Bottom paint removal? Sanding or Stripping?

ArtWallach

ArtWallach

Member
Sep 12, 2011
160
Lindenhurst NY
Boat Info
2000 Sea Ray 310 Sundancer
Engines
T300hp Mercruiser Inboards
Hi guys,
I checked out the bottom of my boat.
The bottom is pretty bad with layers of paint on top of others. I'd like to get the bottom in better shape and smooth.
What would you recommend?
Sanding or chemical stripping?
Tools? Purchase/ rental?
I'd appreciate any advise.
Regards,
Art
 
Art, soda blasting is the best way to go. You'll need to hire that out tho.
 
Soda blasting is one of the best things I ever spent money on for my boat. It's the way to go, call around for estimates, there are a lot of mobile vendors.
 
Thanks for the quick response. After the soda blasting was the boat ready to accept new bottom paint or was sanding and other prep still required?
 
Add me in for the soda blasting. Did that on my last boat. It sure beats sanding it and is a lot more clean way to do it.

After the blasting, I just went around the hull and filled a few of the bigger pits in the fiberglass. Those were quick and a quick hand sand. Then the epoxy goes on. We did 3 coats then the antifouling paint.

I sold that boat and the bottom still looks amazing 9 years later having only had to repaint once. The repaint didn't require any sanding at all.

Mark
 
Fixed a couple small blisters, barrier coat put on, then painted. The entire process, including blasting, was 4 days. And that's only because I had to work one day in between!!
 
Is this overkill? I want to remove the layers of globbed on Bottom paint. When the bottom paint is off I was thinking it just needs to have a coat of anti-fouling ablative paint put on. I wasn't thinking of epoxy or a barrier coat. do I need that?
 
I need to do this in the fall. I was told by marina that about $50/foot is the going rate for soda blasting. I realize that prices will vary with region, but does that sound accurate? And 3 coats of barrier coat? Is that what "they" reccommend?
 
ArtWallach said:
Is this overkill? I want to remove the layers of globbed on Bottom paint. When the bottom paint is off I was thinking it just needs to have a coat of anti-fouling ablative paint put on. I wasn't thinking of epoxy or a barrier coat. do I need that?
Click to expand...
You need to barrier coat the bare fiberglass bottom after soda blasting. Will prevent any future blistering. It's not overkill, it's the process for a smooth maintenance free bottom, other than a fresh cost of multi season when needed. I'm pretty handy but I would never sand or strip the bottom of a 31 foot boat myself. Some things need to be handled by professionals. I did my boat as soon as I purchased it (2nd owner) so I now know what's on there, and it has given me many very easy spring maintenance. If you plan to keep your boat for a bit, I would do it. That's just my thought on it.
 
Art, $50 per ft is about right. There is a good bit of a process to getting the hull cleaned off. For one there is all the EPA issues. Let a pro handle those things.
 
cwiert said:
I need to do this in the fall. I was told by marina that about $50/foot is the going rate for soda blasting. I realize that prices will vary with region, but does that sound accurate? And 3 coats of barrier coat? Is that what "they" reccommend?
Click to expand...

BEFORE you barrier coat, check out spray in truck bed liners. Line-X and similar. They have been looking at the barrier coat business. The roughness is a function of the application not the material. Much cheaper. More durable.
 
Thanks all. I'm convinced that I should get the bottom blasted professionally. I will than use a barrier coat then anti fouling. I was told to use two layers of anti fouling in different colors so you can see where it sloughed off. Regarding the barrier paint .. one or 2 coats? Recommendations on brands for both Barrier coat and Anti-fouling?
 
A lot has changed over the years. When I was a kid, the paint of choice for quahoggers was red lead primer. Worked great. Of course there was the fact the lead actually got into their own bread and butter......

Then there was tin. Then that was outlawed. Then hard paint with a ton of copper then less copper then ablative with copper and biocides. Now no copper.

I'd say a great deal is going to rest on your location and the weather predictions. The more rain, the less growth. That's coming from my diver. A fellow near me needed paint a few years ago and was a bit short on cash. He went with West Marine ablative and has been very happy with it. I hear the paints from super ship bottom are top notch. They are illegal in California and Washington state. That speaks volumes to me!!!

Today the big thing is paint with Econea in it. It is probably only a matter of time before it or something like it is a mandatory thing.

Now for the Honda generator of bottom paints. I know of folks who put cayenne pepper in their paint. Enough until it has a pink tint. They swear by it. I've seen amateur experiments where a boater has painted the bottom with whatever paint and various patches with the same paint loaded with pepper. At the end of the season, there was a difference. Is is because there was an extra smidgen layer of paint? I don't know.

Here is an article that may help.

http://www.bwi.org/images/basics.pdf


Good luck with whatever you go with. I go for reasonable price and ablative.
 
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I have done my bottom prep & paint myself the last 3 times. Haul boat, the yard pressure washes bottom knocking off anything loose, boat sits for a day to dry bottom out, I usually wax rub rail to waterline during wait day, yard rents me a sander with vacuum attached, spend 1-day sanding bottom and then start applying bottom paint....
 
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