[C320-list] Bottom Job

[Robert E. Sloat]

Tim-On what body of water do you keep your boat, what kind of bottom paint 
do you use (hard, ablative or something else and brand) and a best estimate 
of how many layers of build up would be helpful to you in deciding on a 
whether you need a bottom job or just selective sanding and antifouling 
application.  In my yard a full bottom job means taking of the existing 
antifouling paint, sanding and patching if needed anywhere, applying a 
barrier coat and then applying antifouling paint.  If you change brand or 
types of antifouling paint you may need a complete bottom job which can be a 
lot of work, expense and annoyance to those around your boat if not done in 
a proper way.

Here in southern Lake Michigan, all new sailboats out of my Catalina dealer 
here are christened with Interlux VC 17m Extra after a primer coat of 
barrier paint if needed.  Almost all the sailboats in my yard use the same 
stuff or a similar hard paint.  Some of the fairly old boats which are 
saddled with ablative or other really soft antifouling paints stick with 
that type.  To change to a hard paint would be a lot of work and expense. 
VC 17m Extra is a fresh water, hard, racing paint with Teflon. That is what 
I use even though I don't race very much.  I have used this stuff since it 
came out over its predecessor VC 17 which was the initial antifouling when 
the boat was christened with very good results.  It is pricey at 
US$45-55/quart.  There is an offshore version.  I will be in my 10th season 
on my 2002 C320 and the only thing it has seen is 17m Extra (with VC 17 
before Extra was available) and no paint build up and still as smooth as a 
baby's behind.

I basically checked what others in my area were using, what the dealer 
recommended and did a little independent research before going with the flow 
on using this stuff.

There are certainly other good antifouling paints available and used for the 
local conditions.  Knowing what other racers and cruisers use in your area 
is a good start on choosing an antifouling paint.  Then the decision is the 
extent of work needed for the paint chosen.

Bob Sloat
Savannah #894
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Tim" <chillinonahd at yahoo.com>
To: "C320 List" <c320-list at lists.catalina320.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2011 9:33 PM
Subject: [C320-list] Bottom Job


> Ok, I am sure some of you will have some fun with this so go for it but 
> what I
> need to understand is the following. I have heard the term "getting a 
> bottom
> job" done on my boat. But I am not certain what this means. Every season, 
> I have
> my boat hauled, power washed, sanded and painted. Now the sanding is not 
> to
> remove all paint just to even things out a bit. Last few seasons, I have 
> done a
> bit extra sanding on my own. There does appear to be a few coats of paint 
> built
> up on the bottom. Like the rest of us every little bit of extra speed is
> wonderful. So.....is there something more I should do every few years, 
> should I
> strip the bottom and only have one coat of paint. What is common practice 
> here
> without depleting funds for rum and other necessities.
>
>
>
>