It is getting close to that time of year again....Bottom painting season. I have an ablative paint on my boat and I am going to go with Ablative paint again. What is the best way of getting the hull prepared right for the new coats of paint?
Ablative Paint
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What I normally do is pressure wash the...
hull, let dry then scrape away any loose paint. I use dry wall sandpaper (looks like screening) from HD on the end of a pole with a pad adapter to lightly sand the entire hull and feather the edges of any old paint. Then at least two to three coats of new paint. Good for several season. Also replace zincs, polish all bright metal and apply two thick coats of Desitin to it. Helps to keep it clear of marine growth. Terry
hull, let dry then scrape away any loose paint. I use dry wall sandpaper (looks like screening) from HD on the end of a pole with a pad adapter to lightly sand the entire hull and feather the edges of any old paint. Then at least two to three coats of new paint. Good for several season. Also replace zincs, polish all bright metal and apply two thick coats of Desitin to it. Helps to keep it clear of marine growth. Terry
Bottom Paint
Also make sure that the manufactures paint will work with the current coats if changing brands and/or types. Some brands will not adhere well to paints of other manufactures.
Also make sure that the manufactures paint will work with the current coats if changing brands and/or types. Some brands will not adhere well to paints of other manufactures.
don't forget packing
While bottom painting and changing zinc, you might want to repack your prop shaft. A little prevention. . .
While bottom painting and changing zinc, you might want to repack your prop shaft. A little prevention. . .
Thanks all
Thanks for the information! I will powerwash, sand, and then rinse off. Sounds like the plan. P.S. My auxilary is an outboard
Thanks for the information! I will powerwash, sand, and then rinse off. Sounds like the plan. P.S. My auxilary is an outboard
Please do not rinse off after sanding...
That bottom stuff is toxic and will leech into the soil and contaminate ground water. Most marinas have environmental laws that prevent water wash down after sanding the bottom unless it is done in their collection system. You should also have a plastic tarp under your boat to collect the dust. Terry
That bottom stuff is toxic and will leech into the soil and contaminate ground water. Most marinas have environmental laws that prevent water wash down after sanding the bottom unless it is done in their collection system. You should also have a plastic tarp under your boat to collect the dust. Terry
There's that "t" word again
of course bottom paint has some toxicity but I challenge anyone to show me ANY credible scientific evidence of any significant leaching or ground water pollution (as Terry describes)- EVER! ANYWHERE! Anyone who says what Terry has is just ignorant or has some other agenda. No offense, Terry - this is just not true even though a lot of people will perpetuate this myth. This residual dust is not water soluble and the amount involved is of no consequence even if it was. I was there when it was discovered that Boeing Plant II in Georgetown (Seattle) pumped literally millions of gallons of concentrated chromic, nitric, and sulfuric acids into a leaking (and ultimately nonexistant) concrete underground storage tank in the 1970s until 1982. They finally did an accounting of their waste products. In a search for the by then missing tank, they discovered that the foundation of the building was gone in places due to the corrosion. The soil there is sandy and it barely got noticed by the EPA or the state DOE (ecology - not energy). If anything would ever show up as a leaching problem, that would. To my knowledge, they were never even fined although they now have treatment wells to supposedly "fix" the problem. Just do not be stupid and make a lot of dust, breath it, or rinse it down a drain or into a waterway - just like any other paint or sanding process. Other than that, it is not a problem going into regular garbage. I use old carpet under my boat and just throw it away when I am done scraping, sanding, rinsing and painting.
of course bottom paint has some toxicity but I challenge anyone to show me ANY credible scientific evidence of any significant leaching or ground water pollution (as Terry describes)- EVER! ANYWHERE! Anyone who says what Terry has is just ignorant or has some other agenda. No offense, Terry - this is just not true even though a lot of people will perpetuate this myth. This residual dust is not water soluble and the amount involved is of no consequence even if it was. I was there when it was discovered that Boeing Plant II in Georgetown (Seattle) pumped literally millions of gallons of concentrated chromic, nitric, and sulfuric acids into a leaking (and ultimately nonexistant) concrete underground storage tank in the 1970s until 1982. They finally did an accounting of their waste products. In a search for the by then missing tank, they discovered that the foundation of the building was gone in places due to the corrosion. The soil there is sandy and it barely got noticed by the EPA or the state DOE (ecology - not energy). If anything would ever show up as a leaching problem, that would. To my knowledge, they were never even fined although they now have treatment wells to supposedly "fix" the problem. Just do not be stupid and make a lot of dust, breath it, or rinse it down a drain or into a waterway - just like any other paint or sanding process. Other than that, it is not a problem going into regular garbage. I use old carpet under my boat and just throw it away when I am done scraping, sanding, rinsing and painting.
i just pressure wash
I just pressure wash the bottom at the end of every season. The pressure washer takes off almost all the old paint, i've never sanded to put it back on either and have never had a problem with it sticking if you have a pressure washer with enough power. But then again my boat is only in from April until September.
I just pressure wash the bottom at the end of every season. The pressure washer takes off almost all the old paint, i've never sanded to put it back on either and have never had a problem with it sticking if you have a pressure washer with enough power. But then again my boat is only in from April until September.
Just Used a High Pressure Car Wash
I just pulled my MAC 23 out of the water for its annual clean up. I ran it through a commercial high pressure car wash. It really cut through the fresh water grime. I was not able to get under the bunk boards, but I can do that later. I do not use an ablative coating. I have a teflon based coating on the bottom.
I just pulled my MAC 23 out of the water for its annual clean up. I ran it through a commercial high pressure car wash. It really cut through the fresh water grime. I was not able to get under the bunk boards, but I can do that later. I do not use an ablative coating. I have a teflon based coating on the bottom.
Stu, if that is your criteria for credible proof,
better read the lable on your toilet brush. It may say something like "do not use for personal hygiene". Lables are written by attorneys, not scientists. That proves nothing. Good job reading though.
better read the lable on your toilet brush. It may say something like "do not use for personal hygiene". Lables are written by attorneys, not scientists. That proves nothing. Good job reading though.
In 1978
I bought a trailer sailor that was kept in salt water, my first "keep in the water boat". We sanded the bottom paint off on the lawn ,behind our home, there is still an outline of where the paint fell on the ground, even after digging all the soil out, and replacing it. I do not sand bottoms without a mask and paper throw away coverall. Do the math, still toxic after over 25 years!!!
I bought a trailer sailor that was kept in salt water, my first "keep in the water boat". We sanded the bottom paint off on the lawn ,behind our home, there is still an outline of where the paint fell on the ground, even after digging all the soil out, and replacing it. I do not sand bottoms without a mask and paper throw away coverall. Do the math, still toxic after over 25 years!!!
JKK, neat stuff! Any idea what was on there?
Bet it was tin. That is what's on my boat, Micron 44 with tin. Been on there since new. Bought the last can in the tropics. Great stuff. But, alas, too great.
Bet it was tin. That is what's on my boat, Micron 44 with tin. Been on there since new. Bought the last can in the tropics. Great stuff. But, alas, too great.
directions say ...
Be a man ... read the directions. Ahem ... oops, sorry guys, I didn't really mean that, I humbly apologize, and I know I'm a discredit to all men everywhere. Seriously, whether you want to take all the label to heart or not, at least read it. And I second jkk ... wear a cartridge respirator and a throw-away tyvec suit. Total cost maybe twenty bucks. I did it without the first time. Never again. Watched this guy last spring do a blue bottom. Afterwards, he looked like one of those blue guys on the commercials. Hey, the stuff has weedkiller in it. Twenty bucks protects you, against the couple hundred to protect your boat. Which do you value most? Well, I guess that's a bad question too. Your boat or your life? Hard answer. Come on, spring!!! Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
Be a man ... read the directions. Ahem ... oops, sorry guys, I didn't really mean that, I humbly apologize, and I know I'm a discredit to all men everywhere. Seriously, whether you want to take all the label to heart or not, at least read it. And I second jkk ... wear a cartridge respirator and a throw-away tyvec suit. Total cost maybe twenty bucks. I did it without the first time. Never again. Watched this guy last spring do a blue bottom. Afterwards, he looked like one of those blue guys on the commercials. Hey, the stuff has weedkiller in it. Twenty bucks protects you, against the couple hundred to protect your boat. Which do you value most? Well, I guess that's a bad question too. Your boat or your life? Hard answer. Come on, spring!!! Tom Monroe Carlyle Lake
Back yards notwithstanding
this stuff (tin, copper, lead or whatever other metal compound) does not leach into the groundwater. What would one expect the stuff to do to a lawn anyway? It is probably a similar result as if you stripped your cars paint off onto the lawn. I am in trouble for even theoritically contemplating such activity. Directions are good. Warnings are often entertaining as well. Read this at your own risk!
this stuff (tin, copper, lead or whatever other metal compound) does not leach into the groundwater. What would one expect the stuff to do to a lawn anyway? It is probably a similar result as if you stripped your cars paint off onto the lawn. I am in trouble for even theoritically contemplating such activity. Directions are good. Warnings are often entertaining as well. Read this at your own risk!
Sanded and painted in my yard
I wet sanded to reduce dust to zero. It was a light sanding in that the bottom was in pretty good shape after a pressure washing at a car wash. The grass is green with no discernable effect. I rolled on the bottom paint but wore gloves and throw away clothes. My hands were a little blue for a few days. Probably if you ran a business and sanded hundreds of boats there might be an effect. But I think that copper is quickly immobilized in most soils. Sand might be a different matter. The more acidic a soil the more likely for heavy metals to be mobilized. I've heard stories of acidic water literally dissolving copper pipes. But around my house there is a lot of limestone. This rapidly buffers any acid and precipitates heavy metals. Up in the north glaciers removed the limestone and the soils have little buffering ability. Tom
I wet sanded to reduce dust to zero. It was a light sanding in that the bottom was in pretty good shape after a pressure washing at a car wash. The grass is green with no discernable effect. I rolled on the bottom paint but wore gloves and throw away clothes. My hands were a little blue for a few days. Probably if you ran a business and sanded hundreds of boats there might be an effect. But I think that copper is quickly immobilized in most soils. Sand might be a different matter. The more acidic a soil the more likely for heavy metals to be mobilized. I've heard stories of acidic water literally dissolving copper pipes. But around my house there is a lot of limestone. This rapidly buffers any acid and precipitates heavy metals. Up in the north glaciers removed the limestone and the soils have little buffering ability. Tom
I thought the way ablative paint was designrd to work was to slowly leach off the bottom of the boat into the water body. This seems to me to be more troublesome than letting dust w/ metals fall on the ground where it is really not very mobile without the presence of significant acidic conditions. Maybe I'm wrong .
Actually, groundwater is affected
Heavy metals and biocides (paints with copper) have a detrimental effect on groundwater quality. The run-off from your yard may degrade the groundwater quality of your down-slop neighbors. Likewise, what your up-slope neighbors do to their yards may affect your groundwater quality. For boatyards, it's very important they contain run-off since they're usually located in close proximity to open bodies of water. ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
Heavy metals and biocides (paints with copper) have a detrimental effect on groundwater quality. The run-off from your yard may degrade the groundwater quality of your down-slop neighbors. Likewise, what your up-slope neighbors do to their yards may affect your groundwater quality. For boatyards, it's very important they contain run-off since they're usually located in close proximity to open bodies of water. ~ Happy sails to you ~ _/) ~
ablatives work in part by falling off
Ablatives are soft and wear off. They are toxic due to copper oxide but also work by stopping the attachment of hard growths. Once a barnacle or oyster reaches a certain size it breaks off. I have never seen hard growth on an ablative painted bottom. Ground water is complicated and site specific. But generally the biggest contaminate of groundwater is organics. Metals tend to precipitate.
Ablatives are soft and wear off. They are toxic due to copper oxide but also work by stopping the attachment of hard growths. Once a barnacle or oyster reaches a certain size it breaks off. I have never seen hard growth on an ablative painted bottom. Ground water is complicated and site specific. But generally the biggest contaminate of groundwater is organics. Metals tend to precipitate.
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