Adding a Boot Top

[Tim Good]

Ok so I recently posted about raising the waterline via antifoul and a few people suggested I add a boot top instead. As you can see, when the boat is fully laden its a tad low in the water. The boat is heavy and 17t so not an issue with so much stuff on board but it doesn't look nice so low. Few q's:

- Is a boot top really the way or is raising the antifoul level just as effective? pros / cons?
- Boot top follows the anti foul but thickens towards the bow and stern... correct? Is there a set way to determine that or just roughly thicken a bit?
- Colours? If i do a navy blue boot top then its a bit pointless on top of navy blue antifoul right? Or is there other benefits to boot top paint other that making it look nice with a new stripe?

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[pvb]

I reckon simply raising the antifoul is the easiest solution.

 

[alahol2]

- Is a boot top really the way or is raising the antifoul level just as effective? pros / cons?
- Boot top follows the anti foul but thickens towards the bow and stern... correct? Is there a set way to determine that or just roughly thicken a bit?
- Colours? If i do a navy blue boot top then its a bit pointless on top of navy blue antifoul right? Or is there other benefits to boot top paint other that making it look nice with a new stripe?

Raising the antifoul is definitely the easiest solution but there can be benefits to a proper boot top.
My boot top is painted with specific boot top paint which a) is a hard antifouling so can within reason be scrubbed with impunity. b) holds its colour ie it doesn't change colour like many antifoul paints.
Some boot tops are painted with top sides paint which again can be scrubbed but which have no anti fouling properties.
A boot top can help to disguise a high top sides, probably not so much of a requirement on your boat.
Yes, the top edge of the boot top normally rises a bit at the bow (not so much at the stern). No rules that I know of, look around at a few others.

 

[Quandary]

Gauging the correct width of a boot top line can be tricky and if you get it wrong it can spoil the look of the boat. Normally it is very broad under the stern where the angle off the hull is horizontal, on ours the (moulded) boot top line varied from about 25mm to about 250mm under the cockpit, and looked just about right. I have a dumpy level left over from my working days which I used to set the line out on a Moody in the club yard a couple of winters ago but the owner insisted the part at the stern was too broad and narrowed it, it looks wrong but he says it does not matter as he can not see it when aboard.
As a starting point set it out so that the vertical distance between the edges is the same all the way along, use coloured masking tape to help visualize it and get as many opinions on its breadth and alignment as you can before masking around it and starting to paint. The first boat I fitted out, many years ago, we had to set it up ourselves and despite a lot of help from a graphic designer we got it slightly wrong, correcting it made the whole thing broader than we wanted.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I've never really understood what is the point of boot topping although I had one on my last boat and it looked smart - is that the point?
I used some left over white anti foul and raised the line bow and stern. The vertical height of the BT was 3" (small boat) generally but actual width was much more at the stern where it becomes almost horizontal.

 

[NormanS]

I've never really understood what is the point of boot topping although I had one on my last boat and it looked smart - is that the point?
I used some left over white anti foul and raised the line bow and stern. The vertical height of the BT was 3" (small boat) generally but actual width was much more at the stern where it becomes almost horizontal.

If you have high freeboard, a boot topping decieves the eye into thinking that your boat is long and lean. A cope, or coping line below the gunwale is for the same purpose.

 

[pvb]

You can use a laser level to establish an accurate line for antifouling, or for a boot top.

 

[ghostlymoron]

You can use a laser level to establish an accurate line for antifouling, or for a boot top.

If you use a laser or other type of level, make sure that the boat is absolutely level before you start. If your boats in a yard on chocks it's unlikely to be level as the yardmen often give it a slight fall towards the cockpit drains.

 

[ex-Gladys]

Extended AF is great, but the one thing if you're using self eroding AF, the above waterline section doesn't erode, and thickens up pretty quickly... Can build up hard over very few seasons...

 

[KINGFISHER 9]

At the bow the boottop should be half the angle of the sheerline to look right ... easier to judge than it sounds ... just raise the top edge of the boottop from level at maybe two thirds towards the bow and mark a point to bring the line up so that the top edge mimics half the angle of the sheerline ... and if you haven't got a rising sheerline you're on your own, or change your boat for one that looks pretty! ... and use proper boottop paint, not a/f or gloss ...

 

[pvb]

Extended AF is great, but the one thing if you're using self eroding AF, the above waterline section doesn't erode, and thickens up pretty quickly... Can build up hard over very few seasons...

Before re-antifouling, I always scrub the exposed bit of antifoul with a Scotch-Brite pad and running water - minimises build-up.

 

[Caer Urfa]

Extended AF is great, but the one thing if you're using self eroding AF, the above waterline section doesn't erode, and thickens up pretty quickly... Can build up hard over very few seasons...

Yes agree as I have seen this on others and that's why I use 'Toplac' (3 coats) as you can also scrub it if you get scum on the waterline where as if you just also raise the antifoul
it will wear and look patchy if you scrub it..

My antifoul is of coarse to the waterline plus 1" above, then I have a 3" boot topping

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