[C320-list] Sticky White Paint in C320 Lockers

[Chris Burti]

Sorry about the lack of detail but here is my experience with the
issue. The lack of detail results from the fix taking place while I
was traveling.

Frank Butler, founder and CEO of Catalina Yachts found out that I had
the problem and contacted me directly. Since I didn't have a dealer in
the traditional sense, he had the material supplier ship the material
to the yard of my choice and they applied it inside the problem
lockers while I was gone.

My sense of the problem in talking with both parties was that Frank
felt the gel coat supplier's material  was at fault, the supplier
thought it was an application issue but was trying to make a major
customer happy. Both were trying to make me happy...which they did.
Frank even called to follow up and find out if I was satisfied.

Either way, the fix was mostly successful, but not completely. There
are still a few uncured areas that will stick to stuff in hot weather.
I don't know if the new material was a one or two part, but it was
simply applied over the old. I don't know if there was problem with
the material or the application, but the following summer, when it got
good and hot, the stuff started sticking again in a couple of places
in the hanging locker and the port salon lockers. Frank's follow up
call was when the weather was still cool and the gel coat felt cured
to the touch. It still does, but it will stick when it gets hot.

Gel coat cures best in an anaerobic environment and my guess is that
the simplest cure would be painting over it with a one part
polyurethane paint. So far, I have been too lazy and simply used
plastic to protect stuff stuck in the lockers, so I can't say for sure
if paint will fix the problem. I can tell you that there is no way
that I would apply a solvent to the uncured gelcoat to try to remove
it as that would be a never ending mess.

One other possible solution that could be tried in a localized test
patch would be to wipe a two inch circle in a problem area with MEK,
cover with a 12" square of polyetheylene plastic sheet. Let it set for
a couple of days and see if it cures. Just guessing, haven't tried it.


-- 
Chris Burti Farmville, NC