since we only trailer sail the "audrey j" i was thinking of sanding away the bottom paint to what looks like a nice gray barrier coat. a friend suggested just letting the bottom coat wear away. i have never seen any signs of blistering but i would like it to look better on the trailer. will automotive paint adhere to the barrier coat? that is epoxy based right?
I would wet sand to the barrier coat and not add paint, however...depending on the paint it may still hold toxic material. Therefore I wouldn't do this at my home. Instead I would take it Mac and pay the pro's do the removal. Just seems the best options and probably not all that expensive. btw we should get together for a few beers soon... I am having sailing withdrawl...although I did make the rounds of the marinas yesterday. Best of luck.
I wouldn't strip it to the barrier coat and leave the barrier coat only. I would leave the paint that is on there on there. The reason being is that when you do a big bottom job, part of the last coat of barrier coat includes painting a coat of bottom paint over the barrier coat. This is an important step and it is done when the barrier coat is still tacky.
If you don't like the look of your current paint, just paint over one coat of a good trailer sailor ablative.
I dont remember looking at it last time closely enough, but I do know that at one point, Catalina (or one of those makers....) did grey Gelcoat on the bottom of boats. It matched a line somewhere I think further up, and it was also to give the bottom a different color on the smaller boats. Yours fits that bill of thinking as far as boats I have seen that on...... So you might actually be looking at gelcoat.
I would let it wear off, maybe even help it along by stopping at a pressure washer bay big enough to house that boat, and wash it down. Sometimes folks didnt prep properly, and that may be the case. After it is all gone, you might not have to do a thing :)
Otherwise a set of polishing sanding discs would shine her back up when the paint is all gone as well.
Mac
mac, im hoping that you are right but as always im way ahead of schedule----given the current temp and time of year------come on spring
Catalina did so the gray gel coat....I had it on my 1990 Catalina 30.
The grey is an epoxy barrier coat. It was on both of my 89 Catalinas. It became an options around 88. I was shopping for a new boat at the time and I could get the boat either way. I think in 89 it became standard due to the increasing awareness of blistering problems. Catalina was starting to offer the 5 year blister guarantee but only with the epoxy. I think that was coupled with a change in volatile emission regulations somewhat before that time The change in resin was being blamed as partly responsible for the blistering problems occurring in many 80's production models. (Presently there is a host of articles addressing the likely causes of blisters including the water sitting inside the hull.) I believe the only time the bottom paint is put on with a tacky last coat of barrier is if you are using an epoxy based antifouling paint. I think for regular paints a quick rough up would be fine. A few years back I helped refinish an iron keel with multiple coats of vc tar and then a wetsand (man that stuff is hard!!!) and a 2 coats of vc 17 sprayed. Though I wasn't around for the spraying I am pretty sure the yard did that. Usually I see it rolled on, it is pretty thin stuff. Hope this helps.
i will probably just let it wear off and keep an eye open for any blistering----thanks fellas
My 2001 Catalina 18 had a barrier coat, no bottom paint. I kept it in the water (at 9000ft, however, that's COLD water) for 3 months at a time for 3 years in Colorado. No blisters. I would think that trailer sailing would be no problem at all re blisters, so "looks" for the bottom paint issue is only a matter of preference I would think.
Jett