Bottom Paint - Does it affect value?

[FLlongball]

A friend of mine is looking to buy his first boat and wants to leave the boat in a Marina. The Marina water tends to get very nasty and will grow hair on the bottom of the boat in about a week in the water. He wants to bottom paint the boat that he purchases if he buys new. In addition, he is looking at a 2007 that is bottom painted. What do you guys think bottom paint does to the value of the boat? Should he bottom paint or find another solution?

[J]

RE: Bottom Paint - Does it affect value?

Some people paint the bottom of there boat, when they keep their boat in the water for long periods, to prevent the gel coat from absorbing water....thus hopefully preventing bllisters. Some people also paint the bottom of there boat to cover up things, or recoat it after gelcoat repairs. Either way, painting the bottom of the hull is not neccesarily a bad thing.

For value, I don't think it matters if the hull is painted or not....as long as it looks good, and is done profesionally with the right paint.
A friend of mine had his entire bottom hull painted after an accident, and it was amazing how close they were able to match the gel coat color on the sides of the boat.

Would it matter to me or effect what i would pay? Maybe a little on an 07, especially if it didn't look good.

If it were me I'd wax the **** out of the boat so that cleaning is easier for you.....but others will chime in and say your altering the way the hull was designed to travel through the water.....but to each there own...

[bkhallpass]

RE: Bottom Paint - Does it affect value?

Bottom paint on a competition ski or wakeboard boat reduces the value of the boat. However, it won't reduce the value as much as severe blistering on the bottom of the boat. BKH

[8122pbrainard]

RE: Bottom Paint - Does it affect value?

FL, I agree with Brian on the value going down with the bottom painting. Your friend may want to try one of the several anti-fouling bottom waxes first.
http://www.maxiglide.com/BOATGUARD-S...SH_p_3-38.html
Although not as effective as paints, it may give him what he needs for a couple months.
BTW, a 2007 will be a epoxy resin hull used to avoid hull blistering that was common with the polyesters.

J, A painted hull above the waterline is really decreasing the boats value. If someone does need to refinish, then re gelcoating is the proper way. People want a fiberglass boat - not a painted boat that needs to be treated like a classic or antique painted/varnished boat.

[J]

RE: Bottom Paint - Does it affect value?

pbrainard, I agree with above water line painting......but I was talking below the water line painting....and what I was getting at, is it is alot easier to color match the existing gel coat color on the sides of the boat by painting the bottom vs trying to color match the bottom with an entire new gel coat. Alot of firbeglass shops repair the gel coat on boats, and then paint over top to get an exact (or very close) color match. When gel coat applicatrions cure, they change colors.....but I totally agree with the above the water line comment.
.

[skijones]

Super Slick is the name of the antifouling wax I use. Overtons has it. Very thick, kind of tough to put on, but I have not had blisters on my 99 after 2 summers of staying in the water for 4-6 weeks at a time.

Very easy to take off with a steam pressure washer, just need to wipe down after.