Chrysler Sailors Forum

So I am going to try to tackle painting the bottom tonight. The only problem is that the previous owner of my boat painted over the waterline. It would just be great if one of you guys wouldn`t mind taking a measurement on one of your boats. I am looking for three measurements; Transom, Beam, and bow. Im looking for the distance between the bottom of the toe rail (wear the hull turns into top deck) and the bottom of the waterline.
My plan is to take these measurements and use a laser level to lay down some painters tape on the hull.

Thanks in advance

Darren, my boat is in my driveway. I'll try to get that done today when I get home.

Thanks in advance

Sorry, "life happens" as they say. I'll try to post the measurements this afternoon if nobody beats me to it.

FINALLY, a chance for me to repay all the great help and information I have received in the past!

I just went out and measured my C-22. I have two measurements for each station. The first is from the bottom of the toe-rail to the top of the boot stripe. The second is to the actual waterline that my boat sat on in the marina down at Tampa. Since I haven't washed it I can still see exactly where it sat.

I measured the bow straight down the peak. It was 35.5 inches to the top of the boot stripe. It was 39" to the actual watermarks.

For the beam, it appeared to me, the widest part of the boat was directly under the middle of the rear window. It was 22 inches to the top of the boot stripe, and 24" to the waterline.

To measure the transom I measured from the top of the boot stripe, where it intersected the corner of the transom, straight up to the toe rail. I took measurements at each corner, just in case. Surprisingly, they were the same on both sides. 24 inches from the corner to the toe rail, but that's not the whole thing. On my boat, that means the boot stripe is 38 inches across the bottom of the transom. The waterline was barely on the transom at all. It was 25.5 inches down to the corners and only 29.5 inches wide. The actual waterline was only 2 inches up from the point at the center-bottom of the transom.

I don't know if a laser level will help you unless your boat is level, and I would have no idea how to get the boat sitting level. But my boat had not been out of the marina for at least two years when I bought her, so those water lines are pretty much where she's going to rest when we launch this summer. I have a suggestion, and the more experienced painters here can tell me if I'm all wet.

I would use the waterline measurements as the center of my boot stripe. Not sure how to get a fair line between them, honestly. Then paint the hull down to, and the bottom up to, the waterline. (I'm assuming different colours here.) I believe "close enough for government work" would apply here. Then I would tape out and paint my boot stripe 3 inches above and below that line. That's what I have in mind for Believer anyway.

i have the same problem .....gonna try to sand thru the new paint to locate the water line

Hi, I'm just now getting on here. Leatherneck, looks like you did a pretty good job, but since I just measured as well, I'll post what I have. Taking into account that you were planning to use a laser, I did not conform my tape to the contour of the topsides, but went straight down as a plumbbob would from the bottom edge of the toe/rubrail to the bottom edge of the waterline stripe. My waterline stripe is 3.5" in width.

Transom center - 25"

Beam as measured at the leading edge of the aft portlight - 24"

Bow as measured from the second cutout in the toerail - 34"

I figured if you were using a laser then the bow tip measurement would be useless, as the rake on it prevents an accurate measurement, so I chose the second slot in the toerail. I hope this helps. The actual waterline on my boat unloaded is lower all around, and I always have a couple of inches of bottom paint showing, but this is the factory placement of the stripe.

Thank You John and Leatherneck! I will be sure to post some photos of the entire painting process. Again thanks for the measurements, I dont know what I would do without all the help from everyone.

On my '79 C26 the factory waterline and boot stripe were still there, in the gelcoat, when I sanded off the old bottom paint.

However, being in fresh water, I ended up moving the line up about halfway to where the first owner had it.