Once i've sanded down the bottom paint is it necessary to use a primer? I've sanding down to the gel coat. I'm not sure what the previous owner used for paint. I'm planning on using Pettit Hydrocoat Eco. The boat will be sailing long Island sound
bottom paint
- Thread starter Cat36Amoore
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Hydrocoat Eco has not been very effective in LIS. It's a very high fouling area, as you probably know. You'd do much better with the Hydrocoat SR.
Also, if sanding to bare gelcoat I advise you to do a barrier coat to prevent osmosis. (Barrier coat is not needed to make the paint adhere.)
Also, if sanding to bare gelcoat I advise you to do a barrier coat to prevent osmosis. (Barrier coat is not needed to make the paint adhere.)
Since the sanding is the hard part, I'd put a layer of barrier coat on while the bottom is clean before I start with bottom paint.
I would put a barrier coat on before the bottom paint. I use Pettit products as well. Give Pettit a call, I used what was recommended for my area and have been very pleased. A good barrier coat will protect your glass and keep you from getting blisters.
Sanding sucks. I'd highly recommend using TotalBoat's TotalStrip with a paint roller. Much faster and easier. My preferred method was to slap it on with a brush, spread it around with a roller, cover it with wax paper. After waiting it will look like this or completely fall off on its own
I have posted several times on how to make this peel away stuff for very little money. If you go to post #4 of this thread you will find the recipe.
https://forums.sailboatowners.com/index.php?threads/bottom-stripping.194052/#post-1494046
Thanks for all your advice. I like the peel away method, perhaps next time in a couple years. Sanding sucks.
Fair winds
Fair winds
I would highly recommend you contact Sherwin Williams before wasting your hard earned money on 'name brand' yacht bottom paints. We've been using their Sea Voyage ($100+_ ) for some years and it works every bit as well as the $300.00 a gallon stuff.
It isn't perfect and down here we have to begin hand scrubbing after about 6 months, but just the soft stuff and no barnacles yet. That's better than any Sea Hawk product we've ever used AND it actually stays on the boat!
Next time we plan to use their #45 Antifouling as it is designed for slow moving harbor work craft like tugs and barges, which is much more suitable for our type of craft also, we just were not able to get it this year. They certainly made up for it by selling us the Sea Voyage for us$7.50 (or $50.00 TT) a gallon!
It isn't perfect and down here we have to begin hand scrubbing after about 6 months, but just the soft stuff and no barnacles yet. That's better than any Sea Hawk product we've ever used AND it actually stays on the boat!
Next time we plan to use their #45 Antifouling as it is designed for slow moving harbor work craft like tugs and barges, which is much more suitable for our type of craft also, we just were not able to get it this year. They certainly made up for it by selling us the Sea Voyage for us$7.50 (or $50.00 TT) a gallon!
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I was just talking to a local company that does a lot of bottom coating.
First off, barrier coat while it's easy to do and then don't worry about blisters later. He uses Interprotect 2000E.
But when bottom coating for the first time (or switching anti-fouling) he always puts on a thin coat of 2000E to the gel coat (or the already cured 2000E if present) and then applies the barrier coat as soon as the 2000E is "just tacky".
He claims this works much like a primer and the barrier coat is much less likely to crack and peel. Of course, this does not apply to VC17 or similar but to the harder coatings that tend to accumulate layers and then crack and peel.
I have no idea if this is sound advice other than he has a couple decades experience in the business and swears by it.
Chris
First off, barrier coat while it's easy to do and then don't worry about blisters later. He uses Interprotect 2000E.
But when bottom coating for the first time (or switching anti-fouling) he always puts on a thin coat of 2000E to the gel coat (or the already cured 2000E if present) and then applies the barrier coat as soon as the 2000E is "just tacky".
He claims this works much like a primer and the barrier coat is much less likely to crack and peel. Of course, this does not apply to VC17 or similar but to the harder coatings that tend to accumulate layers and then crack and peel.
I have no idea if this is sound advice other than he has a couple decades experience in the business and swears by it.
Chris
