sandable bottom paint

Panta Rei

Panta Rei

.
Nov 3, 2010
564
Oday 39 Lake mills WI
As you may recall from my refurb project Panta Rhei was originally sold into the Caribbean charter fleet. I don't know the name of the charter company but the work they did was top notch.
One of the things they did was paint the bottom with what appears to be a coal tar epoxy. This stuff is as hard as nails and likely the reason the boat does not have a single blister. It was so tough we could use silicon carbide for a media to remove many many layers of old bottom paint. The media opened the epoxy up a bit so I applied several coats of Interprotect. The problem is that the coal tar epoxy was applied with a significant textured finish. We thought about removing it completely but the silicon carbide had considerable difficulty cutting through it and if it did I was afraid it would eat well into the gelcoat before we would know it. And then there was the thought that one should not mess with success. It provided 30 years of blister protection.
The problem now is that I would like to smooth this texture out. I don't want to spend a month sanding and fairing. I'm hoping to hit it each spring with a sander to get the hi spots and then apply another coat of bottom paint. The boat is on Lake Superior right now and will be in fresh water for a few more years. Does anyone have a recommendation?
 
Jackdaw

Jackdaw

.
Nov 8, 2010
11,386
Beneteau First 36.7 & 260 Minneapolis MN & Bayfield WI
Panta Rei said:
As you may recall from my refurb project Panta Rhei was originally sold into the Caribbean charter fleet. I don't know the name of the charter company but the work they did was top notch.
One of the things they did was paint the bottom with what appears to be a coal tar epoxy. This stuff is as hard as nails and likely the reason the boat does not have a single blister. It was so tough we could use silicon carbide for a media to remove many many layers of old bottom paint. The media opened the epoxy up a bit so I applied several coats of Interprotect. The problem is that the coal tar epoxy was applied with a significant textured finish. We thought about removing it completely but the silicon carbide had considerable difficulty cutting through it and if it did I was afraid it would eat well into the gelcoat before we would know it. And then there was the thought that one should not mess with success. It provided 30 years of blister protection.
The problem now is that I would like to smooth this texture out. I don't want to spend a month sanding and fairing. I'm hoping to hit it each spring with a sander to get the hi spots and then apply another coat of bottom paint. The boat is on Lake Superior right now and will be in fresh water for a few more years. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Click to expand
Most of the new Jeanneau charter boats that get dropped into the Apostles do so without bottom paint. The water is so clear and cold that even if they do not scrub them once during the year, only a small layer of slime ends up on them.

How often you get out and what the water is like in your marina will also factor.
 
jibes138

jibes138

.
Jan 27, 2008
3,086
ODay 35 Beaufort, NC
Panta Rei said:
As you may recall from my refurb project Panta Rhei was originally sold into the Caribbean charter fleet. I don't know the name of the charter company but the work they did was top notch. One of the things they did was paint the bottom with what appears to be a coal tar epoxy. This stuff is as hard as nails and likely the reason the boat does not have a single blister. It was so tough we could use silicon carbide for a media to remove many many layers of old bottom paint. The media opened the epoxy up a bit so I applied several coats of Interprotect. The problem is that the coal tar epoxy was applied with a significant textured finish. We thought about removing it completely but the silicon carbide had considerable difficulty cutting through it and if it did I was afraid it would eat well into the gelcoat before we would know it. And then there was the thought that one should not mess with success. It provided 30 years of blister protection. The problem now is that I would like to smooth this texture out. I don't want to spend a month sanding and fairing. I'm hoping to hit it each spring with a sander to get the hi spots and then apply another coat of bottom paint. The boat is on Lake Superior right now and will be in fresh water for a few more years. Does anyone have a recommendation?
Click to expand
sandblast it off no problem removing the gel coat you are just going to cover it with epoxy anyway. Then coat it with epoxy and make it nice and smooth. Then get that 3M tape Connors used in the Americas cup to simulate whale skin for minimal drag
 
agprice22

agprice22

.
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Why do you want to smooth it? It has apparently worked well so far. "Why mess with success?"

Thanks,

Andrew
 
agprice22

agprice22

.
Aug 3, 2012
2,542
Performance Cruising Telstar 28 302 Watkins Glen
Might you actually suffer a loss of speed, hydrodynamically, from getting it too smooth? How rough is it?

Thanks,
Andrew
 
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