Prepping for bottom paint

[JonnyBoats]

I have my LeComte Northeast 38 hauled out to replace the engine and want to apply some Pettit Ultima ablative antifouling paint.

Yesterday the boat was hauled. Currently the boat has Pettit Trinidad bottom paint that was applied last June. We power washed the bottom, popped off all the barnicales with a scrapper, and scrubbed the bottom by hand using a 3M scouring pad and Simple Green. Finally we power washed the bottom again to make sure everything was rinsed off.

Pettit recommends sanding with a 80 grit paper before applying Ultima. Since we are doing our own work, don't have HEPA resparators, and really don't want to load our lungs up with toxic chemicals we are wondering if it would be OK to just paint over what we have?

The Trinidad paint is solid and looks like new now that the bottom is clean. The bottom was completlely stripped last June before this paint was applied. The surface is smooth (well OK, not as smooth as a racing boat that is dry sailed) and are plans are to live on the boat and cruse.

What should we do?

[Capn_Tom]

The sanding is necessary to give some tooth to the new paint. Otherwise it's likely to peel. You don't need any crazy respirators just a 3m half face respirator. I think they're 20-25 bucks. A lot cheaper than the bottom paint

[Ceasar Choppy]

I have used drywall screens mounted on pads with handles to give it some tooth. You have to rinse the pads occassionally since they clog with paint dust... but you can do this wet.

But I only did this with compatable ablatives.

[Tim]

I have my LeComte Northeast 38 hauled out to replace the engine

I'm looking forward to the pictures of the process! (hint...hint...)

The scrubbing you did may have "toothed" up the old paint enough...maybe not. Since you're switching paint types, though, I'd suggest that sanding is a good idea. It doesn't really take much at all.

Get yourself a good reusable respirator, such as the 3M 6000 half-face. Be sure to buy a respirator that has commonly-available replacement cartridges, whether you like to buy online or locally. I chose this one because my main supplier carries it, and its replacement cartridges, so it's easy for me.



A decent silicone mask like this is infinitely more comfortable to wear than those horrid paper (or related) dust masks. If a respirator is comfortable, you won't mind wearing it, and will reach for it more often. They are not expensive; the replacement cartridges are rarely cheap, but neither is an iron lung and long-term inpatient care.

Anyone working on various aspects of a boat needs a respirator like this. It works for organic vapors (solvents) as well as dust, if you install the fuzzy dust (particulate) filters over the organic cartridges.

Get one, and use it. Store it in a Ziploc bag when not in use, as the cartridges will last longer if not constantly exposed to air.

[Rachel]

I couldn't agree more on the suggestion to purchase a good respirator. Once you have a decent one, you'll pop it on for all kinds of painting and sanding type tasks that you used to just suffer through. It really is a good investment in future health.

As for the Pettit Ultima, I used it for an extended time period in the tropics (as well as further north) and couldn't have been happier with its performance.

As a side note, it was good customer service that got me started on Ultima. On the first boat I crewed/cruised on, we had Pettit's then-top-of-the-line ablative (whose name escapes me now), and when we hauled in the Chesapeake (after well over a year, including tropical sailing) the boat had a pretty good load of barnacles.

I might have chalked it up to some pretty tough conditions, but the boat's owner called Pettit to enquire, and spoke with a fellow in the technical department about the issue. With no real prompting, he said, "We've got a new ablative out, let me send you two complimentary gallons." That was Ultima. Of course it was applied and it worked so well that the next time I needed to buy bottom paint (another boat), I bought it. Nothing like good customer service and a great paint.

[JonnyBoats]

I called Pettit and asked their advice. The "technician" suggested I scuff-up" the old paint with 80 grit paper. He also suggested I wet sand it to keep the dust down.

I ended up getting some of the 3M sponges that are covered with 80 grit on four sides (not sure what they are called - sanding sponges?). Anyway they worked great! I had a hose so I wet down the hull and the sponges and worked my way around the boat repeating the wetdown as necessary. Aftewards I throughly hosed down the boat to insulre it was nice and clean.

I havn't painted yet.