The object was to remove the antifoul coats while leaving the epoxy barrier coat intact. Special care was required to keep a clean edge for the waterline and not harm the AWGRIP hull side paint.
This boat is beautiful. The boat was hauled just a few weeks ago for service before its trip south for the winter. All the antifoul paint was removed exposing the gel coated fiberglass hull.
We were hired to remove the antifoul paint from this classic 1930 Trumpy. Blasting was performed over several days with special care not to hurt the hull which was constructed of double planked mahogany. Over the last 80+ years many repairs have been made and some time ago there was a coating of epoxy applied to some areas of the hull below the waterline. We were able to clean the surface allowing the bungs to be found, planks pulled, and the necessary repairs made.
In this video you are able to see the mahogany, epoxy, and bungs.
This boat was hauled for a complete exterior refit and we were the first contractors to start the winter project. What a job! Remove the 20+ coats of Trilux 33 without compromising the fairing compound that covered the aluminum hull. The work was performed inside with while the yard crew started the topside cap rail removal.
This 36′ Yellowfin was painted with Pettit Vivid white ablative, but there was a problem with the adhesion of the first coat. The pictures show the paint lifting from the gel coat. It looked as if there was a attempt to de-wax the hull prior to the initial paint, but the wax may have just been spread due to continual use of dirty rags.(in the 4th pic you can see the evidence) The hull was blasted leaving a etched surface ready for new paint without damage to the gel coat.
The pictures below show the preperation of a 32′ Yellowfin for its first application of bottom paint. We let the boat soak for a week to establish a waterline and then blasted the hull leaving a crisp line and a etched hull. Epoxy barrier coat was applied with 2 coats of ablative to finish off the job. I suspect this boat will require a seasonal reapplication of ablative since it should ablate faster than most, it cruises @ 40+mph.
Click any picture to enlarge them. You will see the scum used to establish the waterline as well as several that show the finished boat with waxed hull sides vs. the etched bottom.
This boat had a problem with the first application of paint to a new hull. The pictures below show large sections of paint that released from the hull. The most likely cause was the presence of mold release wax that was not removed prior to the first coat of paint. I stripped the paint leaving a profile that would promote the adhesion of a barrier coat(Interprotect-2000) and fresh Interlux Micron ablative paint. Click on the pics for a better view.
This 53′ 1990 Irving Forbes was in need of a bottom job. The top sides were painted the previous year and the old bottom paint created a rough running surface. The boat was glassed over wood and there were some areas that needed attention due to previous spot repairs that had glass/fairing extending over old antifoul paint. The hull was blasted over the course of 3 days exposing the areas in need of repair, and moisture in the hull was clearly visible and marked. When blasting the hull with a dry media, the dust created sticks to the moist areas of the hull like cake batter. The most common problem areas on the glass over wood boats is the keel in the areas where the boat was blocked.
