didn't get bottom paint on them, why? The end result was the bottom paint was smeared all over the sides of my boat with large blue strap marks. I basically have to do the job all over again at a different yard. Why is this there fault? If one day for drying is not enough time to allow the paint to fully dry so that their preferred launch method doesn't tear it off or smear it, then please inform the client they need at least X number of dry days before launch. They knew dry time was an issue, thus the paper, but didn't care to consult with me, apparently due to not being their responsibility?

Just a very bad company due to be poorly run, at least for the DIY boater.
They have an all too common belief that the boat owners need them and thus deserve limited considerations while there.


[/FONT][/COLOR]
 
Last edited:

Martin King

Sustaining Member
Blogs Author
That's the main draw. Several forum members have had good experiences there. My own experience, while OK sort of, because it is so hard to find such a place, shared some aspects of this (scathing) recent review:

2/13/2018
Not DIY friendly in any way.

I brought a 25' sailboat to the shipyard to bottom paint work on it myself for a six day stay. Although the cost to have it stay there was in line with other shipyards I've been to, it was the ridiculously bad management and lack of concern that makes this shipyard next to have the EPA shut them down.

1) Cramped quarters. The boats are anywhere from 3 ft to 5 ft hull to hull from each other, at least during my stay.
2) Paint over-spray and dust everywhere. The yard didn't adhere to vacuum or paint control standards and the staff was open sanding and spraying bottom paint without vacuum use or tarps. Paint was all over my boat and the ground.
3) No Bathroom use without getting the staff person to let you in each time. This was an insane attitude of distrust from the management, stating they don't trust the clients to not lose the key or to sell it to a homeless person...really? When I asked about the policy, the manager just got angry. My son was waiting ten minutes while the staffer was chatting away with another client, until I came up and interrupted them.
4) Ruined my bottom paint job due to lack of consideration and knowledge. Their lift operator put paper on their straps so that it didn't get bottom paint on them, why? The end result was the bottom paint was smeared all over the sides of my boat with large blue strap marks. I basically have to do the job all over again at a different yard. Why is this there fault? If one day for drying is not enough time to allow the paint to fully dry so that their preferred launch method doesn't tear it off or smear it, then please inform the client they need at least X number of dry days before launch. They knew dry time was an issue, thus the paper, but didn't care to consult with me, apparently due to not being their responsibility?

Just a very bad company due to be poorly run, at least for the DIY boater.
They have an all too common belief that the boat owners need them and thus deserve limited considerations while there.


[/FONT][/COLOR]

Another bad yard experience. My last haul out at Marina Shipyard a couple years ago was equally unpleasant but for different reasons. After they had my boat out of the water, I was informed that it was no longer a DIY yard and their yard people
had to perform all services. Their pricing was outrageous- thousands to paint just the boot stripe- a task I usually handled my self with some tape and a brush. They wanted to charge me 4 hours to change out the shaft packing- a task I can do
myself in under 20 minutes. I called BS on that and they "graciously" took 2 hours off my bill. The yard was clean, though I will give them that. As convenient as they are for Long Beach, I will never go back. Are there any yards left in so cal
that allow DIY?
 

garryh

Member III
"Is it common for skippers to only paint the deck and hull at separate times?"
Chris- both of these paint jobs are HUGE.... like, seriously huge... and also technically demanding and require a LOT of time (at least if you want any quality in the finished product). And there is far more prep work than there is paint work, and you sure cannot prep properly floating around at a dock.
And yes... the two jobs are separate and distinct.
As an aside, the hull above the waterline is the 'topsides'... even though it is the deck that is the 'top' : )
 

chrisoelder

Member II
Thanks, everyone for the knowledge and wisdom!

I am going to keep weighing the options to see what will be the best way to get her looking beautiful and back to new. Based on the feedback, I am going to hold off on painting and just work on the trim. Does anyone have a product or a technique of getting her looking like she was just painted? I was thinking that buffing her could work but never tried it on a sailboat.
 
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