Advice on bottom paint???

[VicB]

It’s time to get the bottom painted. I’ve read so much, I now have no idea what should be done. It’s a 1988 3807. I currently have no interest in it seeing salt water at least as far into the future as I can see. It has barrier coat and probably had ablative paint on top of that, but that’s totally gone. The painter said it was up to me. He said if no barrier coat was on there he normally does 5 coats. If mine is in decent shape, he’d do 2 or 3, then put on the ablative. I Think he uses Interlux barrier coat and Sea Hawk Talon for the ablative. He acted like on a 31 year old boat he didn’t know if it was worth the extra money. Barrier, no barrier? Ablative? NEED SOME EXPERIENCED ADVICE!!!
Thanks in advance,
Vic

[AaHubb]

I presume the barrier coat is to prevent blisters so its worth the expense.

..Aaron

[Cooler]

Assuming there are no blisters, definitely apply a barrier coat. It will prevent blisters, and allow your bottom paint to do a better, longer job. Interlux 2000E is a great product for barrier. I would use Interlux bottom over that just to stay with the same basic formula relative to compatibility. Bottomcoat with slime fighter works great. If you want to avoid repainting for 8 to 10 seasons in fresh water, use Interlux Offshore. Then you can go to saltwater if you want. Offshore is expensive, but pays for itself over the long run. er

[Viper]

Source of the post.....It has barrier coat and probably had ablative paint on top of that, but that’s totally gone....

If there already is a properly applied barrier coat then you shouldn't need to apply more unless it's been damaged, it doesn't just disappear. BTW, we shouldn't get into the habit of thinking that a barrier coat will prevent blisters, it won't, it's more complicated then that. The chances of blisters appearing aren't just dependent on external influences but also conditions within the glass layers themselves. As such, a barrier coat doesn't guaranty you'll never get them after its application.

I like ablatives because I hate layers and layers of old useless paint, and I like sanding them even less. If you do nothing, ablatives will simply disappear and leave you with a fresh bottom to start all over with again, even if you wanted to apply a different type of coating. Prep is easy for applying new coats later, just clean the hull. There are pros and cons to different types and the key in choosing is to determine your needs, water conditions, type of boating, your wallet, etc. There are few threads on here with some good info, they should show up if you do a search on the subject.

[VicB]

I’ve got 4 fist size blisters that I know of from the fall haul out and survey. If they grind those out and repair and I have a previous barrier coat that is just prepped for an ablative coat, ball park figure how long could I expect out of that. Viper you and I have about the same boat. Mine is in the water year around with basic weekend use. I know that’s a loaded question, but I didn’t know if ablative lasts a year, 3, 5?

[Viper]

How long an ablative coating lasts really depends mostly on running conditions. While there are some hybrid types, in general ablatives "ablate" or erode a little at a time while you're underway and release any marine growth as a result. The faster or more aggressive you boat, the sooner she will have to be re-coated. The general practice is to add more coats to the leading and trailing edges as they will wear faster. The pro is that with a quick wash or wipe, you can add more coats, no sanding required.

If the hull has been barrier coated previously, you shouldn't have to redo the whole hull again. Simply repairing the current blisters properly and barrier coating those isolated areas again should be fine.

Do you know how many coats of barrier coat were applied initially, and what brand?

[Cooler]

Correction to my previous post, the Interlux ablative I was referring to is Fiberglass Bottomkote NT, not slime fighter. ACT is the ablative with slime fighter. Not knowing the previous paint type is problematic. If it is not completely gone, some formulas will not adhere. The good news is, ablatives are the most the most flexible with regard to what they will cover over. er

[VicB]

Unfortunately the history of several items is unknown. I have owned the boat almost a year. Previous owner had it 4 years. He knew nothing about the bottom paint. So it’s older than five years. Surveyor was impressed with the barrier coat, so I thought that was good. Now, based on what I think I’m hearing is fix blisters and patch the barrier and go with several coats of ablative? Expect to do it again in a couple of years? I can see that there isn’t any reason to put hard epoxy on top of the already hard epoxy. Is there just regular paint or is it mostly ablative? We have a lot of growth on there now I’m sure, because the carp sound like a bunch of drums beating all night getting the algae off the bottom. Thank you guys for your patience and advice!

[VicB]

Well, 36 blisters were found. 7 new and 29 improperly repaired ones fixed again. The consensus was to do 2 coats of barrier coat (Interlux 2000E) on the bottom 3 on the side and then same number of coats of Sea Hawk Talon bottom paint. Boat looks great, too bad the newest and best looking part is under the water line. I did get a new boot stripe and a buffing / waxing from the rub rail down. Very lucky to have such a great boat!!!!