How Do You Sand The Bottom Of A New Boat Before Painting?
Sanding the bottom of a new boat is crucial for efficiency and performance. Whether you operate a fast powerboat (which has a planing hull) or a sailboat (which has a displacement hull), having a smooth bottom promotes the “laminar flow” that makes the underwater foils (keel, skeg) work and minimizes the drag that reduces speed and saps power and fuel economy. New boat bottoms can be quite rough and have pits, hollows and toolmarks that must be faired, or smoothed out, before the final bottom paint is applied. Mask the boot top (waterline stripe) with tape. Make sure the tape is well stuck on the bottom edge, to protect the topsides (the part of the hull that is above the waterline) and to prevent bottom paint bleed-under during the painting procedure. Sand the entire bottom with a circular sander to remove any bumps or offending material. Start at one end of the boat and move down one side of the bottom, following a circular pattern that overlaps at the edges and gives a uniform swirl
