Bottom Paint & Soda Blasting

[Nick]

I need to remove bottom paint from my Compac 16.   I understand there is a soda blasting process to remove the paint.  It proposes that it is safe for the gel coat and the environment.

Anybody have an opinion?

[fafnir]

I would first try a good powerwasher, if it is an ablative paint that usually will remove the bulk of it.  If not then scraping and or using a chemical remover would be the next best option in my opinion.  How come you need to remove the bottom paint? 

[Nick]

My boat is from the 1970"s era and I bought it about 5 years ago.  The guys in the boat yard suggested I remove all bottom paint.   Then, check for blisters, apply a barrier coat and apply new bottom paint.  Then I will not have to worry about any underwater problem for a long while.  The baking soda power blasting is an option that may get the material off in a safe manner and get all the paint off, which will provide a good surface to paint. 

[fafnir]

Blisters on a com-pac sailboat are a pretty rare thing I think you will find.  I had a Marina try to get me to do the same thing to my Ranger 23, they wanted to remove all of the bottom paint, apply a barrier coat and then repaint it.  The price they quoted me felt like a kick in the stomache, it was more then I paid for the boat, and the boat had no blisters.  I decided I would do my own bottom paint job and see how it worked out,  I powerwashed the bottom and then lightly sanded it, most of the bottom paint came off really easy since it was an ablative.  I bought one gallon of bottom paint which did the whole boat with 2 coats over a weekend and have had no problems with blisters.  I personally think a lot of yards have made a lot of money off of people scaring them about blisters and barrier coats. 

If the price for them to sandblast the bottom, do the barrier coat and repaint it were under $500 I would say go for it, but more then likely it will be a lot more then that.  Good luck with whatever you decide, and welcome to the forum :-)  Where do you sail your compac?

[Nick]

Thanks for the input.  Your feelings are exactly why I put the idea on the website.  I am meeting with a guy to give me a quote next week.  I keep you updated.   
I sail my boat in the Shrewsbury River in Monmouth County, New Jersey.  I have had the boat for about seven years and get GREAT pleasure from single handed sailing anytime I want to go to the river.   

I monitor this site often and get many ideas and opinions, it's great.

[fafnir]

I will be curious to hear how much the quote will be.  I am in Minnesota and this will be my first season with a Com-pac.  We have spent most of our time sailing a larger boat on Lake Superior but just had our first child and we decided that shorter trips on smaller lakes may be more compatible with our new lifestyle and family member.  I am starting to think that the C-16 may be too small for us and have started looking for a C-19 or a Montgomery 17. 

--Chad

[Craig Weis]

To blast the bottom of your boat down to the factory fiberglass after a season or before a paint job here is what is needed...To blast.

A Solair screw air diesel 250 scfm compressor.
A Schmidt blast pot that can be pressurized; [out of Texas].
About 1000lb Church and Dwight chemical company [Arm and Hammer] baking soda blast media.
A garden hose for water wash down and dust control during blasting.

I have used this set-up to clean and prep for re-build 12 batch bake ovens for a kitchen utensil/ commercial bakery company. [Can you believe it $350 million in leasing baking pans to commercial bakerys each year?]

For demos at a Binks outlet near O'Hare Aeroport...in a business suit no less.

I have removed the clear coat from a Ford p-up truck tail gate. And stopped.
Then the color powder paint from the tail gate. And stopped.
Then the electrodeposition primer coat from the tale gate. And stopped.
After which there was nothing but bare clean 'white' metal to repaint.

This system was designed to blast/depaint these 'rubber' bumpers/wheels coverings, ect. on cars without profiling or re-shaping the molded product.

Works great on T-Bird two seat tops with the glass portholes in them. Won't scratch the glass, nor tear up the rubber surround. And polishes the chrome ring like new!!!. Skip.