Bottom painted OVER my Gel coat without Prep - Suggestions

[Smittles1179]

I brought my Parker 2120 in to the local shop to have the bottom painted.
(When I purchased it last year it already had paint on it and had a few scrape marks as it is a trailer boat. The paint on the boat must be over 5 years old.)

The shop calls me the next day and says it looks like who ever painted the bottom didn’t prep it first. They just painted over the gel coat. He is not sure if this is accurate but based on what he see's believes it is: It could just be a hack job.

He said I have a couple options:

1) He can sand it, paint it, but won’t guarantee the paint will stick and hold.

2) He can call in a guy who Soda Blasts the bottom and then paint it with a hard paint and I’ll be good to go. But this is more expensive.

3) He said he can give it back to me and do nothing. (I’m thinking I might do this)

I was wondering if it was true that the gel coat is still in tact under that paint if there was some way to remove it and restore the original gel coat. Anyone have any thoughts?

Bill

 

[fess]

Leave it, go fishing the season is going to be very eary this year!

 

[DaleH]

I think what he meant is that the mold release wax wasn't stipped from the gel-coated hull prior to application of the bottom paint. Here's what I'd do.

NOW - Prep and paint for this season

FALL - Power wash when it comes out

SPRING 2013 - Power wash. Solvent wash any "white hull" area showing through the existing bottm paint. Paint it with a hard, but cheap (West Marine brand is fine) epoxy-based bottom paint of a DIFFERENT color than the typical AF paint you use. Then paint for that season.

Repeat ... repeat. FWIW I find the 2x pressure wash eash season (one when was was "wet" [immediately after hauling] and one when hull was dry, but after the Winter temps and Spring thaw (thus exposed to thermal cycles) really does a great job to remove "loose" paint.

And the intent of the hard AFD paint on the hull protects that spot with AF paint, but allows that color to show thru when your ablative (as I am assuming you're using an ablative topcoat)... to indicate where your final coat is thin ...

Capice?

 

[Burtona]

You mentioned a trailer and if you don't keep it in the water, I would clean amd paint the same color just for cosmetic reasons. Then when ever you find a spot that's peeled off or when it doesn't look to suit you touch up the spots with a brush. I bought a boat that had been painted but I kept it on a trailer and that's what I did when the paint looked bad enough that it bothered me. I surely wouldn't spend much money on a paint job unless the boat is kept in the water.

 

[Sully]

I had my boat bottom painted the first time also
And Just like you said I dont think they preped it right
That was 9 years ago
Its been fine
Like Dale said I power wash it in the fall and in the spring
Let her dry for a couple of days
Coat her with a "thin" coat of ACT ablative paint and were good
Bottom stays smooth and no build up
Id leave it
Its supposed to come off.. :lol:
but you want coverage before she gos in

It has worked out that I have trailered about 40% of the time and slipped the rest
Depending on the economy

 

[DBthal]

Solvent wash any "white hull" area showing through the existing bottom paint.

What type of solvent do you recommend to clean bare spots on an ablative painted hull? Won't it smear the ablative from adjacent painted areas? Power wash again after solvent?

Thx

Dan

 

[pmeggers]

Capt Smitties, if you trailer the boat dont leave it in for lengthy periods of time just leave as is so you can save up for the new helm chair!

 

[DaleH]

What type of solvent do you recommend to clean bare spots on an ablative painted hull? Won't it smear the ablative from adjacent painted areas? Power wash again after solvent?

I use acetone. Yes it smears a bit, no big deal. It evaporates quickly. Wear gloves ... acetone is one of THE fastest solvents to enter your body from skin contact ...

I would solvent wash, sand, scrape, solvent wash again and then paint the bare spots with red or blue otr cheapest epoxy hard AF paint. Then paint the bottom with your ablative of choice. That hull looks like it could use a good scraping too.