Bottom paint,priced by the foot.

Coastal Marine prices bottom paint by the foot of boat length, and the paint is included in the per-foot price. There are two rates: a re-apply over the bottom paint already on the boat, and a higher rate for a bare bottom, a hull that has never been painted. Call the shop at (757) 464-4600 with your boat's length for the price.

The paint is included in the per-foot price. On a bare bottom, the job is the full system Coastal Marine uses: de-gloss the hull, scuff it, apply two coats of Pettit Protect epoxy primer, then two coats of Pettit Odyssey HD antifouling paint. A re-apply goes over the bottom paint already on the boat. Mention the condition of the old paint when you call.

Pettit's Odyssey HD data sheet gives no repaint interval, and that holds for a boat kept in Lynnhaven Inlet or anywhere else on the Bay. Pettit says no antifouling paint is effective under all conditions, and that extreme water temperatures, silt, dirt, oil, brackish water and electrolysis can all ruin one. Its guidance is to check the bottom regularly to make sure it is clean and nothing is growing, and to clean it lightly with a sponge or cloth, especially on a boat that sits idle for long stretches. Coastal Marine makes no promise about how long a coat of bottom paint lasts.

Pettit's antifouling lines include hard modified epoxy paints (Trinidad), ablative paints (Odyssey and Hydrocoat), and hybrid paints (HRT). On a bare bottom Coastal Marine applies Pettit Odyssey HD, an ablative with a cuprous oxide biocide, which Pettit says withstands hauling and relaunching without losing effectiveness. Pettit says not to use Odyssey HD on aluminum hulls or outdrives.

Bottom paint goes on the part of the hull that sits below the waterline, so the boat has to be out of the water. Pettit's instructions for Pettit Protect call for a clean, dry surface, and Pettit lists drying times before each new coat and before launch, which get longer as the temperature drops. Coastal Marine does bottom paint only at its shop on Shore Drive in Virginia Beach, never as a mobile service.

Pettit lists 50°F as the minimum application temperature for both Pettit Protect epoxy primer and Pettit Odyssey HD, and colder temperatures lengthen the drying times. Call the shop about timing on a cold-weather job.

Pettit Protect is a two-part epoxy primer. Pettit says it reduces water absorption in fiberglass hulls and is used for the prevention and repair of osmotic blisters. Coastal Marine's bare-bottom system puts two coats of it under the two coats of Odyssey HD.

Whether a boat can be picked up depends on its size and how reachable it is to tow. A boat brought to the ramp or marina next door is moved over to the shop at no added cost, and pickup from your home or farther away around Virginia Beach is $249 round trip. The boat comes to the Shore Drive shop for the work and goes back to you when it is done.