options for removing VC-Tar

[BeneteauMark]

I have a 14 year old Beneteau 23, and the bottom is painted with three coats of VC-Tar and VC-17 for antifouling. The tar is crackling in a variety of areas, and I''d like to clean off the bottom of the boat and start afresh.

Any suggestions on removing VC-Tar? I''ve tried gentle sanding, but the tar is soft enough that it doesn''t sand off -- the sandpaper just seems to put some scratches in it and loads up very rapidly. I''ve also tried plastic abrasive pads (Scotchbrite pads), and they remove the tar, but very slowly.

Any help would be appreciated very much.

Mark
"One Step Closer"
Lake St. Clair, MI

[DelmarRey]

Have you tried a pressurized steam cleaner from a rental yard. Just be careful not to peel up anything under the tar. Keep aways back until you get the feel of it.
Another method would be to careen the s/v then soak some absorbant pads with Zep143 solvent and lay them on the hull for a couple hours then start scraping with a hard plastic putty knife as you pull the pads off wiping the tar onto the pads. Also, you can soak some course Scotchbrite pads in solvents as well. Then using soaked rags to finish up the residue. Then clean again using triclorethelene or acytone. Use a filtered reserator on this last step and assuming you''ll do this out of doors. It''s going to be a lot of work but what boat isn''t?

[cptn seaweed]

The manifacturer of VC Tar says the only way to get it off is sanding.
John

[DelmarRey]

Ask the manufacture to come out and sand it! It''s his product!!!!!!!!!!