Boot Stripe vs scribe marks - HELP!

[Jim Rester]

Lucky me. On Commander 80 I have existing boot stripes above the marks, below the marks and one that can't seem to make up it's mind.

Are the marks meant to indicate the Water Line and therefore the bottom of the boot stripe - or something else?

And does experience show it to be high, low or about right for a moderately loaded boat used as a daysailor/fishing boat? As for the load- usually the weight loss in beer is rarely replaced by the weight gain in fish.

Thanks ~ Jim

[Bill]

Jim, check the search button on "boot stripe" and "water line." It all depends . .

[Bill]

Here's a photo of where the factory scribed water line ends up on a "lightly loaded" boat (abaft the cockpit).

For what it's worth, I was told that the displacement design parameters in the early 1960's included 100% of (standard) fuel, supplies and crew weight, which might explain the design/production water line location. Sometime around the mid 1960's, displacement parameters shifted to 50% crew, fuel and supplies, which would seem to indicate placing the lines lower on the hull than under the earlier standard.

PS - That's the deck scupper through hull in the water line. The diameter is as seen on most early Ariels.

[Theis]

Here's my take. The bottom of the boottop is about a quarter of an inch above the water line when the boat is loaded with all the stuff needed for a routine sail. When people get in the cockpit, it is still largely above the waterline, but the bow is well above the water line, and the bottom of the boottop is a bit below the waterline. My calculations are based on the lead pigs remaining in the bilge, about midship. My comments are also based on fresh water, so it would float even higher in salt water, I assume.

However, when fully loaded for a cruise, with all the glop (cans, food, Ice, beer, water, hot dogs, my wife's steamer trunk and my speedo) the bottom of the boottop is up to a half inch below the water line resting at the dock.

My suggestion is to paint the boot top as it is scribed. The moss grows on the anti-fouling paint on my Ariel every year, so I am confident that the boot top is out of the water (perhaps a quarter inch above the water level). Hope that helps.

[willie]

Here's a shot of where 350's was when she was adopted. Note, she had some extra cement, lead, and a yamaha 9.9. you can see where it's supposed to be, about a foot lower.

[willie]

and here is now, not really loaded down, but with the usual stuff. no engine.
She sits pretty even all the way around, probably 2'' of bottom above the water. Factory scribed marks.

[Tony G]

Okay. Just one more time-'cause I'm a slow learner. Does the boot stripe get applied from the scribe mark up? And is that where it is applied on Bill's and Willie's boats to give that smidgin of bottom paint showing.

Thanks, Tony G
Permanent resident, center for the learning impaired. MN

[willie]

It's scribed in top n' bottom. If ya look closely at my first photo here, you can see the thin white lines that run along the bottom red stripe. (top corner of engine well, and at the bottom of engine well.) That's them. Don't sand too deep, or it'll disappear. also disappears with high build primer/paint. I thought i'd pull a fast one and just overspray the scribe marks, then mask it off and do it. ended up having to sand down the primer and paint to find the marks again, mask off on lines, reprimer and paint (top and bottom), then wait, then mask off on outside of lines to do the boot stripe. Must be an easier way for the more experienced, but i sure couldn't come up with one. Also, they're wider at the ends, which looks awesome when yer done. Have fun!