Bottom-sanding a trailered ?23

[Bristol14]

I?m pondering the best way to raise my trailered ?23 so I can sand my multilayered bottom paint this spring. I?ve got a good sander/vac set up, respirator, etc but I?d rather not sand while lying on my back! 

Jack up the boat or trailer, roll the trailer up on a ramp, dig a pit under the trailer?

[Renae]

Same question, Suncat.

[Bob23]

Big weight difference between a Suncat and a 23 but safety being the prime concern, I'd pay someone to remove the boat from the trailer and place it on jack stands so you'd have full access. Of course, the area where the stands contact as well as the bottom of the keel would need to be done after the boat's off the stands.

Me being a cheapskate, I chose to wiggle myself under the boat while she was on the trailer both for sanding and painting. The boat is hauled and launched at a marina using their travel lift and in the spring, I always schedule the launch so she's hangs in the slings over the crews lunch break which allows me to paint the areas I couldn't reach while on the trailer. I also use a water based ablative bottom paint that dries quickly and is super effective. Interlux Aqua- I've gotten up to 3 seasons out of 1 coat, and I sail in salt water.

Cheers!!
Bob23

[Bristol14]

Thx Bob, being a cheapskate myself, but also preferring to not sanding from a prone position, I?m hoping someone has a unique solution.

I too use an ablative, water-based bottom paint. However, Mudlark being a 34 yr old boat, has multiple layers of flaking bottom paint that the previous owner applied that is clearly old school coating. I thought I?d found a reasonable mobile soda blaster who also applies a barrier coat, but they have switched to sandblasting and don?t barrier coat anymore. They ?guarantee? their work, but I?ve read too many negative stories about sandblasting to believe their claims. I also thought I?d found an inshore boatyard willing to sand Mudlark for a reasonable price but they seemed to have changed their minds...

Maybe I can convince one of my sons to do the work (for beer) or maybe I?ll live with a rough bottom and just enjoy sailing.

Still thinking about the pit under the boat idea (kidding)...

[brackish]

More information needed.  Are you talking about a scuff sand to apply another coat, or are you talking about removing all of those multiple coats?  Is it hard or ablative? Do you have keel rollers or a keel board?

I (with keel rollers) removed the keel guide boards from the trailer, put two jacks under the keel, fore and aft with spreader boards that fit the with of the opening between keel rollers, jacked the boat up about four inches.  It ended up staying on one of the bunks lifting off the other probably because there was a slight lateral slope on the drive way.  I sanded it all except the bunk it was supported on and the spots under the jack plates.  Lowered it, tied it off to the finished bunk and raised it again to sand under the other bunk.  There was a small area between the keel and the hull bottom I could not get either standing or sitting and that had to be done on my back, but not to bad.  When all the sanding and painting was done, I sanded the bottom of the keel area that was sitting on the jack plates and painted it.  This was just a scuff sand for another coat, not a multi layer removal.  If I were to do that, I would find a yard to bead blast it.  I used power sanders for some of it but found using a fairing board was the best way to make the most progress with the least dust on the contoured surfaces. This pic shows it just after finishing before replacing the keel guides

BTW, step one on the way from the lake to the house was a stop at the self car wash and spend about ten bucks pressure washing every inch that could be got to multiple times.  Helped a lot.

[USMCR O-5]

That's a beautiful boat.  I'm doing a refit on my 23/3, having painted the hull Flag Blue.  And now seeing your red bottom, that's the way I'm going to go.

[BobK]

I have used Sheetrock sanding pads attached to a 5ft pole to sand the ablative off my 27 so I did not have to go under the boat.  Those pads do a good job removing the paint and I did not have to be under the boat reaching up.
BobK