work for the winter

[Richard Formica]

Hi
I have two questions. This winter I'm going to have the bottom of Inerarity sandblasted and re-barrier coated. I'm going to have a reputatable yard do the work but I wanted to know what questions I should ask? Does anyone have a strong preference for any one product? I've seen many discussed on this page. Anything I should be on the look out for?
I also what to have the hull done in a Flag Blue color. This following question will reveal my naivete but- 1. Does gel-coat come in different colors? I know Awl grip is a paint; do I need to gel coat over this? Are there other options for refinishing the hull? What do people prefer? And finally if I choose to put a color on the hull; do I set myself up for fading of the color and then have to commit to a regular paint job every few years? After 20 years the current white still looks ok. Thanks in advance.
Rich

[Duncan Maio]

Rich:

As for sandblasting, I would ask about blasting media (silica, walnut shells, etc.) and ask for references, then check them.

The hull can be redone with either paint (awlgrip, etc.) or gelcoat, in any color you like. The boat next to us in the yard last winter (a Soling, hull #11) had new gelcoat applied, and that 30 year old hull looked brand new. One neat trick the yard added - they did the bootstripe in gelcoat, so it will not need paint until the gelcoat wears out in another 30 years.

good luck with your project.

Duncan Maio
s/v Remedy
CD27 #37



dmaio@att.net

[Tom]

Hi
I have two questions. This winter I'm going to have the bottom of Inerarity sandblasted and re-barrier coated. I'm going to have a reputatable yard do the work but I wanted to know what questions I should ask? Does anyone have a strong preference for any one product? I've seen many discussed on this page. Anything I should be on the look out for?
I also what to have the hull done in a Flag Blue color. This following question will reveal my naivete but- 1. Does gel-coat come in different colors? I know Awl grip is a paint; do I need to gel coat over this? Are there other options for refinishing the hull? What do people prefer? And finally if I choose to put a color on the hull; do I set myself up for fading of the color and then have to commit to a regular paint job every few years? After 20 years the current white still looks ok. Thanks in advance.
Rich

Rich, you wouldn't put gelcoat over Awlgrip. It's an either-or proposition. BTW Awlgrip is a brand name not a paint. Awlgrip, Interthane and other brands are all versions of a finish called: "Linear Poly Urethane" or LPU. Linear Poly Urethane is only a "paint" in the loosest meaning of the word. It is a high tech space age product that is as durable as gelcoat. You'd never have to paint it again as long as you did the usual kind of maintenance that you would to gelcoat.

Now as to which to use, gelcoat is best used in molds when making the boat at the factory. You can spray gelcoat on later but it requires special equipment (it's very thick) and a skilled craftsman. One of the reasons that people often opt for LPU instead is that it is very thin, has self levelers in it and is in general easier to work with and results in a super high gloss and very durable finish. It's really a toss up in my opinion if you've got the people available who can work it. If you're thinking of doing it yourself then I'd say that LPU gets the nod. As Duncan said they both come in a choice of colors and you can tint gelcoat also. I'm not sure about tinting LPU, but you probably can with the right stuff.



TacCambria@thegrid.net

[Don Sargeant]

Because the LPU film is so thin, proper prep of the hull is mandatory. On my old boat I used grey primer and sanded it until it looked smooth. It wasn't and every flaw showed up in the paint. I also had some blistering problems here and there. Coloring was no problem at all. I had a custom color made up at an automobile paint shop. The surface held up very well over a lot of years (13) of hard use. A coat of wax every year kept it beautiful (except for the aforementioned flaws.)
Don Sargeant
~~COQUINA~~

Hi
I have two questions. This winter I'm going to have the bottom of Inerarity sandblasted and re-barrier coated. I'm going to have a reputatable yard do the work but I wanted to know what questions I should ask? Does anyone have a strong preference for any one product? I've seen many discussed on this page. Anything I should be on the look out for?
I also what to have the hull done in a Flag Blue color. This following question will reveal my naivete but- 1. Does gel-coat come in different colors? I know Awl grip is a paint; do I need to gel coat over this? Are there other options for refinishing the hull? What do people prefer? And finally if I choose to put a color on the hull; do I set myself up for fading of the color and then have to commit to a regular paint job every few years? After 20 years the current white still looks ok. Thanks in advance.
Rich

Rich, you wouldn't put gelcoat over Awlgrip. It's an either-or proposition. BTW Awlgrip is a brand name not a paint. Awlgrip, Interthane and other brands are all versions of a finish called: "Linear Poly Urethane" or LPU. Linear Poly Urethane is only a "paint" in the loosest meaning of the word. It is a high tech space age product that is as durable as gelcoat. You'd never have to paint it again as long as you did the usual kind of maintenance that you would to gelcoat.

Now as to which to use, gelcoat is best used in molds when making the boat at the factory. You can spray gelcoat on later but it requires special equipment (it's very thick) and a skilled craftsman. One of the reasons that people often opt for LPU instead is that it is very thin, has self levelers in it and is in general easier to work with and results in a super high gloss and very durable finish. It's really a toss up in my opinion if you've got the people available who can work it. If you're thinking of doing it yourself then I'd say that LPU gets the nod. As Duncan said they both come in a choice of colors and you can tint gelcoat also. I'm not sure about tinting LPU, but you probably can with the right stuff.

don@cliggott.com

[Kurt]

The barrier coating to use below the waterline is VINYLESTER resin. It's available from different manufacturers so discuss with your boatyard which they would prefer to use...3M sells a line of marine coating products and fillers that are vinylester based. Vinylester is preferred over expoxy for blister prevention due to its superior Moisture Exclusion Effectiveness (MEE) factor. I assume your goal is to prevent and cure blisters.



kjlgpw@aol.com

[chuck yahrling]

Hi
I have two questions. This winter I'm going to have the bottom of Inerarity sandblasted and re-barrier coated. I'm going to have a reputatable yard do the work but I wanted to know what questions I should ask? Does anyone have a strong preference for any one product? I've seen many discussed on this page. Anything I should be on the look out for?
I also what to have the hull done in a Flag Blue color. This following question will reveal my naivete but- 1. Does gel-coat come in different colors? I know Awl grip is a paint; do I need to gel coat over this? Are there other options for refinishing the hull? What do people prefer? And finally if I choose to put a color on the hull; do I set myself up for fading of the color and then have to commit to a regular paint job every few years? After 20 years the current white still looks ok. Thanks in advance.
Rich

If you go with the 3M barrier coating, be aware that you will need every bit of the minimum 60 degrees air temp they recommend for application: 70-80 would be my recommendation. I've used it to spot repair some dings and weeping in the keel of my CD-27, and found it took a long time to cure and is very runny on vertical surfaces. Also, it seems to react with any kind of paint, but if you're going with a clean hull that won't be a problem.




yahrling@cybertours.com