bertram31.com

Hi All....Finally got the bottom of my 1980 31 FBC stripped this weekend...Had barrier kote over paint over a black tar kote...Bottom in great shape except for a few very small blisters...I used that Water/Glass particle technique and cost $1500...Sure beats sanding...Can you guys advise me on how many gallons per and how many coats of barrier kote I should use and how many gallons of anti foul I would need for 2 coats on the bottom and 3 on the sides...Thanks

John,
The 31' Bertram takes just over 3/4 of a gallon of Sea Hawk ablative 2 year bottom paint per coat, rolled and brushed on, get 3 gallons and you will have some left over for touching up spots or doing the bottom of your tender/dinghy/pram/ mooring ball etc. As for the barrier coat I never did it myself but I think the guy that re-did the bottom of my 1961 31 express used 2 gallons of Epoxy barrier coating. I had mine stripped (Soda Blasting) of 32 years of bottom paint 90% was the real old copper bottom paint that weighed ton per gallon( lots of copper per gallon).When I was finally finished painting and repowering/ re-tranny/re-prop, I gained 10 mph over what I got for wide open throttle the previous 30 years. You will be amazed how different the boat will feel and perform. I found that Sea Hawk paint suited the area (South Florida) that I kept the boat, I would get 2 seasons with out a problem, I'd go to the sand bar a couple of times a season and just wipe the bottom with a plastic dish scrubber( Dobie or Chore boy brand) just to get the very light scum build-up off. Up in the New England area I used to use Micron 66 and I would have to paint the bottom every season. Good Luck,
Pete Fallon

Thanks for the reply Peter...I am in Lighthouse Point and most of the guys down here use hard paint...Maybe because we have divers clean our boats once a month...Any reason why I should consider an ablative?? Thanks, John PS I have never used that Sea Hawk Paint

I blasted 42 years of bottom paint off of my boat this winter. Cant wait to get into the water.....

Use a different color paint for the coat or two closest to the hull, then a coat of black. When you see color, it's time to repaint.

Had my B33 soda blasted last fall. I'm also looking for advice on what type of barrier coat. Any "gotchas" to applying? Up here in New England many guys have switched to Pettit Hydrocoat & swear by it.
Al

Next time I have money I'll do the copper coat. In 3-4 years I will have it depreciated, let alone the fact that there are no barnackles ever.

Yannis wrote:Next time I have money I'll do the copper coat. In 3-4 years I will have it depreciated, let alone the fact that there are no barnackles ever.

Is copper still legal as an antifouling in Europe?!... AFAIK copper based antifouling has been practically banned world wide... For environmental reasons...

Nav,

Copper has been banned in Europe perhaps 50 or so years ago. I'm talking for copper as an ingredient of ordinary antifouling products.
What I've been refering to was the product of Coppertec or Copper Coat that is an epoxy layer. Perfectly legal.

When we did ours back in 1986, we put on 5coats of interlux interprotect. I currently use petit hydrocoat for bottom paint. Thin with water, clean up with water. You can probably get close to three coats out of 2gallons. Depends one how thin you make it.

Tony,
How many gals. did you use on your 31?
Thanks
Al

If I remember correctly, 5 gallons brushed. With a roller that should be enough. Back in 86 they wanted 5 coats and if you went more that 8 hours between coats, you had to sand the bottom before moving on.

We had 5 people work on it. I say people, since my wife helped. Lol

Back then they did not recommend a tie coat of bottom paint after the final barrier coat.

Interprotect was new back then.

Apparently this Copper Coat or CopperTek is not too popular with you. Not that it is too popular here either, because it requires an initial investment that is more important than an ordinary antifouling, plus, all yard people DO NOT recommend it. Guess why ! Because it steals away the job of applying antifouling every year. Once you've done it you're set for 4-5 years, at which point you pass it a 200 grit and another 2 layers, and off you go for another 4-5 years. What you've paid initially is quickly amortized over the savings of yearly antifouling, PLUS, you gain the extra protection of the barrier coat. Also, it doesn't "die" when you're in the hard; you can keep the boat dry indefinitely.

A friend with a sailboat had it applied and kept the boat for 4 ! consecutive years in the water, because this was a rental and had to be kept busy.
At the end of the 4th season he pulled it out and if I hadn't seen it with my very eyes i wouldn't believe it. The hull was like a baby's cheek ! Baby cheeks are notoriously smooth here, I assume there too !!

Yannis

I remember a product very similar being pushed over here in the late 80's. It never took off.