Association Forum - Pressure washer question

Assn Members Area · Join

Home.

Association Forum

Ships Store

Cruising

Racing

Technical Tips

Photo Gallery - New

Boat Search - Updated

Manuals & Brochures

Swap Meet

Links

Officer Flag Line & Staff

Bylaws & Constitution

Members Area

Join the Association

Notice:
The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.

Association Forum

Username:	Password:
Save Password
Forgot your Password?

All Forums

Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

General Sailing Forum

Pressure washer question

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Author

Topic

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

Member Avatar

1608 Posts

Initially Posted - 04/12/2006 : 22:26:32

I need to remove ablative paint from bottom and swing keel - I've read recent threads regarding paint remover and sandblasting and sanding - what about high pressure washer?

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2006 : 22:33:32

take the time and sand the bottom, you have more control with removing too much. Use the washer to get the bottom clean and knock off the loose paint before sanding

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/12/2006 : 22:46:11

I suppose if you have nothing but ablative on there, a pressure washer will get it eventually--don't know how long... My problem is 15 years of hard paint under the ablative I used. But ablative is easily made smooth by either sanding or, even better, wiping lacquer thinner on it and smearing it around.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1608 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2006 : 11:55:48

While moored at the Navy Association Marina, I recieved a bit of an education on bottom work. What struck me was, the respect for the health hazards of ablative bottom paint that the Navy guys have. Working on their personal boats, they were covered up head to toe, while making sure the paint they were scrapping off was properly disposed of.
So, in my first attempt at doing my own bottom, I'm looking for the best way to go about it. Part of the beef I have with ablative paint is that everytime I launch and retrieve I end up getting it all over my hands and truck - mostly from handling the rudder. The other part of the problem I have is, this is work I have to do while the boat is on the trailer.

Edited by - on

Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 04/13/2006 : 12:19:15

Mike: Hold the top of the rudder!

(I use a little poly tarp to put the rudder on in my vehicle...) Yes, I think many people are a bit cavalier about bottom paint--especially ablatives, which keep their toxicity almost indefinitely and turn to powder in the air and on the skin (which will absorb the copper). And who knows about the anti-slime stuff they're adding these days... From the ATSDR: "...high intakes of copper can cause liver and kidney damage and even death."

Edited by - on

StSimon
Captain

Members Avatar

USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2006 : 07:49:24

I'm curious,

If you are a real trailer sailor, why do you use ablative paint? A hard paint is better suited to trailering.

Edited by - on

At Ease
Admiral

Members Avatar

672 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2006 : 12:50:55

Careful with that pressue washer, it can blow out caulk, sealant and other things you do not want blown out.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2006 : 13:24:34

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by StSimon
 I'm curious,

If you are a real trailer sailor, why do you use ablative paint? A hard paint is better suited to trailering.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Actually, if your a real trailer sailer, a garden hose is all you need for bottom paint

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1608 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2006 : 22:46:55

LaBarca is in the sling hoist at the Marina, I've been sanding all weekend and am just about done. The bottom is in pretty good condition - so I'm thinking that I'll leave the bottom unpainted for as long as I have her at the lake - so, the question now becomes, what is the best thing to apply to a bare, newly sanded bottom. Wax?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/16/2006 : 23:05:18

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by stampeder
 ...so, the question now becomes, what is the best thing to apply to a bare, newly sanded bottom. Wax?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'd opt for a barrier coat followed by VC17M. Although this paint is somewhat ablative (it does wear away over time), it is more of a hard paint and does not come off if you rub your hand over it.

Edited by - dlucier on 04/16/2006 23:16:21

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2006 : 06:33:47

Interlux 2000 or VC Tar then a coat of VC 17 or some other bottom paint. It is always a good idea to see what others in your area are using and have found to be successful.

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2006 : 07:36:17

Don't leave her unpainted. Fresh water assures that you won't get barnacles, but algae will grow on it. Antifouling paint will retard algae. You can only leave a boat unpainted if you trailer sail it, and don't leave it in the water for long. Also, wax on the bottom creates turbulence.

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2006 : 08:12:09

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Steve Milby
 Don't leave her unpainted. Fresh water assures that you won't get barnacles,...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I don't know about the other Great Lakes, but the Zebra mussels are pretty tenacious in Lake Erie. There is a less than well maintained sailboat in the yard that is covered with millions of those suckers!

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

Members Avatar

USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2006 : 08:41:47

I forgot about those zebra mussels. It's probably just a matter of time until someone brings a boat from Lake Erie and puts it in Brookville Lake, and then Brookville Lake will have them too.

Edited by - on

Ericson33
Admiral

Members Avatar

USA
892 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2006 : 10:53:46

I pull our hoist out of the water this Saturday, Its in a fresh water lake (Keystone) Oklahoma. The hoist has been in the water for about 8 years and when she came out there were Zebra Mussles on the port side tube.

Glad my boats on a hoist, many of the boats we have have been sitting for years, I personally tried to pull off one of these, It took a good graps and a good yank.

Edited by - on

stampeder
Master Marine Consultant

Members Avatar

1608 Posts

Response Posted - 04/17/2006 : 11:53:42

Okay, I'll go the VC 17 Route. I'll add some Cayene pepper in honour of LaBarca's Latino name.
We're on Ghost Lake at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, so we don't have Zebra Mussels. I think the only real problem is calcium and possibly some other chemicals discharged from a water treatment plant from a village upstream.

Edited by - on

Topic

New Topic

Topic Locked

Printer Friendly

Jump To:

Association Forum

Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.