Bottom Paint Removal

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'84Offshore

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I have a friend who works in a marina.
He offerd to sandblast the bottom of my '84 Offshore next year.

Any opinions on sandblasting?
 
NO,NO,NO sandblasting. Soda blast, yes, farrow system, yes, in some cases walnut blast yes, BUT NOT sandblast, your hull will look like i shot it with a 12GA shotgun.
 
I had the bottom of my 17 Mako and a 1987 26 Shamrock sand blasted. The guy did my neighbors 31 Bertram in the same day. It depends on the guy doing it and how careful he is..I had no issues with the finish. We barrier coated the boats after he was done..no problems...
 
cgmiller said:
I had the bottom of my 17 Mako and a 1987 26 Shamrock sand blasted. The guy did my neighbors 31 Bertram in the same day. It depends on the guy doing it and how careful he is..I had no issues with the finish. We barrier coated the boats after he was done..no problems...
Click to expand...

I second that.....I was skeptical at first, but had mine sand blasted by recommendation by 2 marina mechanics...guy did a great job...had a very light hand and the hull came out perfect and ready for touch up sanding and barrier coating.....did another boat with sodablasting a few years later...it came out good too, but needed more sanding/prep before finishing....I think it does come down to the skill and experience of the guy blasting, regardless of which media he uses. I asked to see a sample area done before the guy proceeded...it looked great and gave him the go ahead...came back to the marina the next day and was totally satisfied with the work.
 
Thanks guys, that is what I was hoping to hear.

This friend of mine is a true craftsman/perfectionist......I'm sure he will do a great job.
 
Have him do a test panel and see how you like it....if it looks good and is rough enough to give the paint a good tooth, yet smooth enough to cover easily, you should be good to go....just pay attention to the hard edges like the chines and strakes as those will be areas any blaster can make a mistake....also, mask off the waterline/bootstripe well so he doesn't have to worry about getting too close with the gun.
 
'84Offshore said:
Thanks guys, that is what I was hoping to hear.

This friend of mine is a true craftsman/perfectionist......I'm sure he will do a great job.
Click to expand...

If that is the case, is any way to see a sample or even maybe your boat after is done? I want to do my Formula and i don't know what and who to use, i was just told never use sand blast, but i guess we can't always say "never" :mrgreen:
 
After Blasting

thumb_Grady_Barrier_Coat_002.jpg


After barrier coating

thumb_Grady_Barrier_Coat_003.jpg
 
richie rich said:
After Blasting

thumb_Grady_Barrier_Coat_002.jpg


After barrier coating

thumb_Grady_Barrier_Coat_003.jpg
Click to expand...

Richie, after the blasting, is it safe to use the boat? What i mean is that i am not planning on bottom painting the boat because is going to stay on the trailer and i really like that "clean" look.
 
NEM, interesting question.....after chemically stripping, sand and soda blasting, I personally would not go naked on the hull. The boats I have done were all 20 years old, so they had some mileage on them. When you blast off, or for that matter, even chemically peel off or sand the bottom, you'll find dings and scratches that you never thought you had that were covered up by layers of bottom paint that you will want to fix, probably with epoxy...so that will require a finish. And you also open the pores of the gelcoat, especially after its seen 20 years of use.....the blasted finish will look and feel like sharkskin....even if you peeled and sanded, you will have that "texture" when you run your hand over it. And most of these older boats use regular polyester resin, not vinyl ester, so I'd sleep better with "something" on the bottom.....I think after you scrape or blast your 233, you will see its not pristine anymore and needs help just to look good. I mean, you can do multiple step sanding to get a smooth finish, but that is a TON of work.

I have heard, but never used, that Interlux makes this VC Performance Epoxy finish specifically for hull bottoms that are trailered or rack stored...its not an anti-fouling......maybe this will work for you...seal the hull and give a nice hard finish that looks good...it comes in white.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/MPYACMDatashe ... 100608.pdf
 
Similarly, I've just bought Hempel Epoxy barrier coating (2-part epoxy) and will apply in a couple of weeks. In essence, these 2-part juices give you added protection from osmosis as well as a 2nd skin over your gelcoat. Epoxy is very tough and will assist in trailering and storage.

Do not forget that gelcoat is NOT waterproof - i.e. water molecules will eventually enter the skin of your hull. Therefore the waterproofing that the epoxy barrier offers is really necessary - especially if you keep you boat in the water, like me.

The antifouling goes over the epoxy barrier. Needless to say, if you've blasted your gelcoat, I' d suggest 4-5 THIN layers of epoxy barrier coating. I'd recommend using special paint - not any 2-part epoxy...
 
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