Bottom Job question(s) - Page 2

rookie00 · #11 03-14-2003

Wow - Everyone, thank you so much for all the great information. I am much better prepared for my first bottom job then I was yesterday. It will probably take me a while longer on, this, my first job, since I will be using a hand electric sander, but I don''t mind a little sweat equity in my boat, I am sure by next year I will be better prepared. I did check with the Marina and yes, they do require a ''Dustless'' sander. So thanks again. This forum has been a wealth of information. I don''t know what we did before the internet... thanks again for the all the valuable information. We sail a P30 (sv Agenda) if you ever since, please say hello.

Rookie

kokopelli9 · #12 03-14-2003

Hey, Mitch...I''ve been taking notes on your step by step info also...Koko is still not done...weather has not cooperated. I''m all ready though as soon as I get a nice warm, dry day.
So how goes it with you? Got a splash date yet?

Kokopuff

SailorMitch · #13 03-14-2003

Hey Kokopuff........doing fine. All this bottom chit chat is getting me psyched to start on Minstrel. No splash date yet either, but probably a month away. Glad to know you''re still kicking in Tar Heel land.

And Rookie, if you have a P-30 you need to join the Pearson Sailing Assoc. of the Chesapeake Bay. Check it out at www.cbpsa.org. But watch out for the new commodore.

RichH · #14 03-14-2003

I have a method that results in a good fair bottom that doesnt require all that much finish sanding and works with VC17 or ablatives:
I sand with 180 grit to flatten and fair the old coats with the object to "square off the tops of the ''prominences''. Then with a very fine knap roller apply a coat of new while using a long polyethylene blade with a tapered edge to immediately fair the surface - just like one would do when hand-laying up a surface top-coat of epoxy or polyester. I do this in 3ft X 3 ft. non-adjacent sections and go back and complete the fairing when the paint first starts to cure (not just set). With a little practice (and clean paint and blade) you can almost imitate a sprayed on finish. Since the paint is not dry to a ''hard cure'' you then can keep on applying more thickness without resanding. Obviously for a racing bottom you will need to finish with fine sand paper (or paper wad "burnish" with Teflon filled VC finishes).

The advice from JeffH about keeping the thickness build up to minimum is a very good one. Use a different color base coat and only consider to apply when the base ablative coat starts to show through the successive (different color) coats.

ginotworivers · #15 03-14-2003

JEFF:
We had a discussion about bottom paints on this board or CWBB last year and I told you I used the least expensive of the West Marine Bottom paints, something like $39 per 1/2 gallon. On Teacher''s Pets bottom, doing both the dagger board and the center board, I roll on just about a pint less than 3/4 of a gallon. Because it is so easy to clean our boats bottom I repaint every other year. Right now we are having some rather low tides in the Braden river and last week I had two inches of water on the keel. Took one hour to really get a nice clean bottom without the need to repaint.
Respectfully Gene S/V Teacher''s Pet III and
21'' Windjammer First Born.

Jeff_H · #16 03-14-2003

I think that you got just about all of the information that you could possibly use. There are a few points that I disagree with. I strongly disagree with the idea of not washing down the bottom with a solvent. In our climate, especially in Herrington Harbor where you are under the landing path for BWI, the boats end up with an oily residue which the heat of sanding moves around the surface. I do not recommend using acetone as it is tends to pull these contaminants into the pores of the paint. I do suggest using alcohol and frequent rag or paper towel changes to wash the contaminants off of the surface. Leaving this oily residue on the surface will increase the likelihood of bottom paint developing paint sickness.

I also have mixed emotions about using bottom paint after a year. Even bottom paint that has not been opened has less than a one year shelf life so I can''t imagine using year old paint that has exposure to the air. I do like the idea of putting plastic into the paint to keep it fresh and have used that technique with varnish as well.

To answer your question, I work in Annapolis and although my house has an Annpolis address it is really just north of the Severn on Mill Creek. My boat lives behind my house on Mill Creek.

Jeff

windship · #17 03-15-2003

rookie00,
You don''t have to sand before painting over an ixisting coat of ablative paint if the power wash was done right. This is not true! I have never done this on my boat or on any of the other many many boats either, and I have never had any problem at all. NONE! However...if you wish to sand off paint that is perfectly good and you have paid $150-$200 a gallon for...go ahead.

Dennis

rookie00 · #18 03-17-2003

All - Thank you for the all input. Over the weekend I completed my bottom job. This is what I did. I rented a ''Dustless Sander'' from the marina at a cost of $15/hr. The last bottom paint was three coats (base different color) with two top coats. The base color was beginning to show in some areas. I used 80 and 100 grit sand paper (mostly 100 and 80 near the waterline to get all the scum off). I sanded the old paint, which came off very easily, to give the new paint something to bond to. I rubbed down the surface with lots of clean rags and de-natured alcohol. I applied the first coat on Saturday afternoon and the second coat yesterday. I only needed the sander for about 1.5 hours (I have a Pearson 30) Everything went very smooth thanks to all the feedback I received from everyone here. I applied two coats using 1 gallon of West Marine CPP Ablative paint. They told me this was the same as the Micron paint. My primary use of the boat is for cruising, though we tend to be rather competative when we have another boat in sight (and I don''t know why?). Next weekend we will wash and wax. Thanks again to everyone who provided input.

Rookie

allcystemsgo · #19 03-18-2003

Hello Rookie, it sounds like you got it done right. Can I ask you how much paint you needed to put on a coat of bottom paint and how much alcohol it took to clean the bottom after sanding?????

rookie00 · #20 03-19-2003

Allcystemsgo,

I hope I go it right, it looks great. I purchased two gallons of West Marine CPP ablative paint. West Marine told me that their brand is the same as the Micron paint, so I decided to give it a try. The Micron paint was used previously. I have a Pearson 30 and I used 1 gallon for two coats of paint. I have tiny bit left, which I am hoping will cover the jack stand spots. The first coat seemed to take more than the second coat. I thought I was going to have to use some of the second gallon, but it worked out perfectly.

I purchased a gallon of de-natured alcohol from Lowe''s and I used quite a bit, I don''t didn''t notice how much I used, sorry.