Barrier coat

[Mikey]

This is not for Dreamsicle, she has a beautiful bottom. My blow boat (I race a Cape Dory Typhoon) was stripped this winter and needs a barrier coat. The yard says polyester will do, no need for epoxy. Since I haven't needed this I have ignored any posts on the subject, but now I'm at that point. What does the Faithful recommend and where to buy?
Thanks

[CaptPatrick]

Mikey,

The "yard" is WRONG... Polyester has no significant bonding strength, is semi-permeable, and not suited as a barrier coat.

Now if you're not keeping the boat in the water, except for the occassional race, then you're OK without any barrier coat, keeping a racing bottom slick and light.

[TailhookTom]

You can use any of the following products Interprotect, Interprotect or Interprotect.

Tom

http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/diy/produ ... 2000e.aspx

[Dug]

Alchemy just got Interprotect barrier coat.

He's right. the interlux product is best, and simple to use.

You should be able to get it for about $85 a gallon. Otherwise I can tell you where you can and I think they will ship it to you.

Dug

[Pete Fallon]

Mikey,
I would go with a epoxy barrier coat, it fills in the best plus you want the smoothest bottom so you will go faster. Cape Dory 23 is a nice sailing boat my neighbor in Mass had one for many years.
Pete Fallon

[JohnV8r]

My yard out here has told me for at least a couple of years that barrier coats are no longer "in favor" because they hold moisture in. I'll be out of the water for at least a few months at a different yard with the repower. Should I strip my bottom to let it dry out and then have the other yard put a barrier coat on before new bottom paint?

[CaptPatrick]

My yard out here has told me for at least a couple of years that barrier coats are no longer "in favor" because they hold moisture in. I'll be out of the water for at least a few months at a different yard with the repower. Should I strip my bottom to let it dry out and then have the other yard put a barrier coat on before new bottom paint?

I certainly would... I've never heard of a yard making that claim, and even if it does hold some moisture in, it's a small price to the altrenative of sucking up even more moisture and building blisters... I personally think the yard is the one that's all wet.

[Pete Fallon]

JohnV8er,
Like Capt. Pat says I think there is an all wet problem with the yard info. Unless there are a lot of blisters that are full of water I wouldn't worry about holding the wet in???. All fiberglass boats absorb some water(unless they are epoxy barrier coated with not a break in the coating). If your boat is going to be out for a few to 6 months it should dry out unless she's really absorbed lot's of water over the years. Where you live it's a pretty dry climate with low humidoty, (San Deigo area below LA correct/) I have seen 31's that have held water under the old fiberglass tank, it was trapped in the foam insulation that they used that absorbed water like a sponge. When I removed my original fiberglass tank the snow cone like slush that was in there was soaked, I let it dry out for about 6 months, she was inside a heated building while it was getting new gel coat on the topsides back in 1994 in New Engalnd. After it dried out we stripped all the old bottom paint off the hull, there was over 30 years of paint build up, we went down to the gel coat and put 2 coats of epoxy barrier coat and 1 coat of Sea Hawk ablative bottom paint on. Since then she's only got 3 coats of Sea Hawk that was pressure washed between each coat, the pressure washing took about half the ablative stuff off. I would much rather have a good barrier coat on the bottom and use an ablative paint so you don't get a lot of paint build up over the next few years. Make sure you use a good fresh air supplied respirator mask when applying the barrier coat that stuff is really nasty. The same goes for anyone spraying Duratek as a base coating for high build it makes you loopy real quick.
Pete Fallon

[Dug]

I can personally attest that most yards have highly imaginative folks working at them. Many (most) don't have a clue at all of what they are talking about.

Beware what the yard says. If you have a question, perhaps check with Interlux. As the manufacturer of Interprotect, they are best equipped to give you the straight story. Give them a call. Good folks. Maybe ask to speak with the rep in your area, and if they are anything like Scott Townsend (VP sales) in NC, or Heath Moldveen (rep for NE) they will come to your boat to address your specific questions if they are unable to help via phone. they are a good customer focused company.

Dug

[TailhookTom]

John:

After walnut shell blasting the bottom of mine -- keep in mind it was about 12 years ago and soda blasting and containment weren't the thing to do up here in New England, I got on my back with a wonderbar, and my buddy got on his back with a wonderbar and we worked our way from stern to bow - popping open obvious blisters, and just using the force from our bare hands pushing and pulling the delamintated fiberglass off the bottom of the boat -- given mine was a LA and FLA boat for the first 27 years of her life, she had a few blisters -- we emerged some time the next week, lol, not kidding, it took almost a full week of two guys but we got it done. Next we poured anti-freeze in to a bucket and mopped it all over the bottom as Allistair Smith, who was the Interlux rep at the time, told us that helped wick the moisture out.

Next, we put a bunch of heaters into the shed we had built around her and turned on the temp for a couple weeks and let her dry out, then, depending on the size of the blister, either used a grinder and reglassed, or in the case of a dime size or small blister, filled with some West System mixed with microspheres. Once all was fair, we then did 5 coats of Interlux 2000E (5 gallons).

And she was barrier coated.

Tom

[TailhookTom]

John:

After walnut shell blasting the bottom of mine -- keep in mind it was about 12 years ago and soda blasting and containment weren't the thing to do up here in New England, I got on my back with a wonderbar, and my buddy got on his back with a wonderbar and we worked our way from stern to bow - popping open obvious blisters, and just using the force from our bare hands pushing and pulling the delamintated fiberglass off the bottom of the boat -- given mine was a LA and FLA boat for the first 27 years of her life, she had a few blisters -- we emerged some time the next week, lol, not kidding, it took almost a full week of two guys but we got it done. Next we poured anti-freeze in to a bucket and mopped it all over the bottom as Allistair Smith, who was the Interlux rep at the time, told us that helped wick the moisture out.

Next, we put a bunch of heaters into the shed we had built around her and turned on the temp for a couple weeks and let her dry out, then, depending on the size of the blister, either used a grinder and reglassed, or in the case of a dime size or small blister, filled with some West System mixed with microspheres. Once all was fair, we then did 5 coats of Interlux 2000E (5 gallons).

And she was barrier coated.

Tom

[JohnV8r]

I swear sometimes I think my boatyard options here in the San Francisco Bay Area are between the Three Stooges, Dumb & Dumber, and Bonnie & Clyde. One yard gives me dubious information regularly, one can't pronounce Bertram, and the one whose owner has a Bertram 31 hasn't been within a 150% of anything he's quoted me.

To date, I've only been told I had some minor paint blisters. I'm trying a new boatyard - Napa Valley Marina - that will rent me dry storage/work space when I come out to prep for the repower. I'm going to strip the 35 years of bottom paint off with Peel Away and let it dry out for the duration of the repower. I'll check it with a moisture meter before and after and see where I'm at. Between stripping the bottom paint off first, pulling the deck and removing all the bilge paint, and being in the dry Napa climate, I'm hoping there won't be any moisture at all by the time I'm ready to apply the barrier coat.

BTW, I found this YouTube video about Interlux Interprotect barrier coat:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM-R2_Awgeg

Looks like a Hatteras for their badly blistered demo boat. Hatteras with blisters? How unusual... ; )

[Tony Meola]

John

Years ago I read that you will always get some wetness from the bilge but nothing to worry about. If you wanted to completely seal it, you would have to put the interprotect in the bilge also. If you are painting the bilge, the interprotect makes a great base coat.

[Pete Fallon]

JohnV8er,
Before you start with the peel away see if anyone in your area does Soda Blasting or Walnut Shell blasting, the peel away is going to cost you much more than the other type of bottom stripping. please check into the alternative methods beside peel away. Soda or walnut gives you an almost smooth surface when finished your not going to get that with the peel away.
Pete Fallon

[JohnV8r]

Thanks for that Pete. I'm going to call Napa Valley Marina tomorrow and see if they do it.