marking the Waterline

In about a week or so I will be putting bottom paint on my dink. Somethin' about that don't sound right. LOL

I will be putting it on to about 2" above the waterline.
I was thinking of setting the dink in the water with the outboard and then marking it with a grease pencil if I can get a good shot at it.

The other choice is setting it in the water with the outboard for a day or 2 and then measuring from the slime line. The downside to this would be all of the extra cleaning again.

What have you guys done?

We haven't painted the bottom.

-Chris

Obviously you have never spent any time in the Tennessee River. LOL

Do it from the slime line.

I think the slime line method will ultimately be easier and more accurate. Extra cleaning is one thing but painting it twice because you got it wrong is worse IMO.

Good luck no matter what ya choose.

That's it!.
The slime line is the winner.

My bottom paint (Pettit Anti-Fouling paint for Inflatable Boats) and prepping chemical (Pettit No. 97 Epoxy Thinner) will be arriving Tues early evening. I will throw dink in water Monday morning and Pull it out on Wednesday morning. I would think that 2 days should leave some kind of noticeable mark. If not I will let it set another day.
In order for the paint to stick well, the cleaning and prepping could take a half day.
Thanks

Tony B said:

Obviously you have never spent any time in the Tennessee River. LOL

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Don't know that it matters where. We usually just lift it and hose it off, if we're in a given place for more than 2 days or so...

-Chris

DONE!!

Only 2 days in the water and I have my slime line.

I marked, masked and painted.

Tony B said:

Obviously you have never spent any time in the Tennessee River. LOL

Click to expand...

I can get a slim line on on my Walker bay in just a day on the TN. River

Tony B, I hope that you allowed a little extra room above the empty slime line for your bottom paint, otherwise I suspect that you are going to be cleaning the water line frequently, which is where the stuff seems to be the most severe. I can't speak for the Tennessee River, but down in the Caribbean, we always paint about 2" above the empty waterline on our inflatables and when painting our boat hull, we always use up all the left over bottom paint on the waterline area. George

Sorry, Just reread your original post!

DONE !!!

I left the dink in the water for 2 days and that gave me my slime line. When I was looking for my waterline I left the O/B motor mounted on the dink and the gas tank inside the boat. That is what it will have in what I call my empty weight (without passengers) or its normal unattended waterline which I then marked 2" above that and painted.