Sanded the hull, 20 years worth of bottom paint

[Ben87]

I spend the past 2 Saturdays sanding the bottom paint off the hull.  There is a red top layer then blue underneath with a green in there somewhere.  I worked 60 grit and should have probably gone to a 40 as while the 60 did well initially, of course it wore out in short order but the bottom is mostly smooth for new paint.  

My question is, I had some chips and lost gelcoat from meetings with the rocks and I sanded and faired those chips smooth, was/is this a good idea?  As I know, there is no wood in the hull so I should be ok with this since all I can see is a translucent layer then some mat/fiberglass mat underneath but better to be smooth than all rough, right?

[JimCt]

Where you have exposed the fiberglass itself, fill the areas with thickened epoxy.  For the best protection of the over-all hull, apply 2-3 coats of barrier primer such as Interlux Interprotect... http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/us ... oxy+Primer
... before putting bottom paint on.

[Ben87]

I definitely was down to the fiberglass, at least past the gelcoat.  If I did nothing and just left it smooth, then painted it, would it be fine?  I know that many of the "dings" have been there for a long time, just painted over, and some I smoothed over all nice-like, is the stuff good enough to just paint over and not really worry about?

[JimCt]

Glass boats absorb water to a fair degree which adds dead weight.  Barrier coat is formulated to keep water out.  If planning on keeping the boat, especially if it'll stay in the water for the summer, I'd spend the $ and barrier coat it.  My $.02.

[Pescador170]

def do the barrier coat. when i restored a 1982 wellcraft 248 sportsman i used to have i stripped all the bottom paint off then i wiped it down with something made by interlux to remove any oils and dust that were on the hull (i forget the name but it was some sort of solvent). then when it was ready i put on a few coats of the interlux 2000E barrier coat followed by micron. if you do decide to do it you have a short time frame to work with between coats of the 2000E and the bottom paint. you must have two free days to do this. follow all instructions on the cans and you will be good to go.
also definitely try to wear one of thse cheap throw away jump suits because this will be one of the messiest jobs you will ever do.

[Ben87]

[RickK]

I feel for ya brother :cry:

[JimCt]

Barrier coat can't go over bottom paint.

[slim]

Wow I feel for ya. Been there, Done that.  An I may be doing it agin real soon. The 19-6 I'm picking up has bottom paint. :(  :(  :(

[Ben87]

I'm pretty darned happy to at least be down to the blue paint.  Normally I would have just put on another coat and have been done with it, it is what I had been doing since my dad bought the boat new in 1987.  Now it really does look like a gobstopper, remember those candies?  At least right now the bottom is smooth whereas prior to the sanding it was all rough and wavy.  THis boat sits at the dock between weekends and the performance with the new 150 is darned good, plus I only cruise at 4000rpm so I just really need the paint to keep the barnacles and slime off.  It does look quite nasty though.  I'll be sure to get the after shot up as well.

[Irish Rover]

My previous boat was a hurricane Andrew salvage job that I bought and rebuilt in Florida.

I had a 41ft hull that had goudgess that were an inch thick and deep through the glass, gelcoat everything.

I used epoxy and fiberglass fiber filler to fill the goudgess and then let dry for a week, sanded and painted.  Paint had some trouble sticking to the glass in certain places so I roughed it up lightly and painted again and never had a problem.  

My rudder was the size of a barn door.  Had tears over two feet long.  Filled with the epoxy filler and never had a problem from that point on.

Good luck with your boat,

Justin