The suggested waterline on Page 105 of the Peeler's manual includes a good bit of extra bottom paint so that you don't get stains on the topsides.  

Here's a good picture of the stock boat at rest, with the Page 105 waterline:

Even with two adults and gear aboard, you still have at least an inch of bottom paint left:

Of course you can raise your waterline even higher if it suits you.

John,

Thanks.  That is exactly what I needed.  That looks like plently of margin.

Jeff

Can some one answer the water line on the peeler page 105 is 5.5 inches but the spray rail is  detail as 7.5 inch this does not seem correct looking at these two pictures. It appears that the spray rail is to be placed closer to 5.5 inches versus 7.5 as shown in the manual can someone explain what I am not seeing.

TonyA:

Did you ever get an answer to your question? The 5.5" versus 7.5" issue has caused me to scratch my head and I hoped to see an answer before I paint my Peeler. I am in the process of putting on my spay rails at 7.5 inches, but have yet to mark a water line. In my case, the water line may be below the spray rails.

Fred

   The 5.5 in. waterline passes about 1.5 in. under the spray rail on my peeler. I set it up with a self leveling laser but it has not hit the water yet (spring for sure).I set the line for the rail before glassing. The rail on the prototype was an upgrade put on after the boat was finished so maybe it wound up lower than mine. Spring will tell.

 I followed the Peeler instruction manual and my results were similar to those mentioned by Catboater in his post on 12/15. However, instead of using a lazer level, I used the batten board and line method that I found on YouTube. The boat actually looks better in person than in the picture. I used: Interlux Brightside in black, directly on the fiberglass, for the line; Interlux Brightside, in Hateras off-white, over Interlux Pre-Kote for the sides; and red Pettit Vivid, directly to the fiberglass, for the bottom. I painted the black first, put a strip of painter's tape over it and then painted the sides and bottom. The black does not show through three coats of the off-white or two coats of the red.

Fred 

The boat is done and we took her out on a winter weekend on Lake Coeur d'Alene. The actual waterline turned out as planned - the black line, plus about 3" of the red bottom paint, show evenly along the length of the boat.

Fred