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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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to sand or not to sand........

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Rick Heaverly 86 C25 5382
Navigator

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Belize
206 Posts

Initially Posted - 03/10/2002 : 11:07:44

getting ready to prep invictus for a 4/1 splash. considering not sanding the bottom prior to applying albative bottom paint.

any thoughts?

Rick Heaverly

Edited by - on

Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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1595 Posts

Response Posted - 03/10/2002 : 13:06:10

I think you should rough up any areas where the paint has flaked or otherwise doesn't look good. Be sure no slime is present or painted over. Other than that you should be fine.

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Rick Heaverly 86 C25 5382
Navigator

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206 Posts

Response Posted - 03/10/2002 : 17:43:32

douglas,

thanks for your response. just came back from the boat. there are a couple of areas that are flaking. so i guess i'll just rough up those areas with 80 grit. there is not any slime. she's been out of the water since november.

Rick Heaverly

Edited by - Rick Heaverly 86 C25 5382 TR-FK on 03/10/2002 17:44:59

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5913 Posts

Response Posted - 03/10/2002 : 20:57:21

Rick,

It might not look like there is any slime on the bottom, but there is. Over a period of a few months, some algae grows on the bottom of any boat, even when it is painted with modern ablative paint. In some waters, the growth is not apparent, but in others, the algae blooms rapidly, depending on local conditions. At my lake, in farm country in southern Indiana, heavy rains wash fertilizer and manure into the lake (yuk!), and algae grows like mad from one week to the next. Even where the growth is light, there will be millions of tiny, invisible, hairs of algae attached all over the bottom. If you paint over them, the thickness of bottom paint will rapidly accumulate, and water will not flow smoothly and efficiently over the bottom of your boat.

When you first launch the boat in the spring, run your hand over the bottom. The clean bottom will feel “squeaky clean.” The bottom surface will grip the skin of your hand. After the boat has been in the water for two or three months, run your hand over the bottom. Where there is algae, the bottom will feel slippery, almost as if it is covered with oil.

When I pull my boat at the end of each season, I wash the bottom at a very high pressure car wash within 30-45 minutes after I pull the boat. That removes most of the algae and grime. In the spring, I spend about 60 minutes lightly sanding the entire bottom, keel and rudder with medium grit sandpaper and a random orbit sander. If the paint has peeled on part of the bottom, I spend a few extra minutes smoothing that area. Then I rinse the bottom with a hose, to remove the sanding dust. That gets the underwater surfaces reasonably smooth, and removes the algae, and the bottom is smooth enough to be competitive for racing. I don’t think that is an inordinate amount of time or effort.

Our sailing season is only five months long, so I usually only put one coat of paint on the bottom. At the end of the season, if the previous coat of paint appears to have eroded significantly, then I usually apply two coats of paint the next spring. After that, I will probably go back to one coat the next season. If you let the thickness of the bottom paint accumulate excessively, you will eventually have a big job on your hands, removing the accumulated paint and algae. Doing it my way, I prevent it from accumulating. I haven’t had to strip the bottom paint and accumulated material from my boat in over twenty years, and she is still very fast.

Steve Milby “Captiva Wind” #2554, T/FK

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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.