The boat I purchased was used in salt water around Long Beach. I believe it was pulled from the water after each use and parked on it's trailer at the Yacht club. The bottom is painted blue and that has all but completely chipped off. Under the blue paint is a silver finish which i'm not sure what it's composition is, paint or gelcoat. I will be using the boat in fresh water invironment only from this point on. What would be my best course of action to prepare the bottom for sailing. Thanks
Painting the bottom
- Thread starter barolo
- Start date
I suspect the blue paint is some sort of ablative coating used to prevent fouling in salt water. It really doesn't matter now, but your boat was probably left in the water at one time or else why paint the bottom?
Although it's impossible to tell from where I sit, your silver coating is probably some form of epoxy or polyurethane hull paint. It could be gelcoat. The best way to find out is scrape some off with a pocket knife from underneath somewhere.
Depending on what is really painted on your hull and how tightly it's adhering, you have a myriad of options. They include anything between pressure washing to flipping your boat over and stripping/sanding off the paint. I suggest you trailer it over to a nearby boatyard and talk to a professional. It won't cost you anything for the advice and you might find out that letting them deal with it won't be that expensive compared to the tedium of you doing it yourself.
Good luck!!!
Jim
Although it's impossible to tell from where I sit, your silver coating is probably some form of epoxy or polyurethane hull paint. It could be gelcoat. The best way to find out is scrape some off with a pocket knife from underneath somewhere.
Depending on what is really painted on your hull and how tightly it's adhering, you have a myriad of options. They include anything between pressure washing to flipping your boat over and stripping/sanding off the paint. I suggest you trailer it over to a nearby boatyard and talk to a professional. It won't cost you anything for the advice and you might find out that letting them deal with it won't be that expensive compared to the tedium of you doing it yourself.
Good luck!!!
Jim
fan
Member
The boat was probably kept in the water full time at some point in its life. The silver under the blue bottom paint should be a barrier coat to kept water from penitrating the original gelcote bottom. It also might just be a primer. Either way, the boat had a gel bottom when it left the factory and it should still be under that silver paint. If your going to dry sail the boat, remove the paint down to the original gel and apply a final layer of starbrite polish with ptfe.
I had a 14.2 with bottom paint and paint stripped , then sanded it off down to the gel. For an old boat, it went just fine with that smooth clean bottom.
I had a 14.2 with bottom paint and paint stripped , then sanded it off down to the gel. For an old boat, it went just fine with that smooth clean bottom.