[C320-list] Hull makeover

[argates2nd at comcast.net]

#182 is a 1995 model built in mid-1994.  The first 7 years were spent in NH fresh water, thereafter salt water.  Moderate blisters were repaired in 2007 at my expense, along with stripping to gel coat, 4 barrier coats, and 2 coats of Trinidad SR for SW FL.  I had a pro help me and do the blisters, but my half of the sanding to the gel coat and painting was a miserable task in the April FL sun & heat.  Soda blasting would be my choice if I had it to do over. 
Rollie 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Scott Thompson" <surprise at thompson87.com> 
To: C320-List at Catalina320.com 
Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 8:53:42 PM 
Subject: Re: [C320-list] Hull makeover 

I also have a Maryland boat that probably was not properly de-waxed when 
new. I am the second owner but I believe it was originally commissioned 
locally, and for the first few years of my ownership I had recurrent 
problems with paint flaking off in large patches. But I've never seen 
any sign of blisters. I finally had the bottom blasted down to gelcoat, 
with a barrier coat applied before a good bottom paint. I had it done 
again this year (after ten years) mostly because I use a hard paint and 
was concerned about build-up. I don't have a slip, so I haul out every 
winter, and apply one fresh coat every Spring, which is probably 
overkill, but which seems to work for me. Bottom prep is the one thing 
that I always pay someone else to do. 

Now if I could just find something that worked well for the prop. I 
injured my shoulder last month and so the boat hasn't been moving much, 
and when I tried to motor it around last week I couldn't get up to full 
RPMs so I suspect a fouled prop. Again. When this happened last year I 
had to scrape it all off along with the expensive Propspeed by diving 
under the boat while on the mooring. I nicked my finger on some 
barnacles and caught a bacterial infection that spread up my arm leading 
eventually to surgery and months on antibiotics. So Propspeed isn't 
working for me. 

Scott 
Surprise, #653 

On 8/5/2015 5:03 PM, Allan S Field wrote: 
> Marco - If the boat was originally commissioned on the Chesapeake, there is 
> a better than even chance that the hull was not de-waxed at original 
> commissioning.  How do I know this?  Because for years, I had peeling paint 
> issues and finally was able to isolate the problem to lack of dealer prep 
> from a dealer on the Chesapeake.  I finally surrendered last August and had 
> the bottom soda blasted.  For the first time in 13 years, the paint rolled 
> on like it was supposed to do - no rolling on of one coat and pulling off of 
> the previous.  I will do a shorthaul in about 2 weeks to clean and repaint 
> the underwater metals plus change the zincs so will know more then as to how 
> the paint has held up for a year.  But just from the way it went on, I very 
> much doubt that I have any more issues. 
> 
> As for blistering, these boats are supposed to be laid up with vinylester 
> resins which are bullet proof from blistering, so I have been told by Gerry 
> Douglas.  I leave my boat in the water year round and have never had one 
> blister.  That said, there was a run of 75-100 boats back in the 1990's that 
> did suffer from blistering.  Your boat may have been one of them but perhaps 
> someone else on this list knows the hull numbers that were impacted.  My 
> memory though is that they were in the 400 series.  If I am right, I am 
> perplexed to understand why you have had any blisters.  Could they have been 
> just paint bubbles?  I had a ton of them every year at haulout but again, 
> that's because the paint would not stick to the bottom. 
> 
> I also have heard, but never fully confirmed, that Catalina made-good on 
> those affected hulls that did have blistering issues.  So you may want to 
> contact Catalina to determine if they know whether or not yours was impacted 
> or if it was corrected at their expense.  I do know of one boat on the 
> Chesapeake that was "fixed" at Catalina's expense but several years later, 
> needed to be "fixed" again at the owner's expense.  Based on an "n" of one, 
> it could be that the fixer of your boat was the same fixer of the one I know 
> about and it really wasn't fixed. 
> 
> Hope this helps. 
> 
> Allan S. Field 
> Sea Shadow - #808 
> Columbia, MD 
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: C320-list [mailto:c320-list-bounces at lists.catalina320.com] On Behalf 
> Of Marko Jamnik 
> Sent: Wednesday, August 5, 2015 4:39 PM 
> To: C320-List at Catalina320.com 
> Subject: [C320-list] Hull makeover 
> 
> Not a good time to be planning a fall, winter project, but here it goes. 
> 
> Sail number 304 - 1995. I had purchased the boat in 2010 and have brought to 
> lake Ontario. Prior to that it had been in Baltimore and I have no idea how 
> many times it was hauled out for inspection, not many. I did a cosmetic fix, 
> sanding and drilling out three blisters the first season, there after 
> sanding and applying Micron. Tried to sand down the blue antifouling paint 
> that had been there, some success in areas and other location not. Over the 
> last five years I've had no more blisters and I'm finding that every year 
> more of the blue paint peels here and there exposing the inter protect 
> layer. 
> 
> The challenge here is do I sand blast. peel the hull or any other method. 
> Is it worth while doing it myself or am going to regret the challenge. My 
> thought here is to have some do one of the above options and then I will do 
> the remainder, epoxy, interprotect, sanding and antifouling which should put 
> me on the door step of launch time. 
> 
> 
> Any advice would be much appreciated 
> 
> Marko jamnik 
> Marquesas 304 
> Lake Ontario 
> 
> Toronto/Mississauga area 
>