I just had my hull soda blasted down to the original gelcoat. Lots of crazing but that is OK. No blisters. Now I want to seal it back up. I notice that there is a hairline crack at the hull/keel joint and perhaps some old resin or product that is chipping off at the joint. My plan is to light sand the hull right away and grind the old product from the hull/keel joint. In the spring I will tighten the keel bolts, fill the joint with with short strand fibre glass and resin. Will fibreglass adhere to both the hull and keel which is lead? Next roll the 2 part epoxy to the hull with distinct color to see when the ablative paint comes off. At this point some say to apply the barrier coat, some say don't bother. Our boats are in the water for only 5 months each year. All agree on the ablative paint as the last step. What is a good epoxy and barrier coat? Is the barrier coat necessary? Any thoughst would be greatly appreciated.
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Just Epoxy !
Hi Steve, My opinion is just roll on as much epoxy as you can afford and forget the barrier coat. My understanding is that products like Interprotect are just epoxy resin with filler such as mica or aluminum flakes added to 'bulk it up'(see attached link). I sealed a new rudder on my boat with 3 coats of West -it is still providing an excellent seal 5 years later. Osmosis does not seem to be as much as a problem up here in the great white north, especially since the boat gets a good dry-out for 5 months every year! Anyway, I attached a useful link - you can read up and decide for yourself. Good Luck. Jim Legere 1983 H37C SV Calypso St. Margarets Bay, NS
Hi Steve, My opinion is just roll on as much epoxy as you can afford and forget the barrier coat. My understanding is that products like Interprotect are just epoxy resin with filler such as mica or aluminum flakes added to 'bulk it up'(see attached link). I sealed a new rudder on my boat with 3 coats of West -it is still providing an excellent seal 5 years later. Osmosis does not seem to be as much as a problem up here in the great white north, especially since the boat gets a good dry-out for 5 months every year! Anyway, I attached a useful link - you can read up and decide for yourself. Good Luck. Jim Legere 1983 H37C SV Calypso St. Margarets Bay, NS
Be very careful
Don't tjghten the keelbolts if you have NO leakage. I have had hairline cracks where the keel and the hull meet. They seem to come from the winter haul-out, but I never had leakage. I have heard horror stories of leaks begining by tampering with the keelbolts. Be Very Careful.
Don't tjghten the keelbolts if you have NO leakage. I have had hairline cracks where the keel and the hull meet. They seem to come from the winter haul-out, but I never had leakage. I have heard horror stories of leaks begining by tampering with the keelbolts. Be Very Careful.
Keelbolts
This should probably be a seperate thread..but on my H23, two of the keelbolt holes are showing minor (is it ever minor when it comes to keel attachment...) cracking under the washers, basically it looks like the washers (flat) are digging in at their outside edges, because the hull bottom is a vee. No leaks, never felt like it was moving around, and they are tight. I was thinking about just removing those two nuts and making a stainless "wedge" washer to hopefully take care of it..should I just let it be?
This should probably be a seperate thread..but on my H23, two of the keelbolt holes are showing minor (is it ever minor when it comes to keel attachment...) cracking under the washers, basically it looks like the washers (flat) are digging in at their outside edges, because the hull bottom is a vee. No leaks, never felt like it was moving around, and they are tight. I was thinking about just removing those two nuts and making a stainless "wedge" washer to hopefully take care of it..should I just let it be?
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