Boot Top

[DeeGee]

Excuse the subject line, it may be misleading...

Our boat, as original, has anti-fouling up to so far, then a white line about 4" wide above that - is this properly speaking a boot top?

The actual water-line is roughly midway up the white line. Originally, I think, the line was painted with anti-fouling, and that is how we have done it since.

Occasional passers-by, with their boats on the hard, have commented that this is not correct, and the white line should be above the water line, with the antifoul carried to the waterline.

I have noted that many other marques have anti-fouling so far, then a strip of topsides gelcoat, then a line well clear of the water, painted or otherwise, but not antifouled.

Any comments?

 

[rob2]

Yes,
My boat falls into the latter category. The nett result is a lot of fouling riding up over the gelcoat and difficult to remove. I'm considering extending the antifoul by about an inch and a half, then a sacrificial vinyl strip (2 inches, white) then the pretty line, perhaps again a vinyl strip. In my experience, fouling finds it harder to get a grip on such a really smooth surface.
It'll all end in tears!

 

[VicS]

[ QUOTE ]
Any comments?

[/ QUOTE ] Its your boat, do it how you want.

 

[BAtoo]

Yes, ours is like yours too; quite common system really; and as Vic says do what you want.

I did find that some AFs don't perform well at the waterline so we ended up with errodable below the WL & a hard scrubable AF for about 100mm either side of the WL.

 

[DeeGee]

Hey, that is helpful. Thanks very much. If you hadn't suggested it, I might have done it the way someone else wanted it ! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Seriously, I am interested in the pros and cons of the different possibilities. I appreciate that there may be no 'right' way, but I belong to the 'standing on the shoulders of giants' category.

 

[Spuddy]

"I have noted that many other marques have anti-fouling so far, then a strip of topsides gelcoat, then a line well clear of the water, painted or otherwise, but not antifouled. " The upper line can be for aesthetic purposes: breaks up the topside height and makes it look less of a wall.

 

[Lakesailor]

It's main advantage is to disguise the slime that creeps up your topsides. It can look smart as well.
I did mine in yacht enamel, but you need to be careful taht the paint is applied before the antifoul or water can creep up behind the paint.
I tended to try to get my boot top just below the waterline as otherwise if it's a contrasting colour it all looks a bit messy. Especially if the waterline isn't accurate.

With Slippy someone had put a vinyl tape line above the water line so I just carried on the antifoul up to that. Whatever suits you. People who tell you how it should be done are often talking out of their arses. Just look on these forums. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[oldsaltoz]

G'day Denbigh,

Boot topping are added for at least 2 or more reasons. The most common is to provide an easy clean and stain resistant smooth surface just above or at the water line to collect the rubbish stains washed up by small waves when the boat is at rest.

If you want your boot top to stay nice and clean, use a hard, scrubbable anti fowl between the actual water line (just below it is better) and the boot top.

If you want the boot top to collect the stains then have the bottom edge just below the waterline. The width of your boot top is determined by the average wave size (rougher = wider).

We have a 3 inch boot top that is only just below the water line at its bottom edge.

I like the double line tops with one thick and one thin line. But it's your boat so you get to choose.

Avagoodweekend......

 

[ebbtide]

using a 'soft' a/f leaves a strip between wind and waves for which a special bottop paint provides a scrubbable surface. Its width may be governed by local wave height (?) but IMHO by different waterlines whether fully laden or empty.
Using hard a/f for racing or on a drying mooring the boottop is less critical and personal colour schemes are becoming fashionable.
personally I think a quick scrub round the waterline is well worth the effort - so call me oldfashioned!

 

[Lakesailor]

[ QUOTE ]
Its width may be governed by local wave height (?) but IMHO by different waterlines whether fully laden or empty.


[/ QUOTE ]

Too technical. Just measure how much slime there is on your topsides and make the boot top wide enough to cover that. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif