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Thanks for the primer recommendation. And thanks to thers for their input. I guess that I need to sand the bottom prior to using the primer? What grit and type of paper should I use?

What I'm really puzzled about is if I need to paint above the chine at all. I look at pictures of Whalers and I don't see many with bottom paint above the chine, although I've seen pictures of one or two whose waterlines are above the chine. Should I just not paint above the chine and see where the marine growth grows - and see where at the end of the summer where I should have painted bottom paint? I don't relish the thought of having to scrub growth off of areas where bottom paint should have been applied. Why doesn't Boston Whaler make recommendations about where we should mark the waterlines on our boats? They claim to want cozy relationships with owners.