epoxy bottom? when to do it?

[mrkeith]

hi, when do you know if you need to put an epoxy bottom ( or coat ) on your sailboat? is this for speed purposes or for protection purposes? how do you know if you need it? is such a thing necessary above and beyond just normal antifouling? if you put epoxy on, do you still need to antifoul? thank you very much for any insight you can provide.

[soul searcher]

The epoxy is generally a barrier to keep water from penetrating the fiberglass and causeing blisters. you still need antifouling on top of that.
The best time to do it is when the boat's built

[TrueBlue]

The second best time is, as soon as possible. Osmotic blisters, if gone unchecked, can lead to some very expensive repairs. Some bottoms are more prone to blisters, but it's relatively cheap insurance to apply an epoxy barrier coat to all fiberglass boat bottoms.

Before applying antifouling protection, Interlux Interprotect 3000 is what my yard applied to my boat's bottom, shortly after purchase. Check out this link for some good information about preparation - http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/

[Goodnewsboy]

I bought a boat that had been out of the water for ten years or more. Since it was unlikely to ever be as dry again, I had the bottom stripped, finding zero blisters and very fresh looking gelcoat.

We did the Interprotect job anyway, just to be a good steward of the hull. The result was a very nice, smooth and fair bottom and some peace of mind about osmosis.

[RichH]

Go to www.yachtsurvey.com and read up on 'blisters' to remove some of the hype and paranoia about osmotic blistering, etc. This site is only one persons opinion ... but it probably comes close to the 'truth'. Good advice on when, why, why not, etc. to apply barrier coats, etc.

[Fstbttms]

Let's get our terminology straight; what mrkeith is referring to as an "epoxy bottom" is generally called a "barrier coat." An epoxy bottom is a hull coated with a hard, epoxy-type anti fouling paint, such as Petit Trinidad.

[mrkeith]

Originally Posted by Fstbttms

Let's get our terminology straight; what mrkeith is referring to as an "epoxy bottom" is generally called a "barrier coat." An epoxy bottom is a hull coated with a hard, epoxy-type anti fouling paint, such as Petit Trinidad.

thanks for that. so actually when i get my boat antifouled, i should just request a hard antifouling paint that has epoxy in it in order to create a barrier coat? blisters are not a problem, but i want to be cautious and ensure that they stay not a problem! will such a barrier coat improve or decrease my boats speed in the water?

[Loewe]

Probably not Keith. Epoxy as a barrier coat is not the same as "Hard" bottom paint. Interlux 2000 is a barrier coat that should be applied to a clean and faired gel coat. The bottom paint goes on over that. I would first find out what works best in your sailing area for folks that use their boats as you expect to. I use Trinidad SR and have been very pleased with it. Diver hits it about every 60 days and it is fine for about 2 years. Haul, pressure wash, rough up and another coat goes a couple more years. Ablatives don't do well with bottom scrubbing because they are "soft" and disolve away over time. Hard bottoms are preferred by racers because you can get a uniformly smooth finish that stays that way as long as you keep it clean. Having said that I know some racers who use ablatives. Plenty to choose from and as with all painting...preparation is the key. Enjoy!

Regards,
Red

[SailorMitch]

Mr. Keith -- In terms of applying a barrier coat, you usually will find that people recommend the product they used to barrier coat their boat. In my case, I used MAS epoxy, so it is in fact an epoxy barrier boat. I sanded the bottom down to bare gelcoat, dug out the few blisters that were present, filled in those divots, faired the bottom and applied 6 coats of the MAS. No problems since then. As others have said, the bottom paint you choose is a separate deal from the barrier coating, and there are other threads on that topic alone.

Good luck!

[Ardvark5]

As new fibreglass outgasses for a while, it is recommended to leave a new boat for 9-12 months before applying epoxy barrier coat. This ensures optimum adhesion.