Anti fouling Hunter 240

[Scraigward]

Hi, I am completely new to sailing and recently purchased a Hunter 240. On a post about the mast I went into questions about anti fouling and got some great feedback but also a comment about a potential issue with the barrier coat. So I thought I should do a specific post on the boat hull to get more feedback on what people think has previously been applied to it (anyone else's look like this?), if there are any concerns as I know literally nothing! How to remove what's on there to get it back to ideally gel coat so I can start a fresh and apply the right stuff to ensure its safe, efficient and looks nice.

Here are some pictures and what is written in the owners manual. I am concerned sanding will cause more problems?!

Thanks in advance.

 

[sail sfbay]

............How to remove what's on there to get it back to ideally gel coat so I can start a fresh and apply the right stuff to ensure its safe, efficient and looks nice.............

The forum has plenty of expereince and recommendations. You have some three options to remove the epoxy barrier coat as decscribed in the link to the artticle below: soda ash blasting, chemical stripping and scraping and sanding. Of course, wear protective equipment including head, body, hand, face, eye, nose and mouth protection during this process.

A Smorgasbord of Tools and Patience Are Required For the DIY Epoxy Barrier Coat Removal | Practical Sailor (practical-sailor.com)

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

What you have on there now could be anything from a mixture of bottom paint and poster paint all the way up to disintegration from cosmic rays. What I'm saying is that I've never seen anything quite like that before and I've wasted many, many years of my life working on my boat in boat yards. You are definitely suffering from the stunts of a previous owner (PO). See here (starting at #9) for a discussion on the skills (or lack thereof) of previous owners:

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My choice would be for scraping and sanding as your boat is an ideal size for this. I did my H-310 and it took about five days for the cleaning. Start with a hand scraper to remove the unknown. Finish the cleaning with #80 grit with a soft backing on the block. You want to remove the mess but only a MINIMUM of the gel coat. DO NOT GET INTO THE FIBERGLASS.

Of course, wear protective equipment including head, body, hand, face, eye, nose and mouth protection during this process.

Follow @sail sfbay 's safety instructions to the letter and perhaps a swig of HOLY WATER wouldn't hurt either. Also follow barrier coat's mfg. instructions to the letter and add another full coat rather than short change the job if required

The only problem I can see is how to raise the boat up high enough for working if it's on a trailer.

Keep us posted on the work as it brings back many fond memories of my scraping labours and makes me so BLOODY GLAD IT'S YOU DOING THE SCRAPING AND NOT ME ! ! ! !

 

[Scraigward]

Thank you. we will start next week with scraping/sanding and see how we go. Probably being overly cautious but having kids on the boat makes me very nervous.

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Probably being overly cautious but having kids on the boat makes me very nervous.

You have the makings of a very good boater.