Bottom coat removal

[willy]

Hey as you all may know next week I'm picking up Fillet 1's boat. It's in the water at a marina, Fillet says he took off most of the old bottom paint that was on boat when he bought it, it was very loose and he got it off almost to the gel coat with a power washer. This season he put on a quart/layer of bottom paint himself. It looks pretty tight on it from what I can see in the water. I don't want it on the boat, that boat just spent it's last season sitting in a marina, trailer boat from now on. The marina will power wash any green growth when it comes out next week but I want to remove all of the bottom paint and have never worked with this stuff before. What is the best way for me to get that crap off and do I have to seal the bottom with something afterwards. Any advise appreciated

[Franco]

SOME OF THE BOAT YARDS DOWN HERE BLAST IT WITH BAKING SODA - NO HAZARD TO THE ENVIRONMENT - ONLY OTHER WAY I KNOW OF IS TO SAND IT OFF!!! AND THATS A DIRTY HATEFUL JOB!!!

[willy]

Ok Franco, if I get this stuff off one way or another what effect does that paint have on the gel coat under it, will I need to seal it some how? Its had bottom paint I guess most of its life

[reelapeelin]

Never been involved in that, Willy, but if the old bottom paint CAN be remover w/out damage to the gel-coat, then it'll only need a good wax-job...if there's gel-coat damage, if you want it RIGHT, it'll need new paint (or gel-coat)...didn't he paint recently from water-line, up?...

Franco's suggestion about bakin' soda blastin' sounds like your best bet...ask the marina if they can do that, too...dig a lil' deeper... ;)...V20's a good size hole in the water... ;D...

[macojoe]

Well you can have it done like said above.

They also have some stuff called peel a way from West Marine.
There is also some stuff you can get from home depot but I forget the name ::)
And then there is a stripper called sp42 or something like that at most paint stores that is safe for fiberglass.

Paint it on let sit and then you can power wash it off.

After that you will want to sand the bottom to get the discoloration off. And you want to sand the last bit with like 800 grit to bring back that gel coat shine!!
After that good coat of some good wax and you are off to the races!!

Its a ton of work!!!! But there is nothing better then a naked bottom!!!!!!

I have a ton of paint on my boat and I was going to try getting it off but I am not that ambitious!!
And I no want to pay anyone to do it, so I am still stuck with all that paint.

[willy]

MJ I see some people talking about sealing the bottom after removing paint, is that something special

[willy]

And RAP I dont believe he did any painting except the aformentioned bottom paint and touch up to areas he did glass work inside

[macojoe]

I think the people you see sealing the bottom sanded or blasted to much gelcoat away.

If that happens then you will need to have re-gelcoated or sealed and painted.

But if you can get it off with out harming the gelcoat then some 800 sand paper will shine you right back up.

A good place for answers to this question is the hull truth http://thehulltruth.net/category-view.asp Thay had a real good right up about it last year.

[willy]

Thanks MJ I'll check it out ;)

[Franco]

THE PAINT REMOVER IS A GOOD IDEA TOO. SOME ARE NOW NON-TOXIC CITRUS BASED. IF YOU HAVE TO FINISH UP WITH SAND PAPER LIKE MJ SAID, I WOULD WET SAND IT. THAT LUBRICATES THE PAPER AND CLEANS THE PAPER AND WILL GIVE A BRILLIANT SHINE. JUST WAX IT BEFORE YOU DROP IT IN THE DRINK!!!

[willy]

;)

[willy]

Hey Franco you going to enlarge that dancing lady for us old guys

[reelapeelin]

He probably won't, but you can bet he's got it on dvd on his wide-screen at home!!... 8)...REplay just one more time... ;D...

[Franco]

I'LL WORK ON THE ENLARGEMENT FELLAS
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y67/Flafranco/adu2.gif

[willy]

Now your getting there, and FRanco just a thought but I remember somewhere on this site a picture of a woman on the rocks a vision a joy a wonderous spectacle that would make a great background for the shirt, it was called something rock hopper but I can't find it

[willy]

as you can tell I really liked it ;D

[Skools Out]

Most of the time you have to sand the bottom anyway with 80 grit to get it to stick properly. You can sand blast it off with play sand. I've done that and it looks good afterwards then may need sealing depends on what's under the coat originally.

[willy]

Thanks Lord Skools, but I don't want to put anything back on the boat unless I have to to seal it. Just looking for best way to get it off without damaging the gel coating. Thinking about getting a price locally on that baking soda blast, or dry ice blast. Anyone ever have that done?

[Skools Out]

sand blast it and repaint it with that new Clear bottom coat that has Teflon for trailer boats. In the case you leave the boat in the water longer than 6 hours it is activated and fights scum and mussels. Works in both salt and fresh and is EPA Approved.

[WiseGuy]

Forget the 'marine' labeled strippers. I started with all that stuff and found a much better product and at a way cheaper price. Go to a Home Depot and get a gallon of 'Bix spray on'. It is the one that says ok for fiberglass (I think the orange can) and I used it on mine, no problem. $14.95 for a gallon and spray bottle. Put it on good and it will turn the paint to butter.
Hate to tell you, but you will be sanding to get it back to white which I'm sure is what you want since the surface will appear stained from the bottom paint. Have fun (do it while your still enthused about it!)
Any questions, let me know. I've spent a bunch of hours on this.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/WiseGuy_/B4Transom.jpg
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a132/WiseGuy_/Pict0149.jpg

[reelapeelin]

Willy, go to the Gallery, click on V21s, then Seakindly's Gallery...for there you will find the vision of your dreams... 8)...

[reelapeelin]

Wise Guy...where ya been?...got any recent pics of that beauty...how's the project comin' along?... :)...

[WiseGuy]

Hey RP
Just bummin around, INCLUDING some fishing now!!
Just posted a couple in water shots.

[brianct12]

Willy,
I second what wise-guy has told you. I have done my boat this summer exactly as wiseguy has described. You can find the Bix "Extra-Strength" stripper at Home Depot in a squirt bottle - dont get the one labeled "Premium" as that is not safe for fiberglass. Spray it on thick - let it sit for 20 minutes, and you will be able to scrape the paint off with a putty knife (plastic so you dont gouge your gelcoat). However, the stripper wont work very well below 55-60 deg F - it needs to be 65 or more for best results.

Problem is - that gelcoat is gonna be "stained" from the paint ... and there is no way to remove the stain except for sanding. Also, some people sand the boat bottom to roughen and promote adhesion of the bottom paint. My boat had this ... so there were deep swirl scratches in the gelcoat that needed sanding out. I dont believe there is any way for you to avoid sanding - there just aint no way to remove bottom paint ... and expose pristine gelcoat. Its alot of work - sanding a boat bottom "on your back" thru successive grits of paper .. till you get the shine you want.

I will be painting my boat bottom with Interlux VC Performance - a 2 part epoxy commonly use for boats that are trailered. Only comes in white color.

You wont need to "seal" your exposed boat bottom. That is only done when people leave the boat in the water all the time ... and they want to prevent water from penetrating into the gelcoat and causing blistering.

Good luck - as everyone says - its a ton of work.

[WiseGuy]

yeah - I like the idea of the vc17 performance paint, but like I was saying the motivation to get out on the water overuled that great idea. Maybe next pring.

[macojoe]

Yep thats the stuff I was telling you to get at Home Depot!!

Nice Job WG!!

[willy]

Thanks RAP for finding that shinnecock jetty rockhopper, you made my night 8) Franco if you can get that on a t shirt with our logo I will take seven please ;D one for each day of the week
and thanks all for the info on the stripper and such, got a lot of work ahead of me :P