antifouling?

[HarryB]

Hey, I'm currently restoring a 1957 16 ft homebuilt runabout with a molded mahogany hull. I'm planning on flipping the boat soon, stripping the old anti-fouling and some old fibreglass. Once I've carried out any necessary repairs, whats the generally accepted method of finishing the bottom? Does the anti-fouling go straight onto the bare wood, or would you apply some sort of sealant or varnish before the anti-fouling coats? Thanks!

[Ian McColgin]

Read the can of whatever anti-fouling paint you choose. Most specify how to prime. I know of no anti-fouling paint that makes sense applied simply to bare wood.

A molded hull does not generally need to live in the water so perhaps you plan to trailor the boat. If that's the case, don't bother with anti-fouling paint.

[HarryB]

the boat would be trailered, and wouldnt spend more than a week at a time in fresh water. I suppose to me "anti-fouling" refers to bottom paints or coats in general.

[Ian McColgin]

Nah. Finish her so she looks good. If you're making the topsides bright, leaving the bottom bright set off by a nice boot stripe is cool. White for the boot would be normal but some OneShot fire engine red looks very racy on mahogany. Or paint it some solid color. The main thing is that a runabout bottom takes some serious water pressure so you want something that's really hard.

You may want to prime the whole boat with CPES before putting varnish on. Varnishing a runabout is a real act of love. I get away with a couple or three coats on some limited trim work but for the whole boat like that you're going to want more than seven coats first season and build from there. Just the recreation for the ultrapunctilious.

Since she's a small boat and I assume you're using her in warm weather, if she is going to be in water for a day or two, a dive under with a sponge would not be amiss. Won't take much.