waxing below water line necessary??

[jcooney14]

Hello all,
I bought a gorgeous 2007 Tige 20V last spring.
I waxed it every 3-4 weeks over the summer. Gelcoat is in perfect condition.
However, we keep it in the water (fresh water lake) ...docked on mooring whips June, July & August.
So...just wondering ?? Would it be wise to also wax below water line for added protection?
Any thoughts greatly appreciated!
Jim

[shawndoggy]

doesn't hurt. You will get a scum line either way and will have some effort cleaning it up in the fall. Waxing certainly won't make it harder to get the scum line off, and may well make it easier. Plus waxing the bottom of the hull is totally over the top OCD, and who isn't in favor of that?

[Ruger761]

If mooring it for 3 months without pullnig it out to wash, I would highly suggest waxing for a little added protection. I waxed the bottom of my old boats hull once. Felt smoother planing out for a few trips vs not waxed or maybe it was in my head.

[PresidentObama]

Not necessary....but never hurts to have a shiny hull.

[NICKYPOO]

With or without wax keeping the boat in water for three months may (very likely) cause Gelcoat blisters because of constant immersion in water. If it is practical it usually is recommended that you take boat out of water if it is not going to be used for a few days so the hull has a chance to dry internally. Fiberglass does allow a very small amount of water thru the gelcoat since it is slightly porous. The accumulation of the water over time is a cause of gelcoat blisters. On newer models they treat gelcoat with a product called Armorcoat( other brands exist) to help prevent blisters but the 07 model year did not have.

I would say that is dependent on the lake. Cold, clean lakes generally won't blister gelcoat. My buddy keeps his boat on Tahoe 5-6 months out of the year, never pulling it out. I was looking at it after last season and there isn't blister one. He has done this six years in a row now.

[Ruger761]

Around here its not the blisters that will get you as bad as the algea and everything else that starts growing on the hull, and it does it pretty quickly if leaving them sit in the water for even a week or two. The wax seems to make it easier to clean it off. Personally about 2-3 days sitting in the water is my max time. Guess it all depends on the lake, but around here hydrohoist is your best friend.

[Ewok]

Blisters on gelcoat are usually considered a manufacturing defect but its nearly impossible to prove. Anecdotally is seems northern cold, clear lakes have less problems with blisters than southern warm water lakes. There are hundreds of thousands of big fiberglass boats sitting in marinas year round that don't have blister problems. Blisters form when water finds a way to get into the fiberglass under the gelcoat and it reacts with the resin, forming little acid bubbles. The water intrusion can be from road rock nicks to scrapes from rocks and logs to manufacturing defects that allow the gelcoat to shrink and crack and let water in. Algea and other marine life can also find little nicks in the gel coat and make it bigger.
The bottom paint you see on bigger boats does not seal the bottom to prevent blisters, it is a sacrificial coating designed to help prevent algea and sea life from growing on the hull.

[Ruger761]

Im not saying blisters are not a problem Ewok, just saying around here algea (and zebra mussles now) is a faster developing problem leaving one in the water more than a few days. It can cause damage to the gel coat which in turn could cause the blisters if they havent already developed. I only like pulling the boat out or putting it on a lift for storage when not in use. I personally wouldnt even moor a pontoon more than a few days max at a time around here. Tons of people do but their boats dont last.

[Ewok]

I hear you, I kept my old boat in a wet slip in TX and was worried a out blisters so I did a lot of research to try to prevent it. I found out there is no bottom coating to seal the bottom to prevent blisters. I also found out what they are and how they form. I did not use anti-fouling paint on my old boat but it was a PITA to scrub the growth off the bottom weekly.

If you live in a lake with zebra muscles then bottom anti-fouling paint is a good idea, but your right, the only way to prevent blisters is to keep your boat out of the water as much as possible.

[NICKYPOO]

No, it really doesn't have a scum line. It's on a bouy so it is in constant motion.

[jcooney14]

Thanks everybody for all the info ! We moor our Tige in Ontario 2 hours north-east of Toronto. The lake water temp ranges from 75-82F in July & August.
I think I'll just go ahead and wax the hull below waterline as an added precaution against blistering. Might help, can't hurt right?
Thanks again for all the great input!
jcooney14 (Jim)