Bottom painting is a messy job, but it is so expensive to have a professional do the job that it becomes pretty hard not to do it yourself. An added bonus is that you have some idea that the job was done right. Preparation is everything. An owner can attend to other things at the same time such as, regressing sea ****, polishing the prop, and checking the cutlass bearing. 2 Painting a boat bottom can go fast; it's the prep and repair that take the time. I would plan three work-hours for every 15 feet of boat prep and one work-hour for every 15 feet of painting. 3 Antifouling boat bottoms can save you up to 10% of energy required to move your boat through the water and that can be real money. Copper has been used since the 1700s as a great tool to avoid growths on your boat bottom....