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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Aqua Marine Paint Stripper

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zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1328 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/12/2013 : 19:17:30

Does anyone have experience with a product called "Aqua Marine Paint Stripper", or equivalent to remove accumulated layers of ablative anti-fouling bottom paint on our C250 WB.

Aqua Paint Stripper claims that it will remove up to ten layers without harming the fiberglass gel-coat, is environmental safe and easy to use.

On a 25 ft hull how far will one gallon stretch...
What kind of tools would you recommend...
Would a normal drop-tarp protect the driveway adequately...
Any recommendations, ideas or suggestions as to how best to tackle this project

Henk & Johanna
"Floating", a few off your "barnacles".
"Someday Lady" '95 C250WB #151 ('03 - 2016)
"Sea ya" 30ft Bayliner (04-2018 - 09-2018)
"Mariah" '96 C250WB #191 (05-2019 - 15-05-2023)
"Lady J" '00 C250WK #499 (05-2021 - 09-2022)

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 03/13/2013 : 03:46:47

I just "tried" interstrip 299e from Interlux. My experience is, it works just fine, except... You need to lay it on REAL thick, it needs to be warm (70+), and it only softens the ablative, you still need to scrape.

I believe ALL of these products work to varying degrees. I used it on about 5 square feet... and didn't use it again. Hopefully that is telling enough for you. I wound up scraping the whole boat, which took of 9 layers... the last 1 or 2 had to be sanded off. See gallery below.

<center>[url="https://www.catalina-capri-25s.net/cgi-local/MBR_gallery.cgi?Album+2057+69"]

CP25 Bottom Scrape/Fair[/url]
I am going to use this album to document my progress with the boat over the colder months...</center>

Then you have to do barrier coat (you've exposed parts of the gelcoat, and fiberglass during the stripping)... then bottom paint. I used Interprotect 2000e
<center>[url="https://www.catalina-capri-25s.net/cgi-local/MBR_gallery.cgi?Album+2057+100"]

CP25 Bottom Paint[/url]
This is the process of getting the bottom painted up, from Barrier to final coat.</center>

Edited by - on

shnool
Former Capri-25 Tech Editor

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USA
1032 Posts

Response Posted - 03/13/2013 : 03:57:36

Oh and as far as "protection?" Forget it. Everything you see/own/touch will be the color of your ablative. This stuff is major league toxic too... halfway through my project I got an email from our Sail Club about a former member who just last year stripped their ablative, and spent several days in the hospital from "copper toxicity levels."

Wear a lead paint removal respirator. Goggles, and protection for your hands, arms.

For the scraping part, a tarp helps, but in my case blue flecks wound up everywhere! it was so bad that I swept (with mask on), and swept, and vacuumed, and then eventually pressure washed the floor.

Oh... another option. Buy a soda blaster! http://www.harborfreight.com/15-lb-portable-soda-blaster-66742.html Seriously, this LOOKS expensive, but is worth every penny. I suspect you'd have a decent learning curve, but loading this thing up several times (20-30) has got to save 50 hours of hard labor scraping! You'll read that it's the "best" way to remove bottom paint (with the smoothest result). You'll also read that it takes a steady hand to do properly. MAYBE, but I swear you'd learn it quickly compared to scraping!

Edited by - on

SEAN
Admiral

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USA
772 Posts

Response Posted - 03/13/2013 : 05:09:57

Hey Hank ,

I stripped the bottom of my boat a year or two ago ..
West marine sells two kinds one is a thick cream color gel , the other is a watery blue I think that was the aqua strip ?

The thicker gell works better ..

I used alot too , maybe 4 to 6 gallons i think ?

it was a tuff job , It was just warm enough when i did mine in the spring ,
it really did not bubble up like paint remover of the past ...
it did not take 10 layers off at a time either .. maybe two at best .
I backed the boat and trailer over a large tarp .

it was a big work out on the arms too ,scrapping .
after i was done I thought I really should have got some prices to blast it ..

doing the barrier coats wernt bad after it was stripped .
thats a project in it self 4 to 5 coats plus the bottom paint .

good luck

Edited by - on

iwillnotsubmit
1st Mate

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64 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2013 : 06:00:18

I had good luck with Franmar Soy strip last year. The bottom paint on Peanut was in very bad shape, many old layers with large sections that had flaked off. It did a good job and is very safe, no odor. I only used a gallon and a half for the bottom, minus the keel. I tried the strippers from WM before I found an article in Practical Sailor from 2006, comparing bottom paint strippers and Soy Strip was the winner. In my own experience the Soy Strip worked the best. I have no affiliation with the company, its just a good product.

Edited by - iwillnotsubmit on 03/16/2013 06:09:13

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2013 : 06:41:04

Found [url="http://www.franmar.com/marine-boating/article.html"]this[/url] from P/S. (Actually, it's off Franmar's site, but presumably it's the undoctored article.)

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5909 Posts

Response Posted - 03/16/2013 : 06:50:47

IMO, the trick to using paint strippers is to let the chemicals do their job. The method that worked best for me has been to apply it on a day when temps are going to reach at least in the low 60s. Start in the morning, even if it's cooler than that, and wipe off any morning dew first, and then apply a thick coat. Then check on it periodically, and, when the first coat begins to dry, apply another coat. IMO, as long as the gel remains wet, it is working to soften the paint. If you scrape it off after each application, you are scraping off some of the gel that is still working, thus wasting it. Continue brushing on additional coats over the previous coats until the paint is thoroughly softened, and, when you think most of it is ready to come off, or when you are ready to quit for the day, then scrape it off. Don't leave it on overnight in the hope that it will continue working all night. IMO, it will dry out overnight and the paint will harden again.

There are lots of different formulations of paint strippers. Some are designed specifically for fiberglass and gel coat, and others will damage it. Be careful to get the right formulation and apply it according to the product label.

Edited by - Steve Milby on 03/16/2013 07:25:10

zeil
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
1328 Posts

Response Posted - 03/17/2013 : 19:23:12

Thank you all for your findings, information and article provided... we'll follow up, locate product dealers and do some pricing...

1) In your estimation how many gallon(s) of paint stripper are needed to strip 2-3 layers of Interlux Micron CSC ablative bottom paint from our 25 ft C250 WB

2) Using the boat for several months in both fresh and salt water and storing the boat during the winter on the dry which ablative bottom paint would you recommend.

3) At present we do not have a barrier coat but lightly sanded the hull's gel coat and applied the Interlux Micron CSC ablative paint directly to the hull. However, every year we have areas at random where the paint blisters and flakes. We then scrape, clean and apply new ablative paint in that area which eventually ends up as a rough and patchy surface.

Once the old ablative bottom coat has been entirely removed
4) how would you prepare the hull
5) what type of ablative paint would you recommend...

Edited by - on

Stinkpotter
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
9089 Posts

Response Posted - 03/18/2013 : 08:31:47

Did you thoroughly remove the mold release agent (wax) before your first paint job? Sanding doesn't do it--the only thing that does is a solvent, of which there are many that claim to do the job--some double as paint thinners.

I've used Pettit Ultima SR 40 (a.k.a. West Marine PCA Gold) and been satisfied with its rejection of slime and critters. It's ablative, but fairly smooth--not to powdery. I might change to Pettit Hydrocoat this year--it's water-based, but otherwise has the same stuff in it. (I like the idea of not having to wash my hands in paint thinner.)

Edited by - on

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