DIY bottom paint advice?

[jmschmidt]

So it's all about the environment is it? Recreational vessels contribute less that 3% of the copper in Puget Sound and Puget Sound is not exactly devoid of boats. Meanwhile everyone for the Washington State Ferry System to the Military to foreign merchant vessels are exempt.

It's all about petty bureaucrats controlling your life. Yard operators do mind, more business for them.

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

So it's all about the environment is it? Recreational vessels contribute less that 3% of the copper in Puget Sound and Puget Sound is not exactly devoid of boats. Meanwhile everyone for the Washington State Ferry System to the Military to foreign merchant vessels are exempt.

It's all about petty bureaucrats controlling your life. Yard operators do mind, more business for them.

Lots of the environmental laws are made by people who have no understanding of the subject, yet pander to very vocal small groups. However, while I'm no tree-hugger, I do believe we should be good stewards of our planet. After all, it's the only one we have. And who likes sailing through tons of floating garbage...

[jackjb53]

I just finished doing the bottom of my boat. I used a 6 inch Dewalt circular sander with hook and loop attachment for the paper and a vacuum attached. I used 80 grit paper only. It did a great job and the vacuum sucked up the sanding dust. I bought the paper at Harbor Freight with holes to match the sander. I went through about 15 sheets of sandpaper, but my bottom was rough and i did a lot of sanding...3 days at about 6 hours per day. I used a 9 inch roller with 3/8 inch nap. This gave good coverage and still a pretty smooth bottom. I used cheap chip brushes for areas not do able with the roller. I first rolled a strip around the water line, then moved to the keel bottom and worked my way up. By the time i reached the water line the initial strp i had painted was dry. Followed up the next day with another coat I used a paint calculator from the Defender Marine site. It suggested 2 gallons for a 33 foot boat, but I actually used 2.5 gallons. That was 2 coats overall with 3 around the waterline. Since you already have ablative paint on your bottom, you will have to go with more ablative. Probably best for your sailboat anyway. If using the vacuum attached, a tyvek suit might be over kill, but I would suggest latex or suitable gloves and a good mask. I also used swim goggles to protect my eyes while sanding. Good Luck!

[Suijin]

If the bottom is at all rough, I would advise you to take off as much old paint as possible. Not only will it make adhesion better, but not taking it down is just kicking the can down the road and making it harder when you finally do it.

If the boat has been painted repeatedly with high-copper ablative paint, you may encounter a situation where the sander, even with 40 grit, does little more than burnish it. If that is the case then you face the choice of either taking it all down, by scraping or blasting, just roughing it up again with another coat.

There is some benefit to biting the bullet and taking it all off, if it's in bad shape, if the boat is new to you. You get to see first hand what shape the hull is in.

Will take you several days to sand, depending on bottom condition, so renting will equal the cost of buying a vacuum and a sander. I would spring for the vacuum and an electric sander. A good vacuum is the Rigid 6 hp 14 gallon wet-dry vac. It's relatively quiet. I'd get a hose extension too. If the yard will let you use their compressor and the boat is near enough, an air DA would be a good choice but be advised you can't use them with portable compressors...the use too much air.

You're going to need four gallons of paint. Takes three to paint my boat with two coats and more on the waterline and leading edges.

[Johnno]

A lot of good info from forum members here! We are in the process of hardstanding our Cheoy Lee pilot house ketch at the moment. we just finished our DIY antifouling today. 2 coats over all with 3 on the waterline, keel bottom and leading edges, we've used self ablating ABC3 for the past 4 years and are happy with it. Haven't got a clue what the previous owners used but we just slapped the ABC3 0ver it and it worked fine. We've never had to sand the bottom apart from a few spots where barnacles were removed. The yard does a 3000psi bottom pressure wash and after chipping a few barnacles and a light sand on these spots, we are ready to paint. Luckily we don't have the same strict enviro rules and restrictions on DIY so we do all our own bottom work when out of the water. We used 26 litres of ABC3 (whatever that is in US gallons!). Tomorrow it's on to polishing the hull, another fun DIY job! We do the bottom every 18 months to 2 years depending on where we cruise. Once back in the water, it's off to the Whitsunday Islands for 5 months. They copped a beating with Cyclone Debbie (Debbie does the Whitsundays, not Dallas) and need all the yachting customers to return to this great spot. Have fun antifoulding!

[GeneM]

I like Pettit - Vivid bottom paint. A great value is their metal primer for running gear - 6455. Then do bottom paint.

[I39driver]

Just a thought here on the West Coast of Florida we have a yard that charges $30 a foot that's haul out to Splashdown including paint for cheap they're using Pettit or blue water I'm having mine done right now watching every day as they work on it and they doing a really nice job if interested p.m. me

[mfotis]

Not sure where you got the qoute but my Lagoon 410 is currently in Miami and when I was shopping around I got a qoute for $53-$54 per foot to haul out, block, pressure wash, two coats and relaunch. So all the above for $2214 and thats on a boat with two hulls. Is the place you called the only place that can do the work? Would you be willing to sail it to Miami? Looks like you've settled on DIY but just throwing some other info out there.

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by mfotis

Not sure where you got the qoute but my Lagoon 410 is currently in Miami and when I was shopping around I got a qoute for $53-$54 per foot to haul out, block, pressure wash, two coats and relaunch. So all the above for $2214 and thats on a boat with two hulls. Is the place you called the only place that can do the work? Would you be willing to sail it to Miami? Looks like you've settled on DIY but just throwing some other info out there.

That sounds like a pretty good price! The only quote I've had that was close to that did not include the haul/relaunch. Definitely worth considering, as Miami is not that far away. Would you mind sharing a name and phone number?

Regards,
David.

[mfotis]

I cant remember their name but I'll poke around on the internet a little bit and see if I can come up with something and PM you.

[Davidhoy]

Originally Posted by I39driver

Just a thought here on the West Coast of Florida we have a yard that charges $30 a foot that's haul out to Splashdown including paint for cheap they're using Pettit or blue water I'm having mine done right now watching every day as they work on it and they doing a really nice job if interested p.m. me

Very tempting, but it's a long haul around to the Port Charlotte area. At that point the value of my time becomes a much bigger factor. Thanks for the info.

-David