The wife and I purchased a 1989 Hunter 23 last spring, and the freshly painted VC17 bottom paint looked great, sailed all summer in fresh water lake, pulled the boat in fall and pressure washed the bottom. All the algae along with most of the bottom paint came off. I am suspect that the bottom was not prepped properly before the sale, thus the reason the paint came off. We will be launching in the next week or so, however we will only be able to have the boat in the water until mid august. Thus, I have a few questions, is it worth the $350 or so to have the bottom painted for only three months or so of sailing? Does VC17 provide any protection from blisters or does it just deter algae and such? If we wait until next year, should we have the bottom prepped and painted properly or just plan on painting it every year? I appreciate any suggestions, this forum has been very helpful, Thank you!
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VC ?s
VC-17 provides no protection against blisters. As far as your other questions, you'll have to make those decisions. Have you though of painting it yourself? VC is pretty easy to work with.
VC-17 provides no protection against blisters. As far as your other questions, you'll have to make those decisions. Have you though of painting it yourself? VC is pretty easy to work with.
I will try to answer some of your questions
You wrote that the VC-17 came off when you pressure washed the bottom, what was under the paint? Was there old bottom paint or just bare gelcoat? If there is old bottom paint, that needs to come off. Q-1 Is it worth $350.00 to have it painted? If they prep it correctly, yes it is worth $350.00 Q-2 VC-17 does not give any protection from blisters, Nor does any other regular bottom paint. Only a two part epoxy barrier coat paint will help seal the boat against blistering. Q-3 You wrote, Should we have the bottom prepped and painted properly or just plan on painting it every year? You should have the boat prepped properly before any paint job whether you do it this year, next year or ten years from now. And yes you are probably going to have to paint the bottom at least ever other year if not every year regardless. It all depends on the paint you chose to have put on your boat. I like VC-17 because I do my own work. It's easy to apply, it dries fast and I can launch the boat the same day. I don't care for ablative type paints since I like to swim near the boat and don't like turning blue if I rub up against it. Asking what's the best paint for me is like asking what is the best oil or tires for your car. You will get 100 different anwsers and why. Read up on the different kinds of paints and make a decesion on what's best for you and the kind of sailing you do. I hope this helps.
You wrote that the VC-17 came off when you pressure washed the bottom, what was under the paint? Was there old bottom paint or just bare gelcoat? If there is old bottom paint, that needs to come off. Q-1 Is it worth $350.00 to have it painted? If they prep it correctly, yes it is worth $350.00 Q-2 VC-17 does not give any protection from blisters, Nor does any other regular bottom paint. Only a two part epoxy barrier coat paint will help seal the boat against blistering. Q-3 You wrote, Should we have the bottom prepped and painted properly or just plan on painting it every year? You should have the boat prepped properly before any paint job whether you do it this year, next year or ten years from now. And yes you are probably going to have to paint the bottom at least ever other year if not every year regardless. It all depends on the paint you chose to have put on your boat. I like VC-17 because I do my own work. It's easy to apply, it dries fast and I can launch the boat the same day. I don't care for ablative type paints since I like to swim near the boat and don't like turning blue if I rub up against it. Asking what's the best paint for me is like asking what is the best oil or tires for your car. You will get 100 different anwsers and why. Read up on the different kinds of paints and make a decesion on what's best for you and the kind of sailing you do. I hope this helps.
Thanks!
Thank you for your replies. Under the paint that came off was old bottom paint. The $350 was only to paint over the old paint, no prep work. I was told it would be over $800 to sand, prep and paint with new VC17. I would like to do it myself, however, getting under the trailer bunks seems to be a project I do not want to tackle. Is bottom paint really necessary for a boat in a freshwwater lake where the water temp rarely gets above mid 60's and I don't mind a bit of growth that needs to be scrubbed off at the end of the season? Thanks
Thank you for your replies. Under the paint that came off was old bottom paint. The $350 was only to paint over the old paint, no prep work. I was told it would be over $800 to sand, prep and paint with new VC17. I would like to do it myself, however, getting under the trailer bunks seems to be a project I do not want to tackle. Is bottom paint really necessary for a boat in a freshwwater lake where the water temp rarely gets above mid 60's and I don't mind a bit of growth that needs to be scrubbed off at the end of the season? Thanks
Bottom Paint, No Bottom Paint?
VC-17 on top of old bottom paint is a waste of time & money, no wonder it all fell off. If you don't paint, you are going to be growing grass like your front yard. It WILL slow you down by the end of the year. Even if you don't race you will notice it. Our club has a pressure washer so we can pull out and clean at least once a summer, and we do, even with VC-17. If you have access to a sprayer, you MIGHT be able to get away without painting. What ever you do don't let that stuff dry on the bottom for any length of time, it turns into concrete. If you plan to keep it in the water, just bite the bullet and either paint it yourself or have it painted.
VC-17 on top of old bottom paint is a waste of time & money, no wonder it all fell off. If you don't paint, you are going to be growing grass like your front yard. It WILL slow you down by the end of the year. Even if you don't race you will notice it. Our club has a pressure washer so we can pull out and clean at least once a summer, and we do, even with VC-17. If you have access to a sprayer, you MIGHT be able to get away without painting. What ever you do don't let that stuff dry on the bottom for any length of time, it turns into concrete. If you plan to keep it in the water, just bite the bullet and either paint it yourself or have it painted.
Zebra Mussels
The Great Lakes now have something else besides slime and growth to deal with. That something is the zebra mussel. VC-17M will keep them off your hull, and the new VC-17M PLUS will keep the green slime off the hull. I guess you should either consider stripping off all the old bottom paint since VC-17 doesn't work on ablative paints, or use the same type anti-fouling paint that the previous owner used. Follow the link below to one of the many web sites addressing the zebra mussel.
The Great Lakes now have something else besides slime and growth to deal with. That something is the zebra mussel. VC-17M will keep them off your hull, and the new VC-17M PLUS will keep the green slime off the hull. I guess you should either consider stripping off all the old bottom paint since VC-17 doesn't work on ablative paints, or use the same type anti-fouling paint that the previous owner used. Follow the link below to one of the many web sites addressing the zebra mussel.
Regular VC17 won't stop the algae or slime
However, the new formula will. VC17 is fast and easy to apply but the bottom prep is very important. As several people have already noted, VC17 shouldn't be applied over other bottom paints. You'll have to remove all the old bottom paint first. Since your season is short and you have some old bottom paint under the VC17 you should be OK for this year. You could also haul the boat every four to six weeks (trailer?) and check for growth. As mentioned earlier, scrub/wash the bottom before it dries or you'll never get that stuff off without sanding. Do the bottom work in the fall or winter when the boatyard isn't busy (they'll be happy for the work). VC17 will retain its effectiveness for months out of the water. It should reactivate in the spring when the boat is put back in the water. If not, a VERY light wipe with a damp rag dipped in methanol will remove the oxidation. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
However, the new formula will. VC17 is fast and easy to apply but the bottom prep is very important. As several people have already noted, VC17 shouldn't be applied over other bottom paints. You'll have to remove all the old bottom paint first. Since your season is short and you have some old bottom paint under the VC17 you should be OK for this year. You could also haul the boat every four to six weeks (trailer?) and check for growth. As mentioned earlier, scrub/wash the bottom before it dries or you'll never get that stuff off without sanding. Do the bottom work in the fall or winter when the boatyard isn't busy (they'll be happy for the work). VC17 will retain its effectiveness for months out of the water. It should reactivate in the spring when the boat is put back in the water. If not, a VERY light wipe with a damp rag dipped in methanol will remove the oxidation. Good luck. Peter H23 "Raven"
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