What Effect Does Bottom Painting Have on Resale Value?

[hardee]

After spending 2.5 months on the water this summer, and having to do the cleaning of the bottom, (first time at 48 days), and then again a couple weeks later and at haul out I learned that in the PNW waters off Vancouver Island, STUFF grows. At the first washing, I had barnacles the size of pencil erasers, and green hair an inch and a half long. The trim tabs, where I had spread a copious layer of zinc oxide ointment were pretty easy to clean but the rest was a most of the day job, in a gravel parking lot with a bucket, hose and brush, doable but less than fun. Just glad it wasn’t cold AND raining. OK, so I’m a wimp.

I am really considering having a bottom painting job done on SleepyC. Cost will be about $2500 for bottom prep (walnut shell blasting), and epoxy painting, then the bottom paint.

I am wondering how bottom paint will affect the price/value of my boat down the road when it is time to sell. (Not that that time is coming soon, but….) I have always looked at bottom paint as something I did not want to do to the boat because I thought it was a limiting factor for a percentage of prospective buyers. SleepyC is primarily a cruising boat but does have some fishing accessories that will be available at the time of the sale as well, (electric down riggers), and some tackle.

What are some thoughts on the bottom painting effect on pricing or sale-ability? Pluses or minuses?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[rogerbum]

After spending 2.5 months on the water this summer, and having to do the cleaning of the bottom, (first time at 48 days), and then again a couple weeks later and at haul out I learned that in the PNW waters off Vancouver Island, STUFF grows. At the first washing, I had barnacles the size of pencil erasers, and green hair an inch and a half long. The trim tabs, where I had spread a copious layer of zinc oxide ointment were pretty easy to clean but the rest was a most of the day job, in a gravel parking lot with a bucket, hose and brush, doable but less than fun. Just glad it wasn’t cold AND raining. OK, so I’m a wimp.

I am really considering having a bottom painting job done on SleepyC. Cost will be about $2500 for bottom prep (walnut shell blasting), and epoxy painting, then the bottom paint.

I am wondering how bottom paint will affect the price/value of my boat down the road when it is time to sell. (Not that that time is coming soon, but….) I have always looked at bottom paint as something I did not want to do to the boat because I thought it was a limiting factor for a percentage of prospective buyers. SleepyC is primarily a cruising boat but does have some fishing accessories that will be available at the time of the sale as well, (electric down riggers), and some tackle.

What are some thoughts on the bottom painting effect on pricing or sale-ability? Pluses or minuses?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

I think the correct question is "what is the cost of not bottom painting relative to the effect on resale value"? My sense is that the effect resale value is fairly minimal. If people like the shape the boat is in, the color, the maintenance etc., the bottom paint is a relatively minor issue. On the other hand, if you plan on mooring in the water, the lack of bottom paint can cause you extra maintenance and in some cases, damage to the hull in the form of difficult to remove barnacles etc. So IMHO, if you plan to have the boat in the water much (more than a few weeks continuous in a year), you're better off with the bottom paint.

 

[PaulNBriannaLynn]

I can only speak for myself, but I consider bottom paint a plus.

We use marinas to leave our boat for a month or two at a time. The convenience of not having to trailer and deal with jerks at the boat ramp made it worth the trouble and expense. Our c-dory didn't have bottom paint. Every time I hauled it out, I had to do just as you describe. Scrubbing and scraping the little barnacles off, pressure washing and polishing the rust off the trim tabs was a PITA.

Our new boat has bottom paint, and my life is a lot easier. There is probably a small minority of buyers that are really finicky, but I wouldn't let that stop you from painting the bottom if you want to. You'll have plenty of interested potential buyers if you ever decide to sell.

 

[MikeR]

Hi Harvey,
I used to have a negative view of bottom paint for any boats stored out of the water, BUT, with that said when shopping for 22's I had no real reservations looking at ones with bottom paint as long as they were well done (edges straight and clean, and even with the hull's natural lines). For me I think it's because C-dories naturally have the look of having bottom paint, with the colored gel coat on bottom, and I also knew there was a chance I might moor the boat in water for extended periods anyway.

With boats that had bottom paint I saw it as an indicator that a previous owner kept the boat in water for long periods, with a remote possibility for water intrusion if there were any improperly sealed penetrations. But with that in mind as a buyer you simply try to ask the right questions and look for physical evidence of damage, and if nothing is found I had no concerns with the bottom paint at all. Unfortunately most of the boats I looked at had bigger concerns than the bottom paint so I did not end up buying one. If your boat is well maintained, as we know it is, then I wouldn't think bottom paint would affect the resale value when you sell, unless it is in need of a re-paint at that time.

-Mike

 

[BTDT]

For C-Dory's the lack of bottom paint is a minus for me

 

[Sunbeam]

I looked for a boat without bottom paint for a few reasons:

1) I wanted to be able to see the hull without paint.

2) For the forseeable future after buying the boat I knew I wouldn't need bottom paint.

3) If I wanted bottom paint, I wanted to either do - or oversee the doing of - the prep and painting.

That said, if my use of the boat dictated bottom paint, I wouldn't hesitate to apply it. Even IF the re-sale value were lowered (and I'm not saying it would be). I boat for me, not for theoretical re-sale value. Also, as noted above, some see it as a plus (and others as a minus).

If I were looking at a bottom painted boat that was for sale, the most important thing to me would be documentation/information about how the prep and paint were done. A good prep/paint job would be a bonus (presuming I wanted it for my uses); a poor one is just something I have to remove so that I can re-do it correctly.

In this way, it's the same as anything that is done to the boat. Good work is something that can be crossed off the "to do" list (or perhaps just ignored if it's something one isn't going to use). Poor work is something that has to be un-done before it can be re-done, and or could do damage (not bottom paint, but other things).

So in summary, I say it's probably a horse apiece. One buyer may look at it as a plus; another might eschew your boat for one that's still just gelcoat. Either way I doubt you'll have any trouble selling your boat with a good ad.

Having a good job done and keeping a record of how it was done can only help. Other than that, I vote that you make the boat so it works well for you (which in this case sounds like bottom paint).

 

[gulfcoast john]

Our surveyor said bottompainting compared to a pristine factory hull could subtract 15% off value depending on the local market because:
Some buyers have a lift and want that shiny factory hull. Once you blast off that gelcoat you can never put it back on.
Some dishonest sellers will slap on an incompatible topcoat that peels off after a few uses.
Some dishonest sellers will hide improper repairs like blisters with bottompaint.
Some dishonest sellers will bottompaint without the appropriate prep (abrasion and x coats of epoxy) that any good bottompainting jobs requires.
He reeled off some other reasons which I have forgotten; we were busy admiring our new to us bottompainted (by East Mobile Marine) C-Dory!
For our community, I don't think it's much of an issue. Harvey could just show the invoice from a local reputable shop and that would be enough for me.
Those guys with the rack-stored go-fasts with lots of sparkle paint and no bottompaint are not our kind of boaters.
Harvey, go for it, but specify they use a Petite Hydrocoat or Micron Ultimate so in the future you can re-do it in your driveway on the trailer (assuming your local experts think those products are good for your waters) or even in your garage. All others are HAZMAT pro-only use. Have them paint a bit higher than your average wavelets and use a contrasting epoxy barrier coat color and bottompaint so your dockmates can point out when it's time to re-do the bottompaint.
PM me with any questions. You got blue tape and 4 inch rollers and know how to use them. $2500 this year, but under $350 for 3 coats in future years. HC comes on sale for <$220/gal every spring.
Happy Boating!
John

 

[Will-C]

We had our C-Dory for five years. I never left the boat in the water for more than a month at a time. That was usually in the Florida keys usually February.
I would thoroughly clean the bottom and wax the whole bottom with Turtle wax paste car wax before leaving for the keys. I always worried about how much of a pain in the butt it was going to be to get the bottom back to being as shiny as the top of the boat. I would wax the bottom after getting it pressure washed and returning home. Even so I would use a thumbnail and flick off pencil point sized barnacles. When I sold it the bottom was shiny. People always remarked how clean the bottom looked. Fast forward; I got real tired of that routine. At almost 68 laying under my boat and waxing the bottom was just not going to happen anymore. I knew better than to ask my wife if she might be interested in picking up my slack. We bought another boat and the first thing I got added to the tab was some epoxy barrier coat and a dealer recommended bottom paint. Last winter no prewaxing required before leaving for Florida and after two months in the water the boat barely even needed power wash. The growth was not bad at all really just algae. Do I care if the boat might not go as fast? Hell no.
I would think we increased the resale value as I added the epoxy barrier coats and the bottom paint. It still looks great after the second year. The way I see it, it's one less thing a new buyer would have to do. Do whatever you have to do to make staying on the water longer easier.
l like getting the bottom of the boat taken care of to deal with the harsh environment it has to stay in with out me having to massage it constantly. Better stop worrying about the small stuff and enjoy your remaining years on the water. Especially if that is what you really enjoy. Resale value should be the least of your worries.
D.D.

 

[thataway]

My feeling is that the depreciation of a bottom paint on a C Dory is minimal. I tend to paint my boats even if they are not in the water for prolonged period of time. I would like to know if a proper barrier coat was put on a boat before it was bottom painted. I have to disagree with "Gulfcoast john, that "Blasting of a gel coat" is done before epoxy. Just a light sanding, is what is necessary, and blasting in not something I would ever want to see done to a new boat. Blasting can be very destructive to any hull. If any media blasting must be done, then soda blasting is probably the best choice.

However the general feeling on the East Coast that a bottom painted trailerable boat in Florida is less desirable. Many people will take a boat without paint, over one which has paint. There is also a general discrimination against boats which are kept in salt water vs fresh; even lift kept.

There is a very slight loss in speed with bottom paints. But when we were seriously racing, we would spray the bottom paint, burnish it, and clean with terrycloth or scotch pads weekly before the most important race of the week. Since none of the larger ocean racing boats are "dry sailed", there is a slight edge to the boat which has the bottom burnished and wiped clean weekly.

 

[Foggy]

My thoughts echo what Grandma used to say:

"if you don't take care of your bottom, no one else
is going to do it for you."

Lack of bottom care indicates, to me, a boat owner probably
has schlepped and neglected other aspects of proper maintenance.
This is a red flag.

Most learned seamen agree a boats underwater surface is where
"the rubber meets the road". If it's not good here, all else is suspect.

Which reminds me what Grandpa used to say:

"Do it right or don't do it at all."

Aye.

 

[gulfcoast john]

Agree with Bob,
soda is best if needed.
Harvey,let us know if your contractor will agree to do 'a light sanding' prior to 2-3 coats epoxy then 3 coats bottompaint.
If she won't, then you are in for the kind of work that Bob regards as 'owner' but I regard as 'best left to a pro, and I'm not one...yet'.
Best,
John

 

[westward]

I would echo what Sunbeam said:

If I were looking at a bottom painted boat that was for sale, the most important thing to me would be documentation/information about how the prep and paint were done. A good prep/paint job would be a bonus (presuming I wanted it for my uses); a poor one is just something I have to remove so that I can re-do it correctly.

At this time, as a more experienced boater, a proper and documented epoxy barrier/bottom paint job would be a definite plus. When I first started boating (and buying boats) I viewed it unfavorably, a likely indicator of a boat which had spent a lot of time moored in the water. In a salt water environment I reasoned extended water moorage could indicate corrosion inside of electronics, the engine, etc. Now I would view it as $2,500 I wouldn't need to spend myself, kind of like a sound kicker motor being included in the sale. The deal maker/breaker would be the quality of the paint job and the overall maintenance level of the boat.

 

[Big dave]

Hi Harvey;
Dave on Raven Dancer here. As you know I was in the same waters you were in for almost 80 days.
Raven Dancer has had her bottom painted for about 8 years now, the contractor did an excellent job. I do touch up paint once a year but not a whole lot.
I don't know about the resale value when bottom paint is on and to be quite frank I don't really care. I can tell you that the scum and what little growth there was on the boat ( mostly on the stern )
cleaned off in about an hour or so with soap and water. I paid $2500 eight years ago and I consider it one of the smartest things I have done to the boat, if others don't like it tough s@*t so far no one else has been over to help me clean her off.
Hope to see you again next year. You going to the Seattle Boat show ?
Dave.

 

[hardee]

For me, the boat needs to be set up for the way I want to use it, and it’s my boat. The resale issue is, in a way rhetorical, because it is not going up for sale for a long time, as far as I know now.

When I was looking though, I had some of the same things in mind that Sunbeam mentioned. I wanted to be able to see the bottom, shiny and factory finished, (and it was, it had 80 hours on the OB’s). Been a fair amount of water under the transom since then, and more to go.

The bottom looked nice and shiny and it still does.

The process at Bitter End is to do a light blasting with a nut shell, or soda. They decide after seeing the bottom, and it does not take the gel coat off, or the color, but just to dimple it so that the epoxy sticks. Then it gets 5 coats of epoxy, alternating colors then 2 coats of Petit Vivid, or another paint, decided on in consultation with Jessie at Bitter End. They will also paint the trim tabs, transducer and OB legs, with the appropriate paint.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[JamesTXSD]

I see it as "added value." Every boat we've owned has been bottom painted. You found out why when you spent 80 days on the boat. In the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest. Spend that same time in the warmer waters of the Gulf and you might be horrified by how the bottom would look... if you could scrape through all the critters and crud to get to the bottom. We would see barnacles/crud/furry stuff in 10 days.

Save your back and all the time spent crawling under the boat, scraping - bottom paint it.

What I have done with our boats when using them in southern waters: put on a wetsuit, anchor in waist to chest deep water, a give the bottom a quick once-over with a soft bristle long-handle brush... then a thorough hosing/cleaning when on the trailer.

Touch-up paint as necessary. When you get to the contrast color, time for another coat or two.

Be sure to go with a paint that doesn't lose effectiveness while on the trailer. We went with the recommendation of a local boatyard at home, that also worked good for extended time in the PNW or fresh water (mountain lakes, Erie Canal, Hudson River, etc).

Best wishes,
Jim

 

[hardee]

Thanks to all for the well thought out responses. The bottom paint is under serious consideration. As I have mentioned earlier, It is my boat and I am setting it up (yes, still), for use to fit my needs.

I do think that this is not a question peculiar to me, although I couldn't find it specifically addressed here before. It is understandable that there will be opinions on both the sides of the fence, to paint or not, twins or single, in or out on the plug, paper or electric charts. Sure keeps boating fun right?

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[Aurelia]

It is a likely positive and unlikely negative to me. The fact that it could obscure prior damage to the hull is not a worry for me at all.

Greg

 

[hardee]

Jim, I seem to remember working my into a bay in the San Juans, maybe Blind Bay, and seeing you and Joan, each in a kayak, with a scrub brush in hand, working your way around Wild Blue one day. Thanks for still being around and for sharing your expertise here. Stay safe.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon