I'm getting ready to have a bottom job done. It's the boat's first bottom job. I noticed that at about the water line (or just above), there's a margin where I wonder if, from the factory, if these boats came with an epoxy barrier. Does anyone know what treatment the hull has or is it just gelcoat at and below the water line?
Hunter 260-question about factory coatings
- Thread starter Sublime
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Barrier Coats .......................
................... normally don't come from the factory. Often times the dealer will epoxy the hull as an extra.
Normally it's just gel coat from the factory. If the dealer doesn't epoxy the hull, the gel coat is prepped for bottom paint by etching for better adhesion. Unfortunately, it doesn't work too well as I used to lose about 1/3 of my bottom paint each year. Finally gave up after a couple of years and epoxied the bottom primarily so it would hang onto the bottom paint. Freedom from sleepless nights of worrying about blistering didn't hurt either.
................... normally don't come from the factory. Often times the dealer will epoxy the hull as an extra.
Normally it's just gel coat from the factory. If the dealer doesn't epoxy the hull, the gel coat is prepped for bottom paint by etching for better adhesion. Unfortunately, it doesn't work too well as I used to lose about 1/3 of my bottom paint each year. Finally gave up after a couple of years and epoxied the bottom primarily so it would hang onto the bottom paint. Freedom from sleepless nights of worrying about blistering didn't hurt either.
There's a definite lip there about the waterline. I wish I knew for sure so I don't pay for a barrier coating that I already have.
Primer
My new H-36 2007 came from the factory with a primer on the Hull and than the dealer added the bottom paint.
Pretty sure when I was at the dealer all the trailer boats just had finest gelcoat like shinny new wax so that it would be up the buyer or dealer can add bottom paint because most trailer boats don't stay in the water to need bottom unless requested,the lip could just be a few layers of bootom paint.
Why do you need barrier coat any way.
Nick
My new H-36 2007 came from the factory with a primer on the Hull and than the dealer added the bottom paint.
Pretty sure when I was at the dealer all the trailer boats just had finest gelcoat like shinny new wax so that it would be up the buyer or dealer can add bottom paint because most trailer boats don't stay in the water to need bottom unless requested,the lip could just be a few layers of bootom paint.
Why do you need barrier coat any way.
Nick
Did my 260 recently.
My 260 (ten years young) had always spent its "non sailing" time on a trailer. However with a new marina being built and my sailing school getting busier I decided to put her in a pen. She had never been touched since new from the factory. So anti foul!
We started by giving the hull a very fine sand with a random orbital sander. After this we applied eight coats of barrier. Then we applied three coats of anti foul.
She has been in the water now for seven months and so far no growth. The hull?? Well I guess that will have to wait till I haul her out in June to see if all is OK however diving underneath her there appears to be no problems..
My 260 (ten years young) had always spent its "non sailing" time on a trailer. However with a new marina being built and my sailing school getting busier I decided to put her in a pen. She had never been touched since new from the factory. So anti foul!
We started by giving the hull a very fine sand with a random orbital sander. After this we applied eight coats of barrier. Then we applied three coats of anti foul.
She has been in the water now for seven months and so far no growth. The hull?? Well I guess that will have to wait till I haul her out in June to see if all is OK however diving underneath her there appears to be no problems..
I've polished and waxed my H260 at the start of each season since I bought it new in 2002. I've never noticed a lip at the water line.
Sublime, I suspect yours was added after it left the plant.
Sublime, I suspect yours was added after it left the plant.
Perhaps if you could give us the history of boat ownership and a description of this lip, we can offer more suggestions.
Is the lip a slight thickening where the where the bottom paint begins and goes into the water ............ any thoughts as to what the thickness of this lip might be ?
Is the lip a slight thickening where the where the bottom paint begins and goes into the water ............ any thoughts as to what the thickness of this lip might be ?
My dad bought the boat new and it was willed to me. I don't know if anything was ever done to the bottom.
The lip is like a thickening. Going off of memory, I'd guess maybe 1/16 to 1/32" thicker than the rest? Thicker than any of the decals on the boat. It's smooth and shiny with a similar feel as the gelcoat. It's either clear or exactly the same color as the existing gelcoat.
Without Seeing It ..........................
.................... and with what you have described, I'd say it might be a barrier coat.
You might also be able to reassure yourself a little more if you can get a razor blade and cut under the material to remove a small flake of a sample. This may give you a better idea if you can see a small sample of the material on edge.
Let us know what you find.
.................... and with what you have described, I'd say it might be a barrier coat.
You might also be able to reassure yourself a little more if you can get a razor blade and cut under the material to remove a small flake of a sample. This may give you a better idea if you can see a small sample of the material on edge.
Let us know what you find.
Hunter had a policy that the bottom could not be sanded prior toapplying bottom paint. the exception was if you where applying a epoxy bottom coat.
Depending on the age of the boat, I doubt that it was a factory job.
Depending on the age of the boat, I doubt that it was a factory job.
For one who knows, the 260 bottom came from the factory unpainted unless the dealer specified bottom paint. Then Hunter would accomodate the dealer. However, most boats were shipped without being painted. The bottom of course is gelcoat.
The stripes on the side of the hulls are reffered to as boot and cove stripes. For ease of discssion, I will only refer to the lower stripe only. Generally, the lower stripe is a vinyl tape that is usually anywhere above the water line by 1-2 inches as a rule of thumb. However, I saw that a couple of times painted in. Sometimes you will see blue gelcoat vs. vinyl tape.
The gel coat is designed as a barrier so water will not penetrate thru to the hull. Therefore, they are against sanding unless Hunter was notified first that the dealer was going to do that in order to apply epoxy barrier coats to keep the warranty validated.
If Hunter ever painted the bottom at the factory, it was Petit Trinidad which is a good anti fouling paint. The only problem with that paint, should the boat come out of the water and remain out of the water for over 60 days, the anti fouling properites will no longer be effective when placed back into the water after two months out. It is a good paint if left in the water all the time in salt water. Trinidad can be over kill in an inland lake except up north where you have zebra muscles.
If you are planning to trailer the boat all the time without mooring it in the water permanently, my suggestion is not to paint.
From experience, I generally did not apply epoxy barrier coats as vinylester resins was used in the gel, make up of gel coat plus a coating of vinylester coatings behind the gelcoat since there was no or very little blistering. If a few occoured, it was easy to fix.
I would pop the blister out using a dremel and then drying out with acetone. I used Water Tite epoxy as it is a darn good filler to use underwater for repairs. I would then apply barrier coat over the repaired spot and then apply bottom paint.
To keep from sanding the bottom in order to apply bottom paint, I would dewax constantly getting rid of the cloths as you are trying to get the mold release wax off the hull. I use to get the yellow box with soft wipes which were excellent to use costing about $10-$12. I used the dewaxer by Petit. Although the directions said one cleaning/wipe down was only needed, I did clean three times to make sure the mold release wzx was off the hull. I then applied Petit's non sanding primer. Although the instructions said one thing, I would always apply the first coat while the non sanding primer was still a little tacky which worked well for me over the years and in most cases it held. I would let the first coat of anti fouling paint dry thourghly and then apply a second coat and let dry. I would apply a third coat around the water line which is taped off. Make sure you use the blue tape and press hard against the area where the paint touches it. In addition, pull the tape off before the paint fully drys as it can pull paint off if the paint is fully dry.
If the boat was going to stay in all the time, then choice of any paint was ok but for coastal, I used Petit Trinidad. If you plan on taking the boat out for the winter and prefer not to repaint the following season, then use a paint where the anti fouling porperties will not dry out. Examples include Interlux Micron CSC and West Marine CCP. The drying times for these softer paints vs a harder paint like Trinidad will take longer to dry.
When placing the boat back on the trailer with any paint still green, I always applied plastic to the trailer bunk boards to no fuzzy wuzzy carpet critters would be embedded into your new bottom paint job.
I took too long but hopefully you gained some information.
Crazy Dave Condon
The stripes on the side of the hulls are reffered to as boot and cove stripes. For ease of discssion, I will only refer to the lower stripe only. Generally, the lower stripe is a vinyl tape that is usually anywhere above the water line by 1-2 inches as a rule of thumb. However, I saw that a couple of times painted in. Sometimes you will see blue gelcoat vs. vinyl tape.
The gel coat is designed as a barrier so water will not penetrate thru to the hull. Therefore, they are against sanding unless Hunter was notified first that the dealer was going to do that in order to apply epoxy barrier coats to keep the warranty validated.
If Hunter ever painted the bottom at the factory, it was Petit Trinidad which is a good anti fouling paint. The only problem with that paint, should the boat come out of the water and remain out of the water for over 60 days, the anti fouling properites will no longer be effective when placed back into the water after two months out. It is a good paint if left in the water all the time in salt water. Trinidad can be over kill in an inland lake except up north where you have zebra muscles.
If you are planning to trailer the boat all the time without mooring it in the water permanently, my suggestion is not to paint.
From experience, I generally did not apply epoxy barrier coats as vinylester resins was used in the gel, make up of gel coat plus a coating of vinylester coatings behind the gelcoat since there was no or very little blistering. If a few occoured, it was easy to fix.
I would pop the blister out using a dremel and then drying out with acetone. I used Water Tite epoxy as it is a darn good filler to use underwater for repairs. I would then apply barrier coat over the repaired spot and then apply bottom paint.
To keep from sanding the bottom in order to apply bottom paint, I would dewax constantly getting rid of the cloths as you are trying to get the mold release wax off the hull. I use to get the yellow box with soft wipes which were excellent to use costing about $10-$12. I used the dewaxer by Petit. Although the directions said one cleaning/wipe down was only needed, I did clean three times to make sure the mold release wzx was off the hull. I then applied Petit's non sanding primer. Although the instructions said one thing, I would always apply the first coat while the non sanding primer was still a little tacky which worked well for me over the years and in most cases it held. I would let the first coat of anti fouling paint dry thourghly and then apply a second coat and let dry. I would apply a third coat around the water line which is taped off. Make sure you use the blue tape and press hard against the area where the paint touches it. In addition, pull the tape off before the paint fully drys as it can pull paint off if the paint is fully dry.
If the boat was going to stay in all the time, then choice of any paint was ok but for coastal, I used Petit Trinidad. If you plan on taking the boat out for the winter and prefer not to repaint the following season, then use a paint where the anti fouling porperties will not dry out. Examples include Interlux Micron CSC and West Marine CCP. The drying times for these softer paints vs a harder paint like Trinidad will take longer to dry.
When placing the boat back on the trailer with any paint still green, I always applied plastic to the trailer bunk boards to no fuzzy wuzzy carpet critters would be embedded into your new bottom paint job.
I took too long but hopefully you gained some information.
Crazy Dave Condon
Vinylester was used on the 260's?
This is not a painted on bootstripe or anything like that. I thought the hull had been scored all the way just above the water line. When I inspected things more closely, the thickness of the hull/paint/coating was different than the hull that is above water.
I guess I can assume the yard can tell me when they look at it? Since it's never been painted with antifoul, now would be the time to apply a barrier coat.
You are correct about the scoring of the supposed water line on the Hunter hulls. The best way to really determine any water line is to put the boat in the water and then mark. In many cases, the scum line will also tell you the water line as well.. Many have thought the bottom striping was the water line but it isn't. Thank you for reminding me of the scoring.
Sorry if I'm being dense, but I'm having trouble understanding. So the hulls were scored?
And did they use vinylester in construction?
You will note a small thin line of raised gel coat appx. where the supposed water line is unless it is painted over which is a guide to the appx. water line . Once you add gear to include motor, then you get the real water line.
If you know resins then you will understand. Hunter uses vinylester resins below the water line as it is very difficult for water to penetrate vs. the polyester style resin which is a tad pourous. the only thing you need to know Hunter takes into account what to do to prevent blistering from occuring which is a good thing in manufacturing. No more to be said on this by me.
crazy dave condon
If you know resins then you will understand. Hunter uses vinylester resins below the water line as it is very difficult for water to penetrate vs. the polyester style resin which is a tad pourous. the only thing you need to know Hunter takes into account what to do to prevent blistering from occuring which is a good thing in manufacturing. No more to be said on this by me.
crazy dave condon
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