How can I re-establish a water line and boot stripe?

I am going to prime my 38' sail boat tomorrow, but the actual factory water line does not exist any longer. I have a scum line for reference, but the scum line was created when the boat was dry and with out a mast. Other than guessing does any one have any kind of method that I could use?

Hay Much I long boarded it myself. Guess we aren't too old after all, but Lets see how fare it is after it's primed! (However it is that's the way it's staying. Too old for 3 times around)

 

Hey Jerry, so you about to splash your Bennie?

The mast and rig shouldn't effect the LWL by much, certainly not enough to get all misty about.

Do yourself a favor and provide some sweep (sheer) in the ends so any bow or stern down condition will be masked nicely. Bring your bottom paint up to the scum line (with sheered ends) then the same for a boot stripe, though the boot looks better if it has slightly more sweep on the top edge, then the bottom. It'll look fine, trust me. Don't make me come down there and paint one for you, 'cause I'll use a wire brush.

 

par is good on this one. you can use a water hose to level in the wl, if you dont have a builders dumpy level, how much you sheer the line depends upon the length and the sheer you have at the SHEER Confused?

 

Thanks Guys,
Par, I actually masked the bottom paint line almost the way you said to do. I used the scum line , added the width of a 1 1/2" tape and then masked. The "old timers" at the yard were the ones that had something to say about weigh. they got their calculators out and figured the Benny would drop 1" with the mast and another inch with the water and fuel. I didn't raise a sheer, but I will do that this morning. I'll bring it up about 2" starting around mid point. Hope you are having a great Holiday. Missed you last week, but I wouldn't have been able to get to your place anyway. Our transmission blew up and we ended up having to buy a used car up there.

 

Jerry, start your sweep about 1/3 of the waterline's length aft of the bow, not midship, maybe 1/4 of the way back. Start the upward sweep at the stern 1/6 to 1/7 forward of the transom, unless the boat is especially wide butted then decrease this amount. Do this treatment on both the bottom paint and the boot, with the top of the boot having more sweep then the bottom paint.

WoodenBoat magazine had an article about this an issue or two ago. It serves two purposes, first it fixes an optical illusion created by the curves of the boat. The pointy end if farther from your vantage point then midship and to an lesser extent the stern also. This causes a dead straight line to visually droop toward the ends of a yacht. The upward sweep or sheering of the boot and bottom paint solves this issue. Secondly, a dead straight boot or bottom job will show the slightest trim imbalance, but a swept boot and bottom, will mask this handily. Check the WoodenBoat archives for the article, because it has basic formulas for figuring out how much sweep, when to start it, etc. A well dressed yacht will require a sweet boot and you be surprised how many don't.

Ask the "old timers" at the marina how many pounds per inch of emersion your Bennie has. It's a number I can provide for you, but if they can't, they're talking out their butts, in regard to sinkage rates.

You needed a new car anyway.

 

I'll Tweak It Tomorrow

By the time you woke up and wrote the reply I had The boat taped, scrubbed, and 1/2 primed. I did adjust the line pretty close to what you described, I managed to get two coats of 545 on today. I amazed myself. I only have one place on the hull about 18" dia. that shows any ripples. I'll fare that tomorrow, and then I'll start sanding the primer.
Yes I needed a new car. No I didn't need car payments. That was for my wife. We are still down one car. I'll get that Jan. 15th. That's when my son gets his first paycheck!!!

Have a great Christmas. May Santa bring you 4 new clients for custom designed luxury river boats.

 

Thanks Jerry, but I hope those 4 new custom river boats don't end up like the original Belle (which I think you're referring) as it was one of thse jobs from hell. The client eventually died before the process was completed and it languished around in a drawer for a few years before getting picked up and completed by a local restaurant owner.

I can't wait to see that Bennie finished up. You and your have a good Christmas.

 

its pretty sad all those "retirees" in florida have more energy than a young stallion like me

 

Much,
You have one last chance to prove that you can do as well as you can talk. I have about 3 hours of sanding primer left then I'll top coat. So if you want to show off your spray skills I'll be ready around noon tomorrow. If you are not at the yard we'll all know it's just smoke and your afraid to be shown up by a roll and tip guy. I'll let the forum know tomorrow night

Par, that go-fast painter asked for $800.00 to do that thing you and I worked out. What do you think? Is it worth it, or should I keep it "normal"?

 

Jerry, you know my personal tastes for "fancy" paint jobs, but if you think that the "go fast" guy can make sweet, fair, sweeping curves that you'll have to live with until the next major paint job, then $800 is pretty reasonable.

At my last house I wanted sweet, fair curves in the driveway, which the concrete guy convinced me was easy and "no problem". I had to live with the less then fair, kinked curves until I sold the house. They always bugged me (no one else of course) so when I do this house's driveway, I'll form up the damn curves so I can only blame myself if they suck.

In other words, you've put a lot of effort and money into that Bennie, do you want to offer up control, of the single most important visual element, to someone who says "no problem"?

Then again, that's me and I'm a little anal about these sort of things.

 

---and I sure can use that $800.00 for more necessary things---

 

o.k,,, i grabbed a calculator,,did the math,, if i leave right now,,and i make a step every 10 seconds,, i should be there by the time your re-painting it again,,,in 10 years ,and hey i WOULD spray it,,,but ,,um,,,hmmm,,,umm,,my tip seems to be plugged hehe,,,,and i said i sprayed paint,,,,not how good i did it haha
and wouldnt it be easier to put her in da water, and have a friend hold ya legs and dangle ya over the side, and with a brush thingy, paint above the water,,,i do this all the time and seems o.k to me,,,,but a bit of advise,,if its choppy out,,use a roller

 

Your full of --excuses. You just don't want to be shown up by one of us "Slow folk", But your in luck. I decided to re-prime some of the burn-Thur's, so I'll have to sand again tomorrow morning. If you drive all night you can still make it. I'll even give you the shady side, but I'll have my side done while you are still building the tent. That way I can watch one of you "fast guys" work. Just don't get over spray on the side I just finished!!

 

haahahaha,,,tent?,,im not gonna try to put it to sleep,,i dont need no tent,,all i need is air supply,,and coveralls,,,,that say "Hi,,I'm Kapt-Jer" hehe so that the E.P.A knows jus who ta blame

 

O.K. on a serious note. I put the first coat on today, Flag Blue, Boy is that color a -itch to paint!! First the mix was too thick, then I started to get crawling all over the hull. What a mess! I had opinions from detergent left in the rag that I used to wipe the boat down with, to bad alcohol which I also used to wipe the hull prior to painting. Whatever--- the places that didn't crawl look good, and the boat looks pretty fare. I'll spend tomorrow sanding that first coat down and hopefully have enough time to do a second coat. The second coat should cover the crawls - hopefully. I painted three boats so far and never had this problem.