Waterline questions...

[John G]

I've got my 1973 19-6 basically torn apart and currently working on the rebuild.  A previous owner painted the exterior with blue enamel and interior with grey enamel.  The waterline was also way off.  I am almost done stripping it down and just realized (duh!) after all the weight changes that I will need to re-mark the waterline.   I know there are many ways to do this, so I'm thinking the easiest way would be to just drop it in the water after assembly and loaded up with fuel and gear to mark it.

This being said I have a few questions / concerns...

The boat lives in Maine in the ocean during summer, but it's at home in NH for the rebuild.  I have fresh water lakes near me that would be very easy to drop it in for marking the waterline.  From my days of scuba diving I know that salt water is more buoyant than fresh water.  Any idea how much this will effect the location of my waterline if marked in fresh water?  Is it really that much of a concern?

The bottom paint has been stripped and the fiberglass is exposed in many places both below and above the old waterline. Some spots are from repairs, some are just uneven spots where the sander exposed the fiberglass.  I'm going to paint the topside with a 2-part urethane, but what about the bottom?   Should I roll some gelcoat over the exposed fiberglass prior to putting it in the water to mark the waterline, then bottom paint over it?  I had intended to just paint the entire boat with the topside color and then paint the bottom after the waterline is marked, but my understanding now is that topside paint should not be underwater, even if painted over with bottom paint.

Any thoughts / suggestions as to how I should go about this?

Thanks!

[wingnut]

As far as the waterline goes, I can't imagine the difference for your boat in salt vs fresh water would be more than a half inch or so. If the boat is going to live in salt water in the summer, I'd say mark waterline in fresh water, that way when it's in salt, your bottom paint is a little higher than the true saltwater waterline, and you won't get scum on your hullsides from wave lap!

Some kind of barrier coat would not be a bad idea on your exposed bottom glass. Interlux and Petit both make a good one, I believe. Just depends if it's worth it for the size of the areas.

How is the rebuild coming otherwise? Whereabouts in Maine do you go in the summer?

[John G]

As far as the waterline goes, I can't imagine the difference for your boat in salt vs fresh water would be more than a half inch or so. If the boat is going to live in salt water in the summer, I'd say mark waterline in fresh water, that way when it's in salt, your bottom paint is a little higher than the true saltwater waterline, and you won't get scum on your hullsides from wave lap!

That is exactly what I was thinking as long as it doesn't end up 2-3" higher!

The boat is moored in East Boothbay during the summer.  The rebuild is going along ok.  I'll be replacing the transom in a few weeks.  It's snowmobile season right now but we have ZERO snow, so that's keeping me inside working on the boat. 

I need to update my build thread!

[Fish Head]

Kind of in the same boat..lol 1972 19’6. I have stripped my hull also down to the fiberglass and than ran out of good weather temp, again. Plan is to fair the bare hull with epoxy and faring filler. Not looking for perfection on the bottom because last coat on bottom will be with an ablative coat because mine sleeps in a marina with no lift all summer. Next I will coat with 2 coats of just epoxy resin. 80 grit sanding in between coats of course. Then I will put on 2 coats of epoxy primer. This I hope takes care of any pin holes. New motor will be installed and rigged finally and I will fill up gas tank and invite a couple bubbas I mean friends and than head down to the boat ramp and see how she sits. I also have not drilled the scuppers yet for kind of the same logic. Not sure where the waterline will be. I have moved console and gas tank forward a bit but who really knows what effect that will have for sure. All goes well I will paint the topsides first maybe 3inches above the waterline then I will paint bottom with the ablative overlapping the topside paint by a half inch or so. Maybe overkill? Cheers T

[umecheme]

Nice, I go tuna fishing with a buddy out of Linekin Bay.  Hope to have my 19-1 in the water this year.  Look forward to seeing this boat out there.

[wingnut]

There is a decent group of Aquasport owners up here. Hopefully we can get a summer rally together at some point. Would be cool to compare notes.

I'm always curious of the history of how each boat made it up here. Mine was previously named "George" and came from Pensacola, FL, though the previous owner in Boston was not sure of how "he" arrived there.

[umecheme]

Mine came here from the Cape.  It was named "My Girls" because the PO had 4 daughters. Guy in Springfield MA bought it for the E-tec, and didn't want the boat.  I basically bought the trailer.