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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 250 Specific Forum

Bottom Painting

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High H2O
1st Mate

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35 Posts

Initially Posted - 11/18/2003 : 21:13:02

Hi all... Great forum! I'm the proud new owner of C250WB hull number 67. It's in great shape with the exception of the bottom paint. I searched the forum on the subject and was able to learn all I needed with one exception. Is there a safe and effective way to lift the hull a few inches off the trailer? I would prefer to do the bottom painting myself if possible. I could use jacks & plywood but want to be sure I will not damage the hull. Any Thoughts?

Ric

Edited by - on

Buzz Maring
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1769 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2003 : 11:42:29

Hi Ric,

Welcome to the group!

Here is a link to a thread in the General Forum that is going on right now ... it addresses your question as well as the type of bottom paint:

[url="http://www.catalina25-250.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5099"]Bottom paint[/url]

I don't know if your trailer has bunks or rollers. Mine has rollers, and I use a technique similar to what Steve Milby describes (i.e. moving the boat back a foot or so on the trailer, painting underneath the rollers, then moving the boat forward again). In my case though, I didn't have a tow vehicle hooked up to the trailer.

I anchored a "come-along" to a tree, attached it to a bridle that was hooked onto several points on the boat (mostly the stern cleats), and I winched the boat back until I had enough room to paint under the rollers. After the paint dried I simply used the winch on my trailer to move the boat forward again.

BTW, if you try something like this, be sure you put some weight on the tongue of the trailer ... otherwise the boat might tip backward, and the results would be disastrous.

'Hope that made sense ... good luck with your new boat!

Edited by - Buzz Maring on 11/19/2003 11:53:43

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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2980 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2003 : 12:00:04

Ric,

To bottom paint the boat on the trailer is doable...

It will require removing the center board from the boat which is not difficult and will also allow general maintenance of the board systems at the same time.

To remove the center board and expose the forward hull area from the bunk boards, simply jack the front of the boat up about 8 inches higher than the hightest point that can be reached with the trailer tounge jack. Then, lower the tongue jack and rotate it free. Now, jack against the boat which will now push the forward trailer back down. This will provide the clearance to pull the board out and paint the foward area under the bunks.

After doing all the bottom painting and cable maintenance, reinstall the board and then reposition the boat on the bunk boards and then jack up each stern quarter seperately to get under that bunk area.

Fairly easy project.

Edited by - on

High H2O
1st Mate

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35 Posts

Response Posted - 11/19/2003 : 19:37:52

Thanks guys!

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mday
Navigator

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197 Posts

Response Posted - 11/27/2003 : 13:54:19

Arlyn,

It sounds like you've done this a couple times. Can you provide more details? When you say "jack against the boat", aren't there places on the hull where you might not want that much weight? Do you use some kind of a pad on the jack to distribute weight? And what kind of jack are we talking about?

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Robert
1st Mate

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USA
75 Posts

Response Posted - 12/01/2003 : 15:19:50

Arlyn;
I would like some more info on how you paint the bottom of your 250WB as well. Perhaps, this item is of sufficient interest that it should have a special posting.
Thanks, Robert

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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2980 Posts

Response Posted - 12/01/2003 : 18:23:13

R&R has an unpainted bottom as I trailer sail exclusively... so I know zilch about bottom paint. However, I have removed the center board for repairs.

Jacking the trailer back down against the hull was done by using a very small hydraulic jack. The bottom area forward of the bow roller is very thick... about an inch of glass. Use a piece of 2x4 covered with a carpet pad and jacked in that area. That is also the area used to block up the boat.

Edited by - on

bear
Admiral

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USA
909 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2003 : 07:52:57

Arlyn,
My C250 WB "089 remains unpainted also and is wet sliped in a very
clean lake for 5 months. I plan on eliminating the slapping of the swing keel by shimming before next years "splash". Do you have access to shim part numbers and thicknesses. I plan on measuring the gap with a feeler gauge before removing the keel so I have some idea
what to install when reinstalling the keel. Also what is the latest on the infamous "cable" to your knowledge or any one else who has changed the cable recently, I'm not even sure there is anything wrong with the installed cable. "THANX" in advance once again. "Bear" on the hard in upstate N.Y.

Edited by - on

Arlyn Stewart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
2980 Posts

Response Posted - 12/02/2003 : 11:46:02

I made my own shims using some sheet plastic and hole saws... so don't have the part numbers. Catalina parts can provide them. Some owners have also shimmed the trunk housing. This makes good sense to further eliminate board klunking. I raise the board while at anchor and don't experience clunking with it raised.

It would be interesting to hear what those who slip the boat do?

The last that I heard, Catalina was providing a non metallic cable for the center board. I don't know if this is the fix for those having problems with wire or if its also what is used on current production.

I'm thinking that that the encouragement to prevent the board from being pushed up has greatly reduced the amount of failures. It appears that pushing the board up, causes the cable to be pinched and sliced against the sheave above the board. How exactly that happens, I'm unsure but many including myself have witnessed a parted cable that was not frayed and appeared to be sliced rather than failing due to fatigue.

This can happen when loading onto the trailer if the board rides up on one of the center board guides, approaching the beach closely especially with some surf, and at least one owner felt that his trailer bunks were too low and were thus shimmed up slightly to keep the board from pressing upward.

Edited by - on

azexploder
1st Mate

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USA
78 Posts

Response Posted - 01/06/2004 : 22:16:24

Just finished blasting, scraping, and sanding 7 years of blue bottom paint down to the barrier coat.

I lifted the boat off the trailer bunks by using my old bunk boards. I set them a few inches inside the new bunkboards, used two bottle jacks to lift untill they carried the weight on one side. I then dropped the new ones, scraped, sanded, and painted the one side. She is still drying, so the next side get done tomorrow.

It is nice to be able to do a second coat after 15 minutes with this VC17.

Edited by - azexploder on 01/06/2004 22:16:59

High H2O
1st Mate

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35 Posts

Response Posted - 01/12/2004 : 13:39:37

I'm considering going the VC17 route also. You said you removed the old bottom paint down to the "barrier coat". Is it obvious when you've gone far enough? Does the paint color change or something? How do you keep from doing gelcoat damage?

My other option is to just put on another coat of the "cheap" blue stuff.

Ric

Edited by - on

sailgal
Captain

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USA
400 Posts

Response Posted - 01/13/2004 : 11:40:18

Bear, I replaced my cable last year after it broke again.

I concur with Arlyn, It was a clean cut....more than likely pinched when the board was up. The first repair, I had the boat dry hauled and a Catalina mech. replaced the ball shive and cable. The turning ball sort of fell apart in his hand. He told me Catalina has since upgraded this and so that was brought up to date. Last year the cable snapped again....same thing looked like a clean cut. I again had the boat dry hauled, this time after talking with Mr. Butler I had a new "updated" cable shipped to me. This was/is a line....no more metal and he assured me it is stronger than the original metal cable used in past WB boats. I suggest you change out the cable....It was real easy to do while up in the sling with the board hanging down. Not sure if the boat is on a trailer how easy this would be. Good luck.

Edited by - on

azexploder
1st Mate

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USA
78 Posts

Response Posted - 01/14/2004 : 22:09:22

The blue stuff is designed to wear out. The barrier coat is not. When I used a high pressure washer, the blue stuff just flew off and left the barrier coat high and dry – as it where. I used a regular paint scraper and filed it to more of a blade. I then chipped off the remaining old stuff, sanded with a sanding block 100, 150, and then 300 on a palm sander. Mine was cracked and chipped already, so it came off very easy. There is a video link on the 25 forum that shows a shop blowing off the paint that is not so old.

This stuff is dangerous, so follow all the recommended precautions – breathing apparatus for sanding, collecting and disposing the old paint, and cover up when painting.

I painted the keel also, and the worst part of the job was bracing the stern with blocks and 2x6 boards and jacking up the bow/2x6, bow/2x6, bow/2x6. Eight inches is a long way when your baby is hanging in the balance.

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