Winter stuff to do...any insight?

[Jackman]

Well guys...after going through a very painful repower for something that should have been painless I will be pulling the boat out the Friday after Thanksgiving...on this list this winter besides the usual...are to strip the bottom, fix blisters, barrier coat and paint as well as replace the seal/bead of caulk that runs the line between a hull seam (just under the rubrail) that runs the entire distance around the boat. I'd also like to put something on the wood interior on those not so good days.

Anyhow...I hear a lot about stripping bottoms from sandblast, to walnut shell blast to chemical, what's the best and least destructive method? I want to fix her up real good so that I might possibly see some efficiency improvement...I'm sure I have several hundred lbs of paint to take off....must be a 1/4 thick and rough in many places!

What type of caulk do I use for the seam between the hull and deck just below the rubrail?

Who wants to help with the paint stripping?

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Genesis]

Soda blast the hull to strip the bottom. DO NOT SANDBLAST. It is extremely easy to do severe damage to the hull with a sandblasting machine.

If you can't sodablast, then old-fashioned sanding is your next best option. But I would look VERY long and hard to find a sodablasting outfit to do this job. Sanding a hull is a ROYAL pain. I've done it, and will do darn near anything to avoid having to do it again.

 

[Nonchalant1]

And for caulking the seam, just use 3M's 5200. If the seam isn't exposed to direct Sunlight light much, 5200 is the best. If it is exposed to sunlight much, you should use 4400 instead. 4400 is strange stuff, it stays tacky until it is cured by exposure to UV light in sunlight and then it remains impervious to it. The problem is if you use 4400 "in the barn" it'll be tacky until you take the boat out into the sun next spring and it'll pick up dirt on the surface that will stay there after curing.

Doug Shuman

 

[OldHatt45]

Jackman,

As Genesis said, Sodablasting is THE way to go. Know a guy in that business in New Jersey. Where are you located? If you can't do the Sodablasting, then it's kinda dealers choice. Some yards get real picky about bottom sanding. The sanding dust goes everywhere, and really gives Gel-Coat boats a bad time. I would think you'd have to tent the bottom in to avoid any problems with other boats. And don't forget to put something on the Ground before they put the boat on the Hard (Like Plastic sheeting). Organizations like the EPA sometimes can go crazy over yards where they catch bottom paint on the unprotected ground. I did the stripping routine several years ago. Tented in the bottom and used several different stripper (chemical type) types until I found one that worked reasonably well. If I recall correctly I ended up using a Stripper from a store named "Sipersteins". Wasn't great, but it worked. Outside (or ambient) Air Temperature has a lot to do with the effectiveness of the chemical strippers. I had 25 coats of bottom paint on the hull. On my 45C it takes approximately 2 - 1/2 gallons of paint to do a full coat. Each gallon weighs about 40 lbs. If the paint used was Not abalative or "self polishing" then 25 X 100 = 2500 pounds of old paint you end up dragging around.

Once you do get down near the actual "bottom", as Genesis said, then you will need to finish cleaning the bottom by sanding the last of the old paint, if you don't do the sodablasting.

Sorry if I told you stuff you already know, but better to be safe then sorry.

OldHatt45

 

[34Hatt]

Jackman as Genisis said look for Soda blasting or No-Chem that is a plastic bead that they use. I did mine two winters ago and the stuff was falling off on it's own. So I figured it comes of easy, I not going to pay to have it Blasted, BIG Mistake It S***S should of payed and saved a huge amount of time for one of the other things on the list. I then did two coat of west system with their barrier additive and then four coat of Interlux 2000. One coat of black ablative then 3 coats of blue all I need to do is touch ups and it will be going back in for the second year in a row. As for speed you my get some but don't bet on it I thought I would since it was so bad I had 0 change but it needed to be done and it is! Heres a picture that shows before and after the bad area is where the stand was.

 

[Jackman]

Can I buy the equipment to do it myself? Soda blasting is a dry process correct, unlike powerblasting with a pressure washer and the attachment that allows you to mix abrasives in with the blasted water.

I do put plastic on the hard...at least for the last 3yrs..because every year I plan to do it and don't get to it. This year I am definitely doing it and want to get to it before it gets too cold so I can let the hull dry over the winter.

I'm actually located in a small coastal town called Long Neck Delaware, not too far from Rehoboth Beach.

 

[34Hatt]

Generally most blasting takes a lot of AIR to do it and the cost is high for the equipment. From what I have heard I would say it should cost you under $800 to have it done and you won't even get dirty while you WATCH!!!

 

[wndsr]

Have you had a reputable person survey your blister situation? We were going to do exactly what you are talking about. After seeing the amount of blisters I needed to deal with, it was clear that repairing as needed was no more than a bandaid approach. Since we plan on owning our boat for many years we ended up having the bottom peeled, relaid, etc, etc, etc. Not inexpensive by any means but considering we now have a new blister free bottom and a lot of peace of mind it was well worth it. Just something to consider. I realize every boat is different.

 

[Jackman]

I don't think I'll be peeling the bottom. I've heard too many "cons" and that taking all the paint off, epoxying the blisters, letting the hull dry and barrier coating is the best way to go.

I'll tent the entire underside of the hull before I paint. Heat the inside with really good dehumidifier, heat the underside of the boat and let the heat and dehumidifier do the work for a couple of days. Once dry and the blisters epoxied I will put on the barrier coat. That should do the job.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

We have an "86 36C in Michigan and last winter we decided to remove the bottom paint, barrier coat, and put VC-17 on. We keep the boat inside heated and the yard, and most others don't allow blasting. We hired their guy to chemically strip, then sand the bottom for $1100. He used 38 gallons of stripper to remove the paint which was Interlux Bottom Coat. The previous owner had put a new coat of that stuff on each year since new in 1986. Do the math; lots of bottom paint for sure. When he was done, we used a die grinder to dig out every questionable spot. We had less than 20. We had some crazing in the gellcoat on the back end of the keel. I coated that area with 2 coats of West epoxy with their barrier coat material added. Next we rolled on 7 coats of Interprotect 2000/2001. The next morning we applied VC-17. This material will not build up or flake off. The initial use requires 2 coats. Each winter we will wipe the bottom lightly and apply 1 new coat. If you did that for 20 years you still could not measure any thickness. The stuff anti-fouls better than anything we have seen. I don't know about salt water but many have told me that it works great there also. Interlux pushes a sister product for salt water but it is a vinyl base and will build up, but does not need annual re-coating. Everyone in our area is switching to the VC-17 system and loves it. When hauled you can clean the bottom with a garden hose.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

That "3M" UV proof caulk is 4000 not 4400. 5200 will never let go, so be carefull where you use that. They also make 4200 which works great for bedding cleats etc. and can be taken apart. Make sure you get a fresh tube of any of this stuff as I have opened some and found them almost hard. This seems especially true with 4000 as it has more limited use. 4000 sure works great in the sun. We caulked the entire edge of our flybridge to salon roof joint last winter and it still looks new.

 

[SKYCHENEY]

vc-17M right? the stuff with the little copper packet that you dump in, not the offshore product.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

That's the stuff. Make sure you get the can with the red plastic top, not the blue. The blue is older and doesn't have the "slime fighter". They only sell the blue top can in Canada as the govt. there doesn't allow the red top can;a sure indication that it is better. The stuff comes in "original, blue, and red" colors. The red turns out pink, the blue and original look the same. We used the blue and laughed all season as we couldn't see any hint of blue. When we pulled the boat last month it is blue under water, but still looks like the original on the part that shows above water. I guess you might as well use the original which, like the others, starts out looking like copper paint, then turns dark gray.

 

[jim rosenthal]

I would get a contractor to soda or plastic-bead the bottom. Glass-beading or sand cuts too hard. Some folks use walnut shells ground up- I think that would be okay as well. Glass or sand can remove too much of the gelcoat.
David Sommers did his boat with hydroblasting- sand and water. It came out okay but I would still use soda if there was any way you could. And don't try to do it yourself- get someone else to do it. You'll have enough fun recoating the bottom- give yourself a break on the paint-removal part. This is NOT enjoyable work. The best part of it is the drink you pour yourself when it's done. I did some of this when I first got my Hatteras- when I decided to have the bottom completely redone, I paid someone else to do it.

 

[Genesis]

Soda blasting wouldn't be bad to do yourself, but you need the machine.

The City of Chicago has used these things (mounted on a truck) for building graffiti removal for many years. They ROCK! They're also expensive as hell to buy, which is why you need to find someone WITH ONE to come do the job - and once you pay for that, you may as well just have them do it.

Seriously - an hour or two and its done. It really is that fast and precise.

 

[Jackman]

There's a guy on another board that is based in the area I keep my boat who is starting up a business of sodablasting boats. Is this something I should be having a wellestablished person do or can a startup company do the job just as well? I always like helping out the little guy..he has a website and pictures of his work but I won't post that because of the rules. He said he'll probably charge about $50 per foot. IS that reasonable?

 

[Full Moon]

Anyone know of a place in Puerto Rico or the Virgin Islands that does soda blasting? It's time for a bottom job with blister repair. Time to come out of retirement for a while to pay for it.

 

[double eagle]

just a few thoughts on the epa stuff and the yards that have to put down plastic sheeting under each boat...
then the wind picks up and blows the plastic all over the place..
or then the latest hurricane comes along and blows and rain washes anything left where it wants it.
then the storm surge comes in and floods the yard with 2-3 ft of water
but the paint residue etc stays right there til cleaned up..

IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG WITH THIS PICTURE ?????

DILUTION IS THE SOLUTION

 

[Jackman]

Okay....if I hire someone to do the soda blasting and I do the blister work, the drying out of the hull, the barrier coating and the painting what do you think it will cost for a 32 fter? Just wondering what I need to set aside for the work. Assume the most expensive/worst case scenario materials.

 

[OldHatt45]

Jackman

If I recall correctly, a buddy of mine with a 37 ft Silverton (1984 vintage) was quoted a price of $37.00 per foot. For the SodaBlasting.

OldHatt45