Do you bottom paint your tubes?

zip · 11 April 2018, 18:03

On my current boat, my tubes do not appear to touch the water when the boat is at rest.
The next boat I am considering purchasing, the back of the tubes appear to touch the water when the boat is at rest.
I plan on keeping the boat in the water, so I am wondering if I am going to need to have the tubes bottom painted?

Tomales Bay · 12 April 2018, 16:26

Funny you ask this. My 5.85 RIB is being serviced right now and I'm having the tubes painted. I keep the boat on a mooring year round and while the bottom paint works great, the unprotected tubes needed help aft.

HUMBER P4VWL · 12 April 2018, 16:54

I’d advise one of three things, buying a boat with tubes out of water, not keeping on a mooring, or adding a second layer of Hypalon under the rear section of tube so that when you have to scrub the weed/barnacles off you have double the thickness so you don’t need to retube too quickly. Ours lasted 9yrs on a mooring April to October.

cgoing · 12 April 2018, 18:21

Yes you should paint that area. We also see a lot of customers with growth between the tube and hull on larger ribs that have removable tubes such as large Zodiac Pro models and such. Not an issue on something like a Protector though.

zip · 13 April 2018, 13:38

Great input. Thanks.
I sleep on the front of my current boat, and am just looking for a new boat with a little more cover.
I would have loved to just keep the same length, and a single engine, but it appears the Protector 8.5 hard top is what will work.
There may be other boats like this type out there, but haven't seen one yet.
The extra layer of Hypalon, and bottom paint sound like the ticket.