[NYSailaway]

Has anyone had problems like this? I''m at my wit''s end with the dealer, Great Hudson Sailing Center, in Haverstraw!

As part of dealer prep, we had the bottom of our 311 painted on delivery. When we examined the boat this Fall, all the bottom pain was actually chipping off. Myles Gordon of the Sailing Center tells us "it''s supposed to wear off." This is not wearing off, tho, it''s actually chipping.. peeling. A professional said it was definitely improperly applied product. Dealer is trying to have us pay for the repair. Additionally he is not going to sand it completely, but "feather" the uneven surfaces. Is this cause to sue? Thanks for your comments.

 

[rbh1515]

Find out what brand of paint was used, and talk to the paint manufacturer to find out the application instructions. Maybe these instructions were not followed. Was a barrier coat applied, and if so was it the correct one. Also, maybe the paint manufacturer is at fault, and it was a bad batch of paint, but this is unlikely. The paint manufacturer may be able to give you advise on what the problem is. I would be very upset, and if you can find out who was at fault they should take care of it. Rob

 

[NYSailaway]

Thanks for your reply. We had a professional look at it. He said that it was definitely a poor (rushed) application. It would make sense since it arrived and was hurriedly prepared; and then went into the water Thanksgiving 1999. (I wish I''d have investigated this dealer prior to my purchase. Great Hudson Sailing Center and Myles Gordon have a terrible reputation for service.)

Thanks for your recommendation. I will definitely look into it.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I gather your boat was new when the bottom paint was applied.

If so, new boats usually have a "mold release residue" in the gel coat. As I understand it, the builder sprays the mold with the release to make sure he can get the boat out of the mold when it is completed.

Painting books I have read always emphasize that this residue must be removed by serious wiping of the gel coat with a suitable cleaning agent to ensure the paint will be able to bond to the new gel coat.

The "chipping" you describe sounds as though patches of the paint weren''t able to bond to the gelcoat and are now falling off.

Just a thought....in any event, it sounds as though the dealer owes you more than a patch up job!


Jim

 

[NYSailaway]

Thanks for your response.. "Mould Residue Release," hmmm. That certainly makes sense. I will bring that up to the dealer. Right now I''m between a rock and a hard place. I lost a lot of last season due to poor management and service by Mid Hudson Sailing Center. If I fight this, I will lose another portion of the upcoming season. It might just pay to have it done properly. The dealer is not offering a proper job, from where I''m sitting. Myles Gordon insists that we pay, since, we''d "have had to paint it anyway." Dang...

 

[TSOJOURNER]

just reading your thread about bottom paint. They must have thought that since its a new boat it doesn''t need prep work. Wrong, it did, mold release and wax was surely still on it. If you don''t care to much about how it looks, use the boat for the season and then properly prepare it in the fall,or winter for next year. There are some wonderful products available. Do the research and consider doing it yourself.
By the way, I am planning a trip down the Hudson next fall, any bits of advise?
thanks Paul- good luck with the paint

 

[NYSailaway]

Hey Paul.. thanks for the comments. It was obviously a poor prep job because it sanded off with absolutely NO effort.

You mentioned doing "down the Hudson" but you didn''t mention your starting point.