Removing deck paint - strip or sand?

[AzimuthZero]

Greetings fellow cruisers/sailors! Long time lurker, first time poster...

The previous owner of my new-to-me 1987 Caliber 33 did a quick and sloppy paintjob on the deck, coach roof and cockpit to dress the boat up for sale. For this I rewarded him by deducting a couple thousand in composing my offer, so we both wish he hadn't done that...but at least I have something in the budget for correcting it. He used a Pettit topside paint, but I don't know which one.

I'm going to remove the paint myself and see if the gelcoat can be buffed up and refreshed. If not, I am going to repaint doing a proper job of it, probably in sections over two or three years (cockpit, then coach roof, then decks, something like that).

My question is this: would you strip the paint off? Or sand it off? It looks to be one coat, and I suspect the prep-work was minimal, so the paint adhesion may lend itself to stripping. But I have never stripped something this large, so I'm not sure what I am getting into. Any direct experience with either approach would be a very helpful guide to me.

I calculate the surface area as roughly 325 square feet. Sanding or stripping, it is going to be a few weekends of work.

Thanks for your replies.

[Cheechako]

Well, if not repainting definitely try to strip. Sanding it will likely require repainting.
But you need to know the type of paint he put on and stripping is not easy either. If it's proper 2 part paint it may be fine as a base for repaint, you'll know as you sand... but if it wasn't prepped proper... ugh. That should have been about a $10k discount.
You will sand some to repaint anyway, so maybe just bite the bullet and sand and paint? Big job.

[AzimuthZero]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

If it's proper 2 part paint it may be fine as a base for repaint, you'll know as you sand...

Thanks for your thoughts. I can't imagine this guy going for 2 part paint. I think I will test strip a section, see how it goes, and how the substrate cleans up.

[neilpride]

It is a single component.
Stripper, karcher, and the remains, sandpaper.

Ohh , only if the topsides are gelcoat....

[nofacey]

Originally Posted by AzimuthZero

Thanks for your thoughts. I can't imagine this guy going for 2 part paint. I think I will test strip a section, see how it goes, and how the substrate cleans up.

That’s what I would do - expect stripper will do well, especially if prep was marginal.
- should be natural to do in sections - test up front to be in conspicuous if you hit a problem, but once you’re sure on process, I’d start at back, as that’s are the most used/critical area

[AzimuthZero]

Originally Posted by nofacey

...once you’re sure on process, I’d start at back, as that’s are the most used/critical area

Good thought. That cockpit, and especially the companionway area, is right in my face, messing with my pride of ownership LOL.

[s/v Jedi]

So, with a but of budget, you may decide to do it properly and get 10-15 years of zero maintenance. Buy a Bosch GET sander (or the Festool original) and sand away the Pettit (probably EasyPoxy) paint.

With that done, see what needs fairing (TotalFair, AwlFair) then seal the old gelcoat with Awlgrip 545. You now have a stable epoxy base. Sand it super smooth, then roll or spray 2-3 coats of original Awlgrip topcoat. Done.

[AzimuthZero]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

So, with a but of budget, you may decide to do it properly and get 10-15 years of zero maintenance. Buy a Bosch GET sander (or the Festool original) and sand away the Pettit (probably EasyPoxy) paint.

With that done, see what needs fairing (TotalFair, AwlFair) then seal the old gelcoat with Awlgrip 545. You now have a stable epoxy base. Sand it super smooth, then roll or spray 2-3 coats of original Awlgrip topcoat. Done.

That is definitely my kind of approach. Commit, and do it properly. The budget is not a problem, but the time is a little harder to come by. If you have tackled this kind of thing before, what would you budget for yourself for time for sanding, prep, painting? Assume: working on the hard, and that the hardware/fittings have already been removed and will be reinstalled as a separate project.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by AzimuthZero

That is definitely my kind of approach. Commit, and do it properly. The budget is not a problem, but the time is a little harder to come by. If you have tackled this kind of thing before, what would you budget for yourself for time for sanding, prep, painting? Assume: working on the hard, and that the hardware/fittings have already been removed and will be reinstalled as a separate project.

The final topcoat is easy and quick once you believe that reducing to 40-50% is the way to go. But the prep work can be a long process.

So I try to stay realistic but when it’s finished it looks much tighter, flatter than the rest of the boat. Look at the white fiberglass parts in the attached picture… the sharp corners and how flat it is… it looks very different. There used to be engine panels, switch panels etc. in that fiberglass. Spent too much time there.

So I would say do one round of fairing before priming, then one more, then another coat of primer to help with covering for the topcoat and that’s it.

[AzimuthZero]

Looks like it was carved out of Alabaster.