Beneteau 331 (2003) just hauled for annual maintenance including bottom paint. Yard says, "After looking over bottom, tech concluded current bottom paint is flaking off, recommendation remove remainder of bottom paint, apply 5 coats barrier coat and apply new bottom paint." Perhaps needless to say, very pricey. We're near Pamlico Sound and, in addition to annual bottom paint, diver visits 3-4 times per year. Is this a reasonable recommendation?
New barrier coat?
- Thread starter refish
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You might have someone else look at it and get a second opinion on the barrier coat(s). I'm guessing you've already spent $$ to haul her out so make the most of it.
Has the boat ever been barrier coated? If it hasn't, a barrier coat can help prevent blisters.
If it has been barrier coated, then the issue may be has it been damaged? If so, it should be repaired. That repair might be a spot repair or it might mean taking it down to gelcoat.
How do they plan to remove the old bottom paint? That may cause some of the existing barrier coat to be removed or thinned out.
The spot on the keel looks like the barrier has failed. I believe most Beneteaus have a cast iron keel, if yours does, that spot is not going to get better it will corrode and the bottom paint and barrier coat will fail on the keel.
Minimally the keel should probably be stripped to bright metal, properly prepped and barrier coated. If it is a lead keel a spot repair is probably OK. If it is cast iron, it will be best to do the whole keel.
Finally, if this is not a DIY yard, the yard may not want to do anything but a full repair, i.e., strip the paint to gelcoat and then new barrier coat and new anti-fouling. This will limit any complaint later on that they work failed.
If it has been barrier coated, then the issue may be has it been damaged? If so, it should be repaired. That repair might be a spot repair or it might mean taking it down to gelcoat.
How do they plan to remove the old bottom paint? That may cause some of the existing barrier coat to be removed or thinned out.
The spot on the keel looks like the barrier has failed. I believe most Beneteaus have a cast iron keel, if yours does, that spot is not going to get better it will corrode and the bottom paint and barrier coat will fail on the keel.
Minimally the keel should probably be stripped to bright metal, properly prepped and barrier coated. If it is a lead keel a spot repair is probably OK. If it is cast iron, it will be best to do the whole keel.
Finally, if this is not a DIY yard, the yard may not want to do anything but a full repair, i.e., strip the paint to gelcoat and then new barrier coat and new anti-fouling. This will limit any complaint later on that they work failed.
Yep Refish, it is time. You want two plans from the yard. One for the hull, and one for your cast iron keel. The hull is pretty straightforward per their recommendation. The iron keel requires either spot repair or complete removal and specific rust treatment, then barrier coat and fairing as required, and more barrier to final prep for bottom paint. The final plan will depend on the yard resources. With a blast system they could prep the hull with a walnut shell media and the keel with more aggressive media. But you have to be sure you are dealing with qualified experienced personnel. You can also bring in a specialist, lots of them work out of a mobile trailer system. Warning, if you don’t do the iron keel correctly, you will most certainly be doing it again. There can be no shortcuts to a very specific order of prep and finish. Make sure you have an iron-experienced tradesman.
Do you want to race the boat, or do you care if it's slowed by some extra drag? The answer to that will help determine your course of action. Certainly the paint isn't in great shape, and just piling more on top isn't going to make it go away, but it's not the worst I've seen and structurally it's not a problem. If the yard saw any signs of blisters I'm sure they would have mentioned that, so I'd assume you don't have an osmosis problem. Given that, you shouldn't need new barrier coat unless you do something to what's there now. Certainly removing all of the existing paint would be in that category, so if you go down that road then you'll need the new barrier coat.
As for the keel, I'm not convinced that it is iron. If the coating of the iron were chipped down to bare metal it would rust very quickly, but all I see is metal. I'd guess it's lead, but I don't know for sure what Beneteau used on that model. If it is iron the only effective fix will be to get anything loose off and apply multiple barrier coats.
As for the keel, I'm not convinced that it is iron. If the coating of the iron were chipped down to bare metal it would rust very quickly, but all I see is metal. I'd guess it's lead, but I don't know for sure what Beneteau used on that model. If it is iron the only effective fix will be to get anything loose off and apply multiple barrier coats.
I had 3 barrier coats put on our boat. Why is it necessary to put on 5? Is that standard procedure or is it excessive?
Could vary based on product and application method. Interlux Interprotect 2000e recommends "4-5cts by roller, 2-3cts by spray as required to reach 10 mils DFT".
If you have an existing barrier coat and it is deteriorating, I could see the need to replace it or at least spot treat.
If there is evidence of osmosis / blistering, I could see the need for removing blisters, drying, and barrier coating.
If the only problem is flaking antifouling paint, sand it back to the gelcoat without removing gelcoat and recoat with new antifouling paint. Beneteau uses vinyl ester resin beneath the gelcoat to inhibit water intrusion and blister formation. You do not need a barrier coat because of the vinyl ester resin. Would a barrier coat be nice to have...sure, but at what cost? You definitely need to ensure that the yard personnel know what they are doing, because they can do more harm than good by removing too much gelcoat.
With regards to the keel.. You need to check the composition of the keel. Some 331's of your vintage had lead keels and some had cast iron for sure. I believe the shoal keels were lead and the deep keels were cast. If it is a lead keel, clean it up and recoat with antifouling paint; if it is cast iron, follow Gunni's advice to blast and epoxy coat prior to applying antifouling paint.
Note that barrier coating is another service / money maker for boat yards. The previous owner of my boat had the boat in Chicago for 5 years, meaning that it was on the hard for at least 6 months every year. When he moved the boat to Charleston, the yard had him do a barrier coat. I am happy that he had it barrier coated; however, I think that it was overkill. The boat had no blisters and with it being on the hard for half of each year, there was minimal moisture content in the hull. I really believe that the yard charged him a considerable amount for a service that was unnecessary. Most manufacturers that incorporate vinyl ester into their lay ups do not advise a barrier coat and doing so may void the warranty on a new boat.
If there is evidence of osmosis / blistering, I could see the need for removing blisters, drying, and barrier coating.
If the only problem is flaking antifouling paint, sand it back to the gelcoat without removing gelcoat and recoat with new antifouling paint. Beneteau uses vinyl ester resin beneath the gelcoat to inhibit water intrusion and blister formation. You do not need a barrier coat because of the vinyl ester resin. Would a barrier coat be nice to have...sure, but at what cost? You definitely need to ensure that the yard personnel know what they are doing, because they can do more harm than good by removing too much gelcoat.
With regards to the keel.. You need to check the composition of the keel. Some 331's of your vintage had lead keels and some had cast iron for sure. I believe the shoal keels were lead and the deep keels were cast. If it is a lead keel, clean it up and recoat with antifouling paint; if it is cast iron, follow Gunni's advice to blast and epoxy coat prior to applying antifouling paint.
Note that barrier coating is another service / money maker for boat yards. The previous owner of my boat had the boat in Chicago for 5 years, meaning that it was on the hard for at least 6 months every year. When he moved the boat to Charleston, the yard had him do a barrier coat. I am happy that he had it barrier coated; however, I think that it was overkill. The boat had no blisters and with it being on the hard for half of each year, there was minimal moisture content in the hull. I really believe that the yard charged him a considerable amount for a service that was unnecessary. Most manufacturers that incorporate vinyl ester into their lay ups do not advise a barrier coat and doing so may void the warranty on a new boat.
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As stated, barrier coat is not based on “coats” but rather by “thickness”. The documentation covering IP2000E states that barrier coat will not prevent, but seriously deter water incursion, and should only be expected to last 10 years.
Bottom paint will not prevent water ingress.
Bottom paint will not prevent water ingress.
I would recommend you PM @Crazy Dave Condon
He used to be a dealer in Pamlico area and knows a lot of reputable people there.
He used to be a dealer in Pamlico area and knows a lot of reputable people there.
Use a wet film gauge.
You can go fancy and expensive, https://amzn.to/2OulVye
Or cheap and good enough, https://amzn.to/2HIAxcF
- There are a lot of Beneteaus out there without vinylester lay ups. Beneteau spent a lot of money and effort fixing their blistering, they fixed it with full peels and layup or barrier coating.
- Beneteau, like many manufacturers went to vinylester layup to address the problem, offered a 10 year blister warranty, AND began specifying that their hulls NOT be sanded OR the warranty was void. Any competent tradesman will tell you that the hull has to be sanded to give tooth for bottom paint. SO....
You follow the manufacturer’s instructions and give it 5 coats. 3 coats look good enough, and the work is tedious but it takes 5 coats to get you to the required coating thickness.