Marinette Boat Forum

I purchased my first Marinette at the end of last season and am just getting ready to start my Spring to do list. I have been a "plastic boater" for many years but this aluminum thing is all new to me. My existing bottom paint is in good shape and appears to have been stripped off and new paint applied sometime in the last couple years. I have some touch up work to do and am looking for some advice on what product to use . No bare aluminum is exposed that I am aware of and the primer coat looks solid. I'm not sure what brand paint was previous applied. Any suggestions on paint and primer ( if primer touch up is needed) ??? Boat is used in freshwater.

I'm sure other experienced folks will chime in here, as this is a frequently discussed topic, but I'll shared what I have learned so far. The bottom paint on my boat is in very rough shape so I am preparing to sandblast re-do the entire bottom.

The good news is that if your primer is in good shape, this process is fairly straightforward.

Rule #1 for aluminum boat paint - stay away from anything that has COPPER in it. This is a corrosion issue. Most typical bottom paint for plastic and steel boats uses copper as its main antifouling agent.

The brand most commonly used for Marinettes is Interlux Trilux 33 with Interlux Interprotect 2000E primer. There are also good options available from brands like Pettit and Sea Hawk.

If the brand of the existing bottom paint is known, you could sand with 80 grit and apply 2 coats of the same brand. If you don't know what paint was used, you could sand, apply a single coat of a "tie coat" type primer such as Sea Hawk 1277 and then apply a new antifouling paint of your choice. Here's a link to the Sea Hawk primer: http://www.seahawkpaints.com/Our-Produc ... rimer.aspx (I have used this primer for touch-ups and it has worked well)

The Interlux equivalent to the tie coat type primer is called Primocon but I have had trouble finding places that have this in stock. It may be discontinued.

Welcome aboard. First of all I guess you already asked the previous owner (PO)what kind he used or looked through any receipts they might have given you when you purchased the boat. Look around on board there might be a touch up can somewhere or a log book of work done, reciepts, etc. Some clues. If not ask the marina where the PO had the boat if they performed the work. If the bottom paint is in good shape and just needs touched up I wouldn't worry about it. Just about any paint made for aluminum bottom boat will do to touch it up. Im in NE Ohio and bought paint for mine at Schiller Paint Co in Cleveland.. Or Schilling.. Look it up you'll find it. It was very reasonable. And since most Big M owners tend to be cheap azzes ( I know I am) that doesnt hurt either. Like I said its not a big deal unless you are painting bare aluminum. Have fun and don't stress. Where you docked?

Enjoy
Sean

I used Shelter Island copper free bottom paint from Bluewater Marine paints. Good on aluminum boats. Going into third season. Not worth the effort to touch up yet.

I searched all records of the boat and can't find anything but an old brochure for Interluxe, thanks for the recommendations. We have been docking at Sawmill Creek in Huron for the past 9 or 10 years and are really happy there.

Of course, knowing what's already on the bottom is important. You'd be able to consult a paint mfr to see what's compatible with the existing coating and go from there. But if it were my project and the existing paint is in good condition, I'd scuff coat/sand lightly and apply a coat of Trilux 33. Or go with two coats if that makes you feel better. You can check at mid-season to see how it's holding up. If there aren't any patches of bare hull showing, I don't think there is any need to use the Primocon (which used to be my favorite primer). To me, the Primocon would seal in the existing good paint. Also, consider a contrasting color for your new coating so you can judge how well it's doing by seeing whether the underlying coat is showing through. Good luck with your new acquisition.

I've been doing the water blast and recoat once a year boogie with Trilux 33 for ten years now and so far it's working okay. We boat in brackish water, which gives one the worst of all barnacle conditions. The paint adheres well to itself after the water blaster 'creates' a new surface, but one has to be sure to let all the water dry out before...you know.

Jeff