What kind of barrier coat is this??? ('84 C&C)

[MichaelZZ]

Went to see a C&C 29 recently. Looks super clean etc etc. My neighbour is an experienced sailors of several decades and he liked it as well but he was not able to determine if the barrier coat indeed is a barrier coat.

There are no visible blisters per se but the barrier coat is a thing grey "film" not at all that thick vinyl texture of a typical interprotect.

The current owner swears it's protected from water absorbtion:

"I went to the boat ... took some pictures that should help. As I mentioned I didn't apply the grey barrier coat ( it was done before we bought the boat). I removed the blue anti fouling down to the barrier coat and smoothed it out somewhat by sanding. I don't know what the product is , but it is over the gel coat and under the anti fouling, what else could it be...

The pictures didn,t come out as good as I wanted but it is very sunny and there was a lot of glare. The picture of the keel shows that the anti fouling wore out near the bottom front ( as it should) but because of the glare it is hard to see that it is the grey barrier coat. The hull picture shows where I scraped off the anti fouling and you can see the grey rough barrier coat . In the bow pictures I scraped off the anti fouling under the stripe and you can plainly see the gel coat , the grey barrier coat , and the black anti fouling."

See attachments. ANy ideas here?

Thank you kindly...

[MichaelZZ]

Oops didn't upload the pics

[deniseO30]

Looks like 2000E to me. same as on my boat. It's maybe not well applied with the recommended 4-5 coats?

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by MichaelZZ

Oops didn't upload the pics

Maybe a thin barrier coat, but maybe just a primer of some type. A barrier coat should have some build up as you note, but also should be still attached to the High wear areas of the bow and keel. While the paint will wear off, a barrier coat should not.

Regardless, if the boat has no blisters and you intend to use it where the prior owner did, whatever it is, or is not, should be just fine. I wouldn't worry about the lack of a barrier coat if past use demonstrates no need.

[MichaelZZ]

Originally Posted by deniseO30

Looks like 2000E to me. same as on my boat. It's maybe not well applied with the recommended 4-5 coats?

I see your point, thanks for th einput.

Is it possible at all for me to add a couple coats on top of this or would need to strip and re-do from scratch?

[MichaelZZ]

Originally Posted by sailingfool

Maybe a thin barrier coat, but maybe just a primer of some type. A barrier coat should have some build up as you note, but also should be still attached to the High wear areas of the bow and keel. While the paint will wear off, a barrier coat should not.

Regardless, if the boat has no blisters and you intend to use it where the prior owner did, whatever it is, or is not, should be just fine. I wouldn't worry about the lack of a barrier coat if past use demonstrates no need.

Thank you. I'm not sure I follow though. I thought water absorbtion is an issue for fibreglass over time as a fact of life. Could this be optional now? Where I sail it'S fresh water and boats are in the water about 5 full months a year...

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by MichaelZZ

Thank you. I'm not sure I follow though. I thought water absorbtion is an issue for fibreglass over time as a fact of life. Could this be optional now? Where I sail it'S fresh water and boats are in the water about 5 full months a year...

If the boat has been in use for 25 years and does not show blistering, then it is not going to show blistering. If you were going to take it to the tropics and keep in the water 12 months a year, you'd be changing its environment...maybe blisters would develop, maybe it would not. In that circumstance you might do a speculative bottom job as a precaution.

But if you are looking at a bottom the way it came out last year, it is pretty solid evidence of how it will come out next year.

[MichaelZZ]

Ahh interesting point, I thought it was more black & white with barrier coats.

Thanks much for your input...

[sailingfool]

Originally Posted by MichaelZZ

Ahh interesting point, I thought it was more black & white with barrier coats.

Thanks much for your input...

It is my belief that most boats used in Northern waters for less than half a year do not need barrier coats. The exceptions are those vessels so prone to blistering that they even blistered in these non-demanding environments, in which case they should already have barrier coats which control the problem. A small number of Northern boats show blistering because their barrier coats haven't worked.

[MichaelZZ]

Interesting thoughts, thanks for sharign this info.