epoxy barrier needed?

[Rick P.]

Has anyone that purchased a new Catalina felt that it was necessary to apply an epoxy barrier coat before the bottom paint? I hear that Catalina puts an additive in the new gelcoats that stops osmosis blistering, so an epoxy coat might be overkill. I'm interested in a new Catalina and thought during commissioning, this might be a good opportunity to apply the epoxy coat (no need to strip the bottom paint off in the future)just to be on the safe side. Rick.

 

[James]

Barrier coat is already on new boat

Catalina has been barrier coating new boats since the late 'eighties. I haven't heard of any change otherwise. If you are considering additional barrier coating, I recommend you contact Catalina and make sure what you use is compatable. Most manufacturers recommend a buildup to 10 mil or greater coating thickness. Catalina guarantees the barrier for 5 years, and warns not to sand the bottom or the warranty is voided.Good luck with your new boat.

 

[Bob Teeter]

Barrier Coat on Rudder

The one exception is the rudder. At least on my 1990 C42, the rudder did not have a barrier coat. The rudder is also excluded from the 5 year blister warrenty. I am now replacing a rudder that has at least 100 blisters. I also have about 10-20 blisters on the hull, but I don't know if that is bad in a boat that has been in fresh water for 9 seasons.Good luck on your new adventure.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - Planet Catalina]

Bob Teeter

Was the boat never hauled out in 9 years? I don't think that's too bad an average myself. 10-20 blisters after 9 years of sitting in H2O.Who suggested you replace the rudder? Were they incredibly huge blisters? I guess my real question is, why not just fix them? Was it just as cheap to get a new one? I'm sure you checked out all the options, just curious.LaDonna

 

[Bob Stephens]

Epoxy Barrier coat

I don't know about newer boats. I have a 1987 Catalina 30 which I bought new. I had a barrier coat put on when she was commissioned. After about 8 years of haulouts she had no signs of blisters at all. At that point I completly stripped off all the old bottom paint and applied 4 new coats of epoxy. I still have no blisters today! I have seen many older Catalinas in the boatyard with very bad blister problems. I feel that the money I spent on an epoxy bottom was well worth it! Like I said I don't about new boats but if you end up looking for a used one, you might just want to look for one with aepoxy bottom.

 

[Chris Bloor]

Epoxy Bottom Coat

We purchased a 1993 C-42 two years ago. You are asking about new boats, but thought I'd tell you what we've done. We are thinking seriously about chartering our boat in Florida this winter -- we currently sail Lake Erie, so only have a 5-month season. Because we've heard that salt water is so harsh on boats, Bob had the bottom stripped so we could epoxy the bottom. We seem to have been luckier than most -- we found only four blisters on the bottom and one on the rudder. They were all no larger than my fingernail.Good luck and happy sailing!Chris Bloor & Bob SheppardGreat Escape IIIC-42 #372