How can anti-fouling paint be applied to the bottom of a Roplene® boat?
Materials Required: • Oil based bottom paint (Pettit – Trinidad, Interlux-Bottom Kote, or similar) • 3M 94 Primer • Lacquer thinner • Clean Rags • Masking tape • Brush and rollers Tools Required: • Random orbit sander with 80 grit paper • Propane torch Procedure: • Painting the bottom is easiest with the boat upside down or suspended in the air. Identification of the water line is best done by placing the fully rigged and loaded boat in the water and noting the location of the water line. • Mark the location of the water line with masking tape and lightly sand the boat up to the tape line using the random orbit sander. Try only to scuff the surface. • Wipe the bottom of the boat clean with lacquer thinner. • Caution! Be sure that the lacquer thinner and any rags with lacquer thinner are put away and clear of the boat. • In order to improve adhesion to polyethylene it helps to flame treat the surface. This is a very simple process where the blue oxidizing portion of the flame is quickly
