Vinylester vs Epoxy

[avazquez]

A very knowledgeable local contractor I was talking with, mentioned that he was going to use Vinylester to coat the hull of a sailboat he has peeled. Is this better than Epoxy? Any advantages?

[skipmac]

I have seen vinylester recommended and believe I read a test some time ago that showed it was less water permeable than even epoxy. But more difficult to work with.

Again, based on old reading, I think to get a thick buildup with vinylester you have to use cloth where, within certain limits, you can build up the required thickness by adding multiple layers of epoxy by itself.

[avazquez]

Originally Posted by skipmac

I have seen vinylester recommended and believe I read a test some time ago that showed it was less water permeable than even epoxy. But more difficult to work with.

Again, based on old reading, I think to get a thick buildup with vinylester you have to use cloth where, within certain limits, you can build up the required thickness by adding multiple layers of epoxy by itself.

Makes sense since the boat he's working on has a lot blisters etc and needs to be sealed well.

[GordMay]

Vinylester is cheaper and generally easier with which to work vs epoxy, but is otherwise inferior, IMHO, in every other way.

[s/v Jedi]

Yes, Jedi is built with Vinylester resin instead of Polyester; it sure is better than polyester but nowhere near the quality of Epoxy. When people select Vinylester over Epoxy their reasoning is most often based on the cost of materials.

ciao!
Nick.

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by GordMay

Vinylester is cheaper and generally easier with which to work vs epoxy, but is otherwise inferior, IMHO, in every other way.

Gordo is correct. I've used both coating tanks, and in general epoxies offer much better secondary bonding and permeation resistance. Better than polyester, but not what you need for this purpose.