No need for bottom paint in cool fresh water. I keep my M17 on a mooring on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire for the summer. About once a month I put on my snorkel and give the bottom a once-over with a Teflon pad to take off the thin film of algae. David Hill M17 "Grouper" ---------------------------------------- Message: 2 Date: Mon, 19 Apr 2004 20:34:48 -0700 From: "Tom and Susan Wilkinson" <ttwilki@mindspring.com> Subject: M_Boats: bottom paint To: "For and about Montgomery Sailboats" <montgomery_boats@mailman.xmission.com> Message-ID: <003901c42688$6f56e530$26c9bb3f@DBQKGM3> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Is bottom paint necessary if I keep my boat in fresh cool water for about 5 months? Tom