AntiFoul...sorry

[NickCreak]

Dear all,
I have read loads of the threads on this and so I’m sorry for posting yet another. But I’m still a little confused and would love some input.

I have just bought a Westerly Oceanlord 41. It has been sat in Trinidad on the hard for 7 years. The AntiFoul is VERY dry, has reacted and cracked...looking like a moonscape.

I want to get the boat in the water in November and have October to get it sorted.

I have read lots that talk about re-epoxying...can I not scrape and then sand back to Gelcoat and then Prime/AntiFoul.

What would people suggest?

[Lepke]

Sea Hawk Marine Paint Stripper does a good job removing bottom paint. On ebay and Amazon. Trowel or brush on. Thicker coat for thicker paint. Wash off.
https://www.seahawkpaints.com/produc...aint-stripper/

[Nicholson58]

I assume the boat is at Power Boat or Peaks in Chaguaramas. You can have it tented and then blasted. Labor is affordable there. You could have it scraped and sanded. If the gel is bad and the bottom blistered you might consider peeling.

[NickCreak]

It's at PowerBoats but the quote for scraping was$1900 plus $1100 for sanding so I'll do it myself. I have time and energy just not expertise.
I offered to pay a local to teach me and keep an eye on me but yet to hear back.
The survey brought back no signs of osmosis and by the looks I think it's in great condition.

It's also been dry on land for a long time

[Fore and Aft]

We used to use 50mm wide tungsten scrapers for scraping down hulls. It is bloody hard work but well worth the results. Just keep the edge of the scraper from digging into the gel coat. You do not really need any lessons, just buy one and start scraping. Make sure you have a good dust mask and goggles. If you are lucky that dry antifoul should just tear off.
Cheers

[Fore and Aft]

We used these cheap scrapers, Sandvik make a nicer scraper. Both will make your arms feel like they are going to fall of your body!
Cheers

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by NickCreak

It's at PowerBoats but the quote for scraping was$1900 plus $1100 for sanding so I'll do it myself. I have time and energy just not expertise.
I offered to pay a local to teach me and keep an eye on me but yet to hear back.
The survey brought back no signs of osmosis and by the looks I think it's in great condition.

It's also been dry on land for a long time

We are back by Budget Marine. Roxy. See you in October

I used a floor scraper. It’s four feet long with a straight blade. Keep it sharp using a belt sander. Dry antitoul usually comes off easily. I bought. An extra blade and ground it slightly curved. Definitely wear a good respirator. Check out the supply shops across the road from Peaks and a bit west in the little strip mall. Jessie or Steve can drop you at the hardware in town on the regular shopping day. (Taxis)

[a64pilot]

I believe now would also be the time to barrier coat, it’s likely never to be drier than it is now

[daletournier]

I'll second the 50mm tungsten scraper, it seemed the best way to me. I paided some guys in the Philippines to take my last hull back to gel coat, they preferred using chisels.

There's no easy way of achieving what you want, it's a crappy job.

[Nicholson58]

Yes on the barrier coat. We applied five coats of Interprotect 2000E. This has been a good gloating for us.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by daletournier

I'll second the 50mm tungsten scraper, it seemed the best way to me. I paided some guys in the Philippines to take my last hull back to gel coat, they preferred using chisels.

There's no easy way of achieving what you want, it's a crappy job.

A scraper is definitely the way to go or at least the first thing to try. Depending on the type of paint on there and it’s condition you might find yourself lucky and the paint pops off in big chunks. It is hard work though; your shoulders might be an inch wider when you’re done.

It’s tempting to go at it with an orbital sander and while it may work, with several boxes of 40 grit, it may just end up burnishing the paint, particularly if it’s old paint with a stupid high metal content and maybe even tin.

I’ve never had much luck with chemical removers and antifouling paint and have even used plastic to cover and let it work for 24+ hours. Have tried a few and just seemed like it would take forever and require gallons and gallons of stripper.

However, you will want to finish sand with an orbital when done scraping, depending on how it goes.

Best practice would be to barrier coat before antifouling, and that is obviously the time to do it. If you expect to keep the boat for many years, in the water year round, then barrier coat would be prudent.

[Jim Cate]

Tip: if you scrape with the small carbide scrapers, get a bit of broom handle or other doweling and extend the handle a foot or so. Makes a HUGE difference in the pressure that you can exert on the blade... really HUGE. I sure wish that someone had told me about that before I scraped 17 years of hard antifouling off our previous boat back in 1995 or thereabouts!

It is a lousy job, but ya gotta get that old paint off!

Jim

[Tillsbury]

Congratulations on the boat, by the way! What number is it? I bought OD97 back in 1996, such a lovely boat and wish I still had it now.

[sy_gilana]

2nd the long-handle theory, it allows you to use both arms, and apply more pressure instead of killing one arm at a time.