Epoxy Barrier Coat

[Whalerdog]

I have a 2007 190 Montauk with 10-years of bottom paint on it. Time has come to remove it all.

[The 2007 Boston Whaler 190 MONTAUK boat] is on jack stands this evening. Two hours of sanding has left one side 60-percent-complete--a messy dirty job.

West Systems and Interlux make barrier coats. Which is better? Which is easier to use?

West Systems needs all coats in one day to preclude any sanding.

Interlux has a two week window between coats before it is required to be sanded. They all say three, four, or even more coats. I hope no sanding between epoxy barrier coat and anti-fouling paint.

[Give me] tips [about West Systems and Interlux barrier coats, as which is better, and which is easier to use]. Thanks for any help.

[Jefecinco]

I think there is some value in using antifouling/bottom paint and barrier coats from the same manufacturer. I like Petit, Interlux and West System products and all or either would probably do a good job for you. My personal choice for several years has been Petit and I particularly like their antifouling ablative Hydrocoat paint over a barrier preparation.

I recommend a minimum of three coats of paint with the first coat color that will contrast with the final two (or more) coats. That allows for a tell tale color to remind you it's time for recoating.

[onoahimahi]

I'll second [the recommendation to use barreir coat and anti-fouling paint made by] Petit. [Four years ago] I purchased a 1994 Grady While Sailfish 272 that had never been bottom painted. I applied [Petit] epoxy barrier coat followed by one coat of red Hydrocoat and two coats of black Hydrocoat. I bought [the Petit products] online from Defender; there were rebates at the time.

For the first three seasons, I only needed to do slight touch up with a brush before launching.

This year I decided to do the whole bottom again and tried Hydrocoat SR (slime resistance) for a change. I'll never use anything but Hydrocoat ever again. You have to mix it really well, however. I use an electric drill with a paint mixing attachment.

[jimh]

This year I decided to do the whole bottom again and tried Hydrocoat SR (slime resistance) for a change. I'll never use anything but Hydrocoat ever again.

I don't understand you comments. Are you endorsing Hydrocoat SR? Or are you endorsing a difference product, Hydrocoat?

[onoahimahi]

I don't understand you comments. Are you endorsing Hydrocoat SR? Or are you endorsing a difference product, Hydrocoat?

I'm happy with the Petit epoxy barrier coat and the Hydrocoat bottom paint that lasted three years. Based on that good experience, I decided to spend the extra ~$50 to try the SR version.

As an experiment, I painted a quarter of the bottom with the non-SR paint so I can compare SR to non-SR results in the fall. I didn't really have a slime problem last fall - whatever was on there came right off with a light power wash. I thought I'd give the SR a try anyway. The paint is expensive but will last a long time when only small touch ups are required each spring.

I also like the fact that I don't feel overwhelmed by toxic paint fumes when applying the water-based Hydrocoat. (I still where a respirator, however.)

[macfam]

Hydrocoat ECO, (not plain Hydrocoat, nor, Hydrocoat SR) is their latest, and the best bottom paint I've used in 30+ years.
The active ingredient is Econea, NOT COPPER. Therefore, it does not create electrolysis problems, and is safe to use on and around metals (with proper prep).
Results: AMAZING! According to the boat hauling service I use, the cleanest hull they have ever seen. They actually thought I had recently employed a dive service to scrub it clean!!
Even with Hydrocoat, and Hydrocoat SR, the bottom was clean, but not metals. (We have a single inboard diesel with prop, shaft, protective skeg, rudder and trim tabs submerged). Due to the copper in them, a slight electic current produced prevents the proper leaching availability of the copper biocide. All zincs take a beating in this environment.
Hydrocoat ECO completely eliminates this problem.

[Whalerdog]

As the project goes, the worst is over.

I used Peel-Away to soften paint and it was two days work. Sanding off [all of the bottom paint] would be the worst [approach] in my opinion.

You paint on Peel-Away thickly with a brush and cover it with paper. They supply paper. I ran out so I used freezer paper. That is about six hours work. Leave on [Peel-Away] for 3 to 24 hours, remove paper, and scrape. Messy--but it works. Good to off get nine-year's of bottom paint. Scraping is about five to six hour's work.

Next eight-hours sanding with a six-inch Porter Cable random orbital sander with 80-grit.

Today I wet-sanded the very edge of the water line with 600-grit and will polish it up with compound or 800 or 1000 wet-dry.

[There remains] a little bit of paint on the vertical sides of the strakes where I didn't want to go deeper with [sanding]l.

Probably another two hours and the bottom with be chalk white again.

Going to pick up a palm sander in the morning.

I plan to use Interlux [paint]. It can go longer without sanding again unlike West Systems. I will use gray, white, and gray coat, then anti-fouling.

Got some prices of over $1,000 for all. What would I have got for $2,000 scared me.

I wanted to inspect [the condition of the work done on the hull] before [the vendor providing the work applied the] paint, but [the vendor] said no. They would have given me a butcher job, like I have seen locally done. I have only three one-inch-long and two-inch-long marks--like a magic marker hit the boat--where I went through gel coat on edge of a strakes.

I did a decent job containing the dust with vacuum and hook and loop with holes.

I had a guy that was going to remove boat from trailer and poly bead the bottom last year for $750 but could not find him this year.