Boatyard Blues😡

[Clipper4730]

So maybe a few of you read our previous post regarding boat bottom blues and the fact that yard was recommending the Full Monty. Bottom blast to the gelcoat new barrier and paint, estimate was just under 10k, which we and others including many of you on here thought was very high. after much deliberation we decided to bite the bullet and have them do it. We saw examples of their work and it looked very good plus the fact that reviews on active captain were very favorable.

We were told the boat was ready and we're excited to see the work, much to our dismay the work completed did not meet our expectations. The were distinct ridges and uneven paint around the stanchion pads, lots of debris stuck into the paint, the bow thruster props were never removed and the zinc was painted over. I had started to remove them but the service manager said they could do it. They never touched them and even painted over the half removed screws. On top of that they moved the boat from the main secured yard to the unsecured diy/parking lot unplugged the power and never reconnected it and also never told they did it. If we had not shown up to check on the progress and discovered this our batteries would have been flat and ruined.

Oh and I almost forgot the paint on the keel is already blistering and peeling off. Not sure exactly what to do I put a few pics up and see what y'all think. The yard is pushing back on everything except the keel and they are trying to put the blame on interlux.

Thanks for listening
Will

[Clipper4730]

Some pics

[jdazey]

It shouldn't matter who they blame it on; they took on the job and therefore the responsibility.

[Clipper4730]

Sorry trouble getting pics loaded

[Clipper4730]

One more

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by Clipper4730

...the paint on the keel is already blistering and peeling off.

This is almost certainly due to poor preparation. I don't know why you haven't identified the yard. Certainly others need to have that information before making a choice and it might motivate the yard to make what appears to be sloppy work, right.

Edit: Quick search for the old thread reveals that you did name the yard- Charleston City Boatyard.

http://www.charlestoncityboatyard.com/

[barnakiel]

If I read the images well, the roughness may be just the antifoul applied, not the priming job.

Since it is new antifoul, I would simply remove some and see what the primer condition and standard are - they should be actually considerably smoother / finer than what may be perceived when looking at the antifouled surface.

Too bad the yard moved the boat and disconnected from shore power without consulting you. Also painting over anodes is a sure sign of poor skills and lack of due supervision.

Why new paint is peeling of ... beyond my understanding. Maybe some surface contamination. This would be very sad as you may want to correct the contaminated area prior to going sailing.

I have seen new antifoul go once in the water due to poor contact with newly primed hull but I have not seen new paintjob peeling off while the boat is still on dry.

b.

[Stumble]

If they want to blame interlux that's fine. Tell them to collect from them. But they did a crazy job and owe it to you to fix it. Their choice of tools, their problem.

[Orion Jim]

Originally Posted by Stumble

If they want to blame interlux that's fine. Tell them to collect from them. But they did a crazy job and owe it to you to fix it. Their choice of tools, their problem.

AMEN! This was not a charity job, you paid 10K! I would expect and demand perfection from "professionals"

[keepondancin]

Depending on how it was masked for the applications, you might be able to determine at the waterline what kind of film thickness has been applied. Several coats of barrier and two coats of bottom paint is really quite thick. As far as roughness, they probably used a heavier nap roller, which leaves more paint, but with a stipple effect, depending on the product. If Ablative paint, you want all the thickness you can get, that's what gives max protection. Any smooth bottom paint job is usually a hard anti fouling that can be wet sanded, not good for a cruising boat. I wouldn't try to remove bottom paint to check the barrier coat, you don't want to do anything that could/would effect warranty, and you indicate that there may be a warranty issue already.

[CHM]

No excuses for that kind of money. I was mad to pay 9K for a bottom job with keel rebuild as the yard initially gave me an estimate less than half of that sum. Also, what kind of expert paints over the zinc?


Sent from my iPhone using Cruisers Sailing Forum

[Idylles15.5]

This what I do for a living, so here is what could of happened.
1.If the Gelcoat was clean after the media blasting the entire hull needed to be washed with soap and water and then wiped down with denatured alcohol, then tac clothed. 2. The epoxy barrier coat has to sit for 15 to 20 min after it is mixed to induct before it can be applied. Three coats need to be applied with a smooth nap roller. Some people spray, but you have to thin it so much to spray smooth it defeats the purpose of the mixture. All three coats must be applied with a certain amount of time usually three hours between each coat around 75-90 degrees out. Below 60, don't even bother until next spring. Also, the indicator hard coat / non ablative which should be different from the color of your bottom paint also has to be applied within a few hours of the last epoxy coat or it won't stick.
3. Now and only now should you apply three coats of your ablative paint.

I agree with the other poster, from the pics, it looks like they used a heavy nap roller and you are looking at the overlap line, which easily could of been rolled out.

For a 50ft, 10 grand isn't too crazy because you have about 10 gallons of epoxy paint for three coats, three gallons for indicator and another six for ablative. Couple thousand in paint easy, plus about 2500 for media blast, rubber gloves, paint suits, rollers etc.

If the paint is bubbbling, they didn't put enough bite in the gelcoat with sandpaper after it was media blasted, and or if they did, they most definitely didn't was the boat down and clean it with denatured alcohol.

I actually take pride in my work, so if I did screw it up, I would fix it for free. The yard is totally responsible and since most work is word of mouth on which marina does good work and where to bring your boat, they should want to fix it. Find out what paint they used, and on the epoxy barrier coat can it will tell you the mix ratio, time frame and temp. If you know for a fact they waited a few days between coats, then they screwed up big. Nelson S

[Idylles15.5]

Oh, one last thing which may be a bummer for you, but it's the truth. If that put the epoxy coat on with a heavy nap roller, you will never get the rough look out off the bottom paint, because the epoxy coat dries as hard as cement. Sorry but true. It would have to be sanded down and since it's really hard, it really sucks.

[Paul J. Nolan]

In my opinion you need a lawyer.

Years ago I had a friend who was a prominent sailmaker. Not rich, but had enough to have Bruce Kirby design a custom half tonner for him. This was in the heyday of the IOR. The boat was built of wood in the WEST system by a prominent East coast race boat builder, then very hot. As with virtually every boat from Kirby's board, she was an absolute rocket ship. Won nearly every race she entered.

My friend had her hauled out after a very successful season. Several days later he noticed water seeping from the hull-keel joint. My friend, a rigorously trained engineer, was horrified. The story I got over the ensuing year was that the builder had been on vacation while the boat was planked, and the job fell to a less experienced member of his crew. Apparently, the hull and layers of planking were not faired between layers, leaving voids in the hull. The builder would do nothing. My friend, who could be quite volitile, was livid. By chance, even though my friend was in a small town far removed from what we commonly think of as the centers of sailing, there was, in his own yacht club, an attorney who was also a national champion sailor in several classes. He took on the case. My friend and his attorney took the entire tale to a lady editor of a national sailing magazine who was ready to print it all, naming names and quoting the parties. Apparently the builder was so much in demand that in his entire career he had never spent a nickel on advertising. This gave the editor a bold courage that she never displayed in her career, before or since.

With his ducks lined up in a perfect row, the attorney was able to negotiate a satisfactory solution: complete repair by the builder at no cost to my friend.

It all happened a long time ago, when we were all young, strong, good looking, and full of energy.

In my opinion, you need a good lawyer.

Paul J. Nolan

[zeehag]

you paid 10 thousand united states dollars for a bottom job.
ok.
and the paint is fail.
ok
(walks away , you hear muffled sounds in background, many and for a long time. returns to the area..)
wholly sheets, mon, you got fornikated, sir.
makes me glad i am an old never pay retail steenkeen beetch. always negotiate, if you dont know what it is they trying to push, ask in person someone who been out n back a few times. i also watch em when they working. same as with my sporty cars and volkswagens. for my buick i took auto shop 101 a and b. ......
as my wallet is fornikated, i will ask for what is that part, how is this working, what does that do--- and i learn. i figger i am paying not just for repairs, but for education. hell mechanics make 105 usd hourly-- they can bludi teach me as we go . same with prep and painters and other yard workers...