Wetlander Slick Bottom for Boats
Vince Froehlich, Pro-Guide@North Fork Angling, LLC
This bottom coating proved superior and outperformed the commonly used product in everyway possible.
As far as friction goes, there isn’t any; in fact, what used to take some muscle to push my boat off the trailer, now just takes a quick shove and then the mad dash to hang-on as it departs. Loading up is just as easy and feels as though the bottom of the boat is greased.
If I had to come up with one word that describes this coating; it would be: “Outstanding!”
Dan, NC
Wow! What a fantastic product. I refurbished my 1996 SeaArk this summer and coated the bottom with the Wetlander product. It looks great, was easy to apply and really helps the boat cut through the water. Scott Hogan and the good folks at Wetlander really know what they’re doing. I would recommend their product to anyone.
Eric Elliot, Driftboater
Been using Wetlander for 3 years on the rocky unforgiving rivers of the northwest. What used to be a two day project using traditional drift boat coatings takes only a few hours to touch up with Wetlander and it’s twice as slick. My biggest problem is during lunch the boat won’t stay on the bank. It keeps slipping back into the river.
Bob Zollo
I have been rehabbing this old work boat that's been in the salt water for over 25 years. I called Scott Hogan at Wearlon Co. and asked what would be the best application I would use. Scott walked me through the whole job. The bottom came out brand new. I had ten fishing buddy's from our club here looking at the bottom and they were very happy in the results of this product. I highly recommend Wetlander to anybody. The two applications I put on was very EZ. Thank You Scott for the help. You made it simple.
Lance in Alaska
“Slicker than goose sh-t on a wet pier. It’s great stuff, easy to apply and works great. Prep on the bottom on the key and allow enough time to cure. I let it sit in my heated garage one week between applications. Awesome stuff”
Bryan, PA and NY
"After first run with new bottom on the West Branch Delaware River. Water was at 716 cfs. The boat tracked with ease due to the slick bottom. We did a 9 1/2 mile float and I purposely put it to the test running in some shallows. After hearing some of the sounds going through the shallows I was a bit concerned on what I would find after the float. I was impressed with the outcome, the coating was only scuffed and no cracking anywhere on the finish! Great product!"
“Cactus” Matt
The addition of The WetLander Bottom Paint makes a world of difference there is absolutely ZERO resistance just gliding over the top of all this giving me even higher top end speeds...
... This bottom paint is not only Slick but tough as nails.
Paul S., Texas
"Slick and tough - I am very happy with it. I've never seen anything that slick."
BOR Outdoors, LLC
"We had about 2-3 inches of snow on the ground which normally means no ice boat. The boat slid surprisingly well and we were able to cross the main channel of the Mississippi river just below the lock and dam and get to the other side where there is some slack water and holds some walleyes. We didn't have any luck but boat worked quite well. My dad and I both weigh about 250 and boat slid great. Thanks!"
Jon Borreson
How many square feet will quarter cover
Randall,
A quart will cover 50 square feet.
-Scott
Scott:
I have a 16′ Rapidcraft drift boat that is painted sky blue, including the bottom. Do I need to grind the paint off of the bottom before I use your topcoat? I am also thinking about putting it on the bottom of my unpainted 20′ Wooldridge sled.
Bill,
We would like to see any and all old coating to come off your hull BEFORE applying Wetlander. This ensures that the Wetlander is adhering to the actual aluminum or gelcoat, and not a factory paint job (which could be too brittle and fail). It is possible to put Wetlander on an old coating/paint job, but then your brand new Wetlander will be adhering to suspect paint, rather than your actual hull.
It is better to remove the old stuff.
-Scott
I have a 1958 hand built camper that needs attention. We have some leaks and suspicious seams. This product was mentioned as a possible remedy. Could you give us some feedback? Thank you.
Juli,
Wetlander will help stop the water from weeping through small rivet pops and small welding/seam gaps. HOWEVER, stopping leaks is not what Wetlander is designed to do, nor would I ever recommend it as a leak stopping product.
My advice is do it once and do it right: Weld those holes shut, or, use a marine grade sealant/adhesive that works well with aluminum (5200 by 3M is one) and plug up the holes. THEN coat it with Wetlander and you should have no problems with slow leaks.
-Scott
Scott, thank you so much for replying to our inquiry. We are going to follow your advice and let you know how it all turns out! Thanks again, Juli and Dana
Juli,
I would hit the suspicious seams with 5200 marine caulk by 3M first, then apply some Wetlander in the color of your choice. That way you have 2 separate materials plugging the leaks and keeping your dry. A leaky camper, like a leaky boat, is no fun.
-Scott
What kind of roller would you recommend to get a really smooth surface with this product?
Hi Bub,
If you want the smoothest coat possible, spray it with on with a 3.0 tip. Rolling Wetlander will always leave a slightly “rolled on” look. That being said, I always roll because it is faster, easier, and there is much less prep-work and cleanup. I like to use about a half-inch nap mini roller (like what you would use to paint a door). I don’t like using foam rollers because they can potentially leave little air bubbles that can dry into little pinholes. So, a regular fiber roller 5/8 to 1/2 inch nap is best, in my opinion.
-Scott
Scott, I’m still unsure what color to choose for my Land Cruiser. I noticed the Wearlon 49 seems to allow tape to adhere to it whereas Wetlander, when applied to my pontoon, did not. I like the Leda of having a coating to which mud does not easily stick. Color continues to be an issue. The little green sample you sent was not quite dark enough. If you sent me a handful of sprayed on samples (the smeared on sample was kind of sketchy) perhaps I could choose. I can easily return them to you once I have a color choice made. The only other issue that bothers me is how much New Mexico sunlight the coating will handle before turning chalky. Of course, when not on the road, the rig is garaged so…… Buddy, I need your guidance! Matt
do you ship to australia
Yes, we do. However, it would be faster, cheaper and more efficient, if you talked to our Southern Hemisphere distributor. He can get you a kit straight away.
Here is his contact info:
Paul Mullan
Phone: 027 284 9194
Email: paul@blackmagic.com.au
-Scott
Can I get the two layer half gallon in silver? How much would it cost?
James,
Sorry – we don’t have any metallic flake in our coatings, so Silver is not an option. A 2-Layer kit in half-gallons is $236.
-Scott
i have a 16′-6″ drift boat with a 54″ bottom and i am unsure weather to get the Quart size or Half Gallon in the 2 part and recommendation would help
Jon,
I like 2-Layer kits in half gallon containers for drift boats. It allows for a thicker application of both the Primer and Topcoat, and gets you enough coating to go up over the chines, which is a good thing.
-Scott
Get the half gallon
Would you recommend to flip my drift boat upside down to apply your product for a better finish if I was to roll it on……
David,
If you are able to flip your boat over to do the prep and application, it is much easier. Painting a table is easier than painting a ceiling… Know what I mean?
-Scott
I would like to see this company implement a clear coat with their special chemicals that make it slick. I would if I owned this company. I could put this over any boat color. Fabulous. If you do this, I want a check for $10000.
Joe,
We could make it clear, but it wouldn’t be as slick and effective as the Wetlander we are currently manufacturing. We choose performance over aesthetics every time. Maybe over time we will develop a super slick and protective 100% clear coat, who knows?..
-Scott
Will this product work on a 14’ V bottom boat? Second how will this product work in saltwater?
Dan,
Yes, it’ll work on a 14 ft v-hull. It will have no issues being in saltwater, just don’t expect it to repel barnacles. Because it won’t!
-Scott
Wearlon’s other product Speed Coat 29 is designed for V-hulls in salt and freshwater. The company’s main site is http://wearloncorp.com/ – just look under marine you will see both the Wetlander and Speed Coat 29 products.
Scott, how would it handle heat in the range of 180 degrees with some steam, 5 days a week for 8 hours?
Matt,
As long as that 180 degrees is in Fahrenheit, and not Celsius, I think it would be fine. However, I suggest testing with a pre-coated panel in the hot and steamy space to be 100% sure. What is the specific application? What are you trying to accomplish?
-Scott
Scott, I am pondering if it would keep my wood pellet mill from discoloring due to heat and steam that boil up around the door where the pellets escape the mill. The steam and heat discolor the mill and is hard to remove. I was wondering if Wetlander would protect the mill and be easy to clean each day. M. (PS: I’m the crazy who painted his 1972 Toyota Land Cruiser. Results are a bit weird. )
I like to apply tis product to bottom and less than half on the sides of a aluminum Bass boat. The size is 17’4″ straight V. Your suggestion on how much of this product I’ll need to purchase. Thanks!!
Hi Glen,
It depends on how far up the sides you are actually going to go. If you can give me the estimated square footage of the boat, it would be easier to answer your question accurately. For most V-hull bass boats at 17
ft long, a 2-Layer kit in half gallons would be enough ( a 2-Layer kit in half-gallons will cover UP TO 100 sq. ft.). However, if you are really adding a lot of square footage by going up the sides, you might have to bump up to gallons, which would double your cost and give you WAY too much coating for that boat.
I guess my answer is: Do everything you can to keep it under 90-100 square feet, and the 2-Layer kit in halves will be perfect!
Call me directly at (518) 469-3612 and we can go over everything in more detail.
-Scott
Can letters be painted over this thinking about spraying whole outside of boat with the 3 part kit in snake skin green with black letters
Jeremy,
Paints and stickers do not stick well to a Wetlander coated surface. Using good masking tape to block off that area, either before or after painting your letters on.
-Scott
What is the best way to apply to a clackacraft with the golf ball hull? I’m worried I won’t get all of the paint off. Also is sandpaper the best way to remove the current coating?
Sandpaper or a light media blast is the best way to remove any old coatings. I don’t believe Clacka puts anything on their hulls beyond gelcoat, and if that is true, you should be able to just clean/scuff the gelcoat really well, and then apply your Wetlander. The best way to apply Wetlander to a Clackacraft with hull-divots is with a sprayer. However I know that some guys have done it with rollers and a foam brush before… it’ll just take longer that way.
-Scott
Hey,
So I want to use one of these Wearlon products on the bottom of a jetski. Does anyone have the actual greens of wetlander in pictures? The color chart i don’t care to go off. A real life color shot would make me feel more confident on choosing a color.
Thanks
Is your product chemically resistant? Thanks, M.