Good point about drying the hull before applying the barrier coat. I
always strip the hull in the fall and apply the barrier coat in the
spring. Never had any signs of post-barrier-coat blistering, even many
seasons later. I guess a cold Canadian winter is good for something
after all. Cheers, Trev V2915
________________________________
From:
AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com [mailto:
AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of pjacobs55
Sent: December 6, 2006 12:12 PM
To:
AlbinVega@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [AlbinVega] Re: Barrier Coat
For an interesting article on Barrier Coats here is a link to the
Plastic Classic Forum:
http://www.triton381.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=627&highlight=barrier
I've stripped Sin Tacha's bottom to the gelcoat using a power washer,
a carbide bladed-scraper, finishing with a palm sander and 120 grit
paper. Pretty hard work, but the whole job only took a total of 12
hours, divided up into 2 hour sessions to be kind to my back.
The bottom shows no sign of blisters and is not getting a barrier
coat, simply two coats of ablative anti fouling. If blisters have not
appeared in 35 years of use I don't think they are going to show up
now. My main concern is sealing a surface which may contain moisture.
In Don Casey's book "Sailboat Hull and Deck Repair" (page 103 section
7) he says "Keep track of the drying process by taping 6-inch squares
of plastic cut from heavy freezer bags to a dozen or more places on
the hull-2 or 3 above the waterline. Seal the plastic all around with
electricians tape. Sun on the plastic will cause moisture in the hull
to condense on the plastic. Open the plastic and wipe it and the hull
dry every few days, then seal it back in place. When condensation
ceases to form in any of the test panels on sunny days, the hull is
sufficiently dry to reseal."
That was the deciding factor for me as there's not much sunshine on
the calendar between now and launch time!
Peter
#1331 'Sin Tacha'
