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Waterline

wheelerwbrian

Member III
My 88 38-200 waterline appears to be slightly low -- it was that way when I got the boat a couple of years ago -- apparently from the amount of junk on it, water tanks, batteries, air conditioner, etc. The consequence is an scum ring, accented with barnacles, that is a bitch to scrub off. Plus I don't like the way it looks.

As part of the bottom paint recoating this year, I'd like to raise it about an inch. My plan is to just use a sandless primer to take me up to the top of the next stripe and then paint as usual. Any problems with this approach?
 

ted_reshetiloff

Contributing Partner
Brian glad to hear of another 38 on the Chesapeake. I keep my boat on the South river in Hilsmere community, Chris Miller is down in Solomons and there is another guy, I forget his name now, who has a 38 in Annapolis at Mears. Starting to sound like we will have the makings of a one-design fleet soon!

For raising your water line I am going to assume you have done your best to get the junk off the boat already and it still floats too low? If you are only talking about an inch I would simply mask off your new waterline. Then when you sand the bottom make sure to rough up the old boot strip really good. Get a quart kit of barrier coat, like Interprotect. Coat the old bootstripe area with the interprotect, let it dry, lightly rough it up to get a tooth for the bottompaint, then paint with your anti fouling. You may be able to skip the barrier coat but it would be best not too. You could just rough it up and paint with antifouling but barrier coat would be advisable. Then again the rest of your bottom may not have barrier coat either?

Hope to see you on the bay soon.
 

wheelerwbrian

Member III
Yes, it does have a barrier coat -- Interprotect, judging by the color. The problem is mainly on the bow, since that is where the PO installed the AC. My boat has two boot stripes, one smaller one then the thicker one above that. Other 38s I've see appear to have only one large one -- makes me wonder if the waterline was painted too low to begin with.

I'm on the Magothy River -- Palmetto Blues.
 

ted_reshetiloff

Contributing Partner
I would love to check out your boat sometime. Esp. like to see the AC install. I have a mermaid unit that the PO installed in place of the 40 gal. water tank on the port side near the galley. I miss the water tankage and was considering trying to move my unit up to the bow. According to Mermaid my unit only weighs 50lbs. Much less than the fwd water tank. I would recommend sanding off the old boot stripe to the gel coat and then some to rough it up. Then barrier coat that area. Would be best to blend it with the barrier coat on the hull so you have barrier coat going all the way up to the new boot line.
 

wheelerwbrian

Member III
She's hauled in Ferry Point Marina, where Magothy Seafood is. I'm sure I'll be there many weekends, and probably a week sometime end of March beginning of April, once the weather improves. I'll try to remember to let you know when and feel free to stop by.
 

ted_reshetiloff

Contributing Partner
My brother has his Tartan 34 hauled out up there for the winter. Let me know when you will be up there next and I'll come up for a look. Thanks
 

Seth

Sustaining Partner
I doubt it was painted too low-they are carefully indexed in production, and the boats were all floated in a pool after they came off the line (and yes, we DID see the famous "list" even back then-we ignored it), and we made sure they floated on their lines (at least fore and aft!). If this is the factory waterline, the problem most likely is from added weight. Ted has already given my lecture about not "ferrying" any more pounds than you need to. It is amazing how much better the boat sails if you can put her on a diet.

On the other hand, if you have the gear you want and need on board, and this is a problem, you may have to raise it as you suggest-and accept the performance loss...

BTW-That "pool" part was always fun at the factory!

S
 
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