painting a waterline.

[bkafer]

My boat will be left in the water for a while this summer.
It will be sitting in salt water and I'll need to paint the bottom with an anti foul ing paint.

How or where do I put the water line?
Do I just measure down from the deck , xxx inches and put a mark making the line the same distance on the entire length of the boat?
Do I measure down so many inches from the bow and a different amount on the stern and run a line?

Any help is much appreciated.

[Roger]

Assuming you don't have a current waterline, you will need to start with a boat that is sitting level both fore and aft, and from side to side on the trailer. Once you have accomplished this feat, then use a water level to mark a set of points all around your boat where you want the waterline to be. If you don't know where is should be, then measure off on another DS (usually at the transom), then using this as a reference point, use your water level to make the rest of the points around the boat. A water level is an ingenious piece of equipment made with a garden hose, and a clear vinyl hose that attaches to either end. Since water finds its own level, what you do is hold both the clear ends of the hose against your transom, then fill one end of the hose with water until the visible level is at your reference mark. Secure one end of your hose to the transom, (duct tape works) and using the other clear end go around the boat making more marks at the level of the water in the clear vinyl tube. When you are finished, join the marks with masking tape, determine how wide you want your waterline to be, then put a second strip of tape at that distance. Paint in between the tapes, and remove the tape before the paint is fully cured. Presto... waterline! You also want to make sure that the painted waterline is actually above the true waterline, as the weight of people and 'stuff' makes the boat sit lower it the water. Also it is easier to keep your painted waterline clean, if it if fully out of the water. Another trick when laying the tape is to start by anchoring one end at your reference mark, then lay about 3' of tape by holding it slightly away from the hull, then moving the roll end of the tape close the hull allowing the tape to stick. Keep you other hand away from the tape. Let it find its own smooth line rather that working inch by inch with your other hand. You will have smoother line this way. Only press it down when your eye tells you that you have a smooth line. Pull it part way off if you have to and lay it again. Sometimes pulling it partly away, allowing the anchor end to stick about a foot or so, pulling it away, then allowing it to stick two feet, pulling away, and now sticking three feet, will render a nice gentle curve. When you have finished with the tape all around, run the back of a plastic scraper, credit card or thumbnail along each edge of the tape to seal it from paint creeping in. A narrow roller is fast, but a foam brush works well also.

[SaltLakeSailer]

I have a DSI with a boot top and otherwise unpainted hull. Since I trailer all season, painting has never been necessary. I could provide you with two dimensions: how far down from the bow and how far down from the middle of the stern the top of the boot top resides. Paint a boot top in regular hull paint, Interlux, etc. Then paint below the boot top in anti-fouling. It make a nice contrast and is easier to maintain in the future. The method of laying the tapeout three feet or so and letting it lay against the hull on its own has worked very well for me, although anytime you are laying down a permanent mark on a hull, measure twice rules apply. How about using blue painter's tape and then standing back to see how it looks? Can you launch it to check it out before painting?
Good Luck.

[Roger]

Leave boat in water until scum line develops.
Measure scum line with tape measure at various locations, wash off scum line, remark with tape from measurements, then paint.

Althoug it sounds easy, this isn't always the easiest way to determine the true water line, as i reality the true waterline is quite fuzzy and equipment (motor) on your boat may affect the trim either fore and aft, or side to side.

[bkafer]

Heres how i had hoped to put on a waterline.
Someone who currently has a good water line ( one that seems to be just about right when boat is in water)
Place a tape measure on the bow so the tape just touches the deck. Measure down to the water line.
2 then measure where the side stay is attached. Measure so that the tape just hits the deck and measure to the water line.

3 at the stern on the side of the boat and measure again.
If someone has those 3 dimensions I could probably get a good line.
Help is much appreciated
thanks

[adam aunins]

Heres how i had hoped to put on a waterline.
Someone who currently has a good water line ( one that seems to be just about right when boat is in water)
Place a tape measure on the bow so the tape just touches the deck. Measure down to the water line.
2 then measure where the side stay is attached. Measure so that the tape just hits the deck and measure to the water line.

3 at the stern on the side of the boat and measure again.
If someone has those 3 dimensions I could probably get a good line.
Help is much appreciated
thanks

I will get you those off of my boat on Monday Feb. 3 2008 at around 5pm cst. It might be nice to get the dimensions from several boats and then average them out just for an extra no-goof factor.

These measurments might be a good thing to sticky once there's a good average reached.

[bkafer]

Thanks for any measurements it will give me something to go on.
if a few people can post their's It will solve me problem.
Plus here in NJ its geting warmer and I'll be painting soon

[adam aunins]

I' have
down from bow 25 1/2" to top of line 27 1/2" to bottom
down from center of stern 13 1/2" to top 15 1/2" should be bottom
side stays down 18 1/2" to top 20 1/2 to bottom of line.

As you can see I have a two inch stripe for my water line, but to be honest I've never looked to see how close that line is when the boats in the water.

Measurements are taken from up under the lip , not the bottom of the roll-over, except for on the stern which is the bottom of the lip which is tight to the boat. If you know what I mean, if not say so and I'll try to describe it better.

If I were doing this from scratch I would pay most attention to the bow and stern measurements. Get those level by raising or lowering the trailer tongue, and make sure the boat is level from side to side, then go around the boat with the water level and mark the rest.. Or use a lazer level to shoot a line on the hull once the boat is set right.

Let us know what you do and how it works out for you.

[Phill]

I took these measurements from the factory water line on my 1966 DS I.
From bow to stern, measured from the top edge of the rub rail, to the top of a 2" waterline.

24" intervals measured along the outside of the rub rail.

bow = 25.5"
2' = 26.5
4' = 27
6' = 24.5
8' = 20, this is at the shrould chainplate.
10' = 17
12' = 15.5
14' = 15.5
16' = 16"
and then only about 12" to stern...
stern = 26" measured around the outside of the stern, from the rub rail top edge.

With these marks about 2' apart you should be able to get a very accurate water line for a DS I. The DS II maybe a bit different but still get you in the park, so to speak. The shape of the DS makes if very very hard to get an accurate line with the swell amidships and the tuck at the stern, that makes the waterline seem too far around the chine to the bottom. But that is where our boats sit when not too heavily loaded.

I liked the idea to put it in the water and let a scum line show you where to put the anti-fouling. Seems that may give you a better idea of where to protect the boat if mooring. I also like the raised water line effect on the Sunfish/Laser built DS's. That would be where I would anti-foul if I didnt dry sail. Maybe 4" above the actual waterline.

Hope this helps. Happy Sailing

phill

[bkafer]

For those of you that offered water line lengths, THANKS
The boat is in the water and the line looks great!

[calden]

Okay, I've seen this post a number of times, not only for the DS but also for the San Juan 21 (which I also own) and other sailboats. It seems that people get really accurate about where the waterline is. I don't get it.

I'm not being snide or sarcastic. I really don't understand why it's crucial to know where this line is. If the boat's in the water, the waterline is where it is, right? I see that it's some kind of standard - that this particular point is where the manufacturer thinks the line ought to be, but as soon as you put things in the boat this line will change to some degree, right? So why is it important to figure out where it is to such an exact degree?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Carlos

[bkafer]

So if you want to put bottom paint on the boat, it would look stupid
if the bow, the line was way out of water and the stern the line was under water or vice versa.
So the answer is aesthetics.

Its not a fast boat so I want it to be a beautiful boat!