Hi Colby,
Here's a post about it I made three years ago:
Ten years ago this spring, I decided to bottom paint my 8-year-old boat. After some research, I chose Pettit Hydrocoat. Power-washed and scrubbed thoroughly, used a solvent to make sure no wax remained, and applied a sandless primer (2 coats), then the Hydrocoat (2 coats, or 3 where the greatest wear was expected). Following directions as to timing between coats is critical. Took a few days of work, and a bunch of crawling around under the boat, but was not too tough. Water-based Hydrocoat sure was less nasty to work with than some other paints.
We've spent the summer on the water in SE Alaska every year since. The original Hydrocoat is still protecting most of the bottom. Essentially zero barnacles, year after year, except for the parts of the hull covered by the trailer bunks, which I could not paint. (wish I could say the same for the sterndrive)
2-3 years ago I put additional coats on the sides/chines and transom. I've been scrubbing these areas, where more light reaches the surface and promotes growth of the green stuff, maybe 3 times each summer, with a stiff brush on the end of a long boathook handle. When I haul out at the end of the summer, a thorough power-washing is all it takes to clean the hull well. Sterndrive is another matter, however @$%&!!!
Hydrocoat is great stuff!
I did the job using a 4" wide brush, mostly lying on my back under the boat in a full set of coveralls. Time consuming, but not tough. Took less than a gallon of Hydrocoat for my 26-footer.
For me the effort was worth it - saved me days of cleanup time each year. May not be for you if you're never doing any more salt water trips longer than a couple of weeks. If after this trip you don't really need bottom paint, you don't need to do anything with it - it will gradually wear away.
As far as painting where the trailer bunks meet the hull, I did not. New Moon's awful heavy to jack up above the trailer, so I decided not to risk it. Whatever barnacles did attach to those places got thoroughly squashed when I hauled the boat back out after each trip.
BTW, I plan to head north from Poulsbo about May 1 - may see you out there.