Honest answers on bottom paint

[Bill]

Hey ya'll. I've been on the phone talking in circles with paint compaines and marinas for the past two weeks and have yet to have two people give me the same answer. I've got a cat '22 and am getting ready to put a coat of bottom paint on her (before I pit it into a full-time slip), but the previous owner said that the last time he painted the boat (with trinity), it all flaked off within a month. The people at the marina tell me that the reason is that the boat had been out of the water for a year which "killed" the paint and nothing will then stick to it. I have been assured by the paint company that the old paint (I can't remember the name right now) and the new paint (trinity) are compatable. The marina people tell me that since the old paint is "dead," I have to sand the hull down to the barrier coat (coal tar epoxy) before I can repaint it. Is this really necessary? I just want to get the damn boat in the water and go sailing. I won''t go into all the details of what I have had to do to get this boat ready to sail, but belive me it has been plenty. A good sailing friend told me that I should give the hull a light sand with some 80 grit, slap a coat of trinity on, and go sailing.Any ideas? Sanding down to the barrier coat is an awful lot of work, and I really don't want to do it if it is not necessary. Thanks in advance.Bill

 

[Joe Ford]

bottom paint

Sounds like the previous owner didn't prep the hull before putting on the bottom paint. I assume you are talking about Pettit Trinidad, a modified epoxy type paint. Modified-epoxies will lose their anti-fouling properties quickly when exposed to sun and air. Did the paint company simply say the two paints were compatible and not mention proper application technique? Anyone can tell you that. Take the advice of the boatyard. If the paint was that poorly applied and it is flaking off already, you shouldn't have too much problem removing it. Try scraping and/or a chemical stripper if you don't like sanding. (does anyone like sanding?) Apply a primer coat before you put on the bottom paint. That will create a chemical bond between the hull and the paint. It is important to READ the directions carefully. If the boat is out of the water a lot I would consider using an ablative (sloughing) type paint. I works differently than Mod Epox and doesn't have to be remove every few years.No matter what you use, if the hull isn't properly prepared, the paint will not adhere. BUT..... If you are just leaving the boat in water for a few months, and are anxious to go sailing, take your friends solution, rough up the hull with #80 grit and slap on a few coats of the least expensive mod ex you can find.(West Marine Bottom Shield or BoatUS Bottom Coat will work fine} And keep an eye on it.

 

[Gene]

Preparation

Agree with Joe that the problem with the paint flaking is poor preparation. But I don't agree with his recommendation for the quick fix. If you don't strip, prime, etc I feel you are "throwing good money after bad" in putting on cheap paint as it will probably flake off. If you don't want to do the job right, I would go back in the water as is. Yes you will get a build up, may increse odds of getting blisters, and cleaning will be a bitch at your next haul out. There is no substitute for fixing the problem right.

 

[LaDonna Bubak - CatalinaOwners.com]

Sanding

Keep in mind that if you do the quick fix, you very likely might have to do the big fix anyway and you'll have 3 times as much paint to sand off. This might be something you're willing to do next year, so it's just something to keep in mind. LaDonna

 

[Robert Hunt]

Bottom paint

Paint it with an ordinary (least expensive) bottom paint and go sailing. None of these paints last very long anyway so you can haul it next winter and spend all the time you want sanding and repainting.