Cutting in a new boot stripe is always a challenge. Most often, amateurs get it wrong due to a basic misunderstanding of the geometry of the boat and just where the line should be. Raising the boot stripe by one inch at the beam doesn't mean you also widen it by one inch at the stern - no, not at all. Because of the angle of the hull, the actual width at the stern may be six inches or more to get that same one inch rise above the waterline. I made this mistake years ago and wondered why my boat always looked as if it were 'squatting' in the water. It wasn't, I'd just not redone the bootstripe properly.
So how do you get it right?
Frank here at
Schroeder Yacht Systems has the answer. It isn't how Don Casey tells you to do it. It's actually a better method, both easier and simpler, and a lot less high tech than using a laser projector, which requires the boat be level front to back, and perfectly upright. That's tough to accomplish on stands.
Watch closely. There will be much more information on this in an upcoming post in which I'll go into detail on what the 'projector' tool actually is, how you can make one, and how it works to give you a perfect boot stripe every time. Not only that, but I'll show you how to guarantee that your boot stripe is at the same height on both sides of the boat. And in the right place too.
It's so easy, you'll be smacking yourself in the forehead and asking, "Now why didn't I think of that?"
(If you want to be notified of upcoming posts, sign up for this blog in the sidebar, because from here on in, we start to get down to the real nuts and bolts of painting your boat, the tips and tricks to give you a 'five foot finish' for less than $1000 for a 35 foot boat. Can't believe it? We'll show you how, so sign up now.
