Epoxy Barrier Coating Hulls

[JohnV8r]

Can someone help me out with a question on epoxy barrier coats on hulls please. The old school thought on epoxy barrier coats back in the day when I worked in boatyards during the summers was that if you had a dry bilge and no coring in your hull any moisture in your hull would dry out through the bilge side after an epoxy barrier coat was applied. Earlier this week the owner of the boatyard where I have my bottom painted told me they only recommend epoxy barrier coats on brand new boats because the moisture will be trapped with no way to escape. The cynic in me wondered whether that was accurate.

Can anyone shed some further light on what the current prevailing thought is?

[Charlie J]

john
in the n east, if you were re doing your bottom
you would blast the hull in the fall, let the hull dry out
over the winter, then grind out any blisters and barrier coat in the spring

[Tony Meola]

John

When we did ours way back when, Interlux was recommending to dry outthe boat, per Charlies suggestion and some times even a winter did not do it. Remember damp weather slows the process, then do both the bottom and the bilge area. Water lays in the bilge and can cause issues also. Probably less chance but can happen.