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Does a painted hull indicate a possible engine problem?
I’ve noticed that people selling their whalers emphasize the fact that their boats have never had the bottom of the hull painted. Besides hiding any damage to the hull and indicating that the outboard is not flushed after every outing, is there anything else that I should watch out for? How significant is the lack of flushing out the motor after every trip?
Thanks in advance.
Mark
Boats moored in the Great Lakes and many other bodies of fresh water require antifouling paint and they operate in fresh water. I don't think salt water is the ruinous thing that some people think if proper maintenance is done. I had a 1984 Yamaha 90 which was used in the Atlantic for the first half do it's life and South Florida Gulf of Mexico for the second. It was still running well when I traded it last year.
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
I on the other hand believe that flushing is critical if used regularly in salt water. I have had two smaller motors that have consistently plugged up the tell tale due to not flushing with out using a salt removal chemical. And I have pulled down larger motors that have significant salt deposits in the water channels. If the motor or motors have been primarily used in fresh water there is probably no concerns. There is a product out there that is called salt away. I used it on a motor that wasn't peeing out the tell tale. I had to squirt it down the rubber tale and then blow that out. But still a lot of salt deposits came out of the motor. I am the original owner of that motor so I know the history. Flushed regularly after each use. All my boating is in salt water and have seen the harm salt water can do. As far as bottom paint is concerned, if a boat spends longer periods of time in the water I would think that bottom paint would be warranted. The only way to know if some body is hiding something is to remove the bottom paint.
A hull that is painted does not mean there is damage. But on the other hand, a hull may have been painted to hide damage or shoddy repairs. A hull that is painted means that you can't as easily assess it's condition. It also means that you can have paint adhesion and wear problems, paint fading, etc. that you won't have with a gel-coat bottom, so you may have to reprint at some point. If it is anti- fouling paint, you have to do it every year on some bottom paints.
Also, a painted bottom is a turn-off for me, because I keep my boat on a trailer, and want it to have a nice clean, waxed, original gel-coat finish.
On the other hand, if you do have bottom damage or repairs that are unsightly, it's a lot cheaper and easier to paint than to re-gel coat.
