Painting Water Line on Clinker Boat

[Romeo]

I have been trying to get this right for the past 40 years or so, just with the antifouling, can't even contemplate putting another line in there by having a boot top. So my friends, what is the secret to getting the best looking paint job along that waterline?

 

[Lakesailor]

The problem is that what looks good from one angle will look jaggy from another.
I used a laser level on a tripod with a rotating head to get the waterline on a powerboat with spray rails and a chine to cross. Similar kind of problem. The boat must be absolutely level across the beam and the laser must be at the same height as the waterline and also horinzontal. You swing it to a know waterline at the bow and at the stern.
When you have adjust the angle of the tripod so that the beam hits both marks when swung it will be right all along the hull. It works best if the laser has a horizontal beam rather than a dot. Then you can swing it across the planking and mark the hull so that when painted it looks perfect from abeam.

 

[Woodlouse]

When done correctly a clinker waterline will have a kind of saw tooth effect at the bow when viewed from the bottom. This will merge into a straight line when viewed from the horizontal. I'd agree with lakesailor that a laser level is probably the easiest solution, just trust the line you see even if it looks strange to start with.

 

[Dill et Bound]

Lakey is right,
The laser is fine for marking the line, and really good on clinker or spray rails.
I like to see a slight rise in the boot top forward of midships, It gets rid of the narrowing effect if you do it parallel.
You can t mark that with a laser as it is nt a straight line.
So to that end have always used a string and straightedge so I can clamp on a riser to give that effect..
Waxed whipping twin is best, when twanged it vibrates well till it hits the hull, and you can make your mark where it touches.
The worst job I ever did was to scribe in the waterlines and boot tops on the plug for the Fisher 37.
The reverse curve at the stern was a nightmare to mark, especially on an upturned, highly polished plug.
It took ages to mark up to look right.. and then to carefully scribe..

 

[PCUK]

Forget the laser. Use the traditional bar across the bow and string method. Doesn't matter how the boat is lying as long as the bar is in the same plane.

 

[Lakesailor]

Forget the laser. Use the traditional bar across the bow and string method. Doesn't matter how the boat is lying as long as the bar is in the same plane.

Forget the string.
If you try both methods, as I have, on the same boat you get two lines. The string one is variable.
It doesn't actually matter how the boat is lying with the laser method as long as it and the boat are in the same plane.
Funnily, using the horizontal as a datum makes it easier in either case.

 

[Steersman]

You could just put it in the water and leave for 6 months then then you can use the water mark as your guide line.

 

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

I bought a cheap laser level from LiDL a couple of years ago. Once you set it up correctly it gives you a perfectly straight line. I think it best to compare the line on each side by taking measurements down from matching places along the gunwhale, rubbing strip or whatever you have to confirm that the two sides match.

If you manage to get one of these LiDL levels I suggest that you mount it on a photography tripod that has a pan head because this will allow you to turn the level without changing the positioning.

 

[Lakesailor]

Gosh. I wish I'd thought of that.

 

[jamie N]

:highly_amused:

Gosh. I wish I'd thought of that.

 

[fisherman]

confirm that the two sides match.
.

To be bloody minded you don't see both sides at once, mostly, bit like the chap who had two different pairs of wheel trims, one sort on the front, the other on the back.....
A previous owner raised the wl on my boat by measuring up from the original, that was good...

I used string, not snapped on the hull, but as a sighting reference aligned with the bow and stern battens.