repairing my keel and painting my hull

[fdsailor]

I purchased a 1986 J22 last year and have really enjoyed this boat. I’ve never owned any kind of cabin or keel boat before so this boat was a major upgrade for me and my family.

 

My boat had several coats of primer on her bottom when I bought her; I think it was the Interlux Interprotect, but no antifouling paint. I paid the local marina to put a coat of red VC 17 on her so that I could keep her on a mooring. I sailed her regularly from May through September in a wide variety of conditions.

 

I had the marina take my boat out of the water in November, clean her and shrink wrap her for the winter. When I came to check on her, I noticed that 90% of the red bottom paint has flaked off, so obviously I need to paint her again. Now that I am comfortable sailing my boat, I want to do as much work as possible on her myself and not have to pay other people to help me.

I’d like to put a fresh coat of VC 17 on her. Can anyone tell me how much paint I will need to buy? Any tips on the best way to paint the bottom?

 

I also put a couple of small dents in my keel, maybe the size of a dime, on the leading edge near the bottom. There are some submerged rocks near my mooring which I hit at very low speed while trying to moor last year. I’d like to repair them before I paint the bottom. Can anyone advise me on the best way to repair these small dents?

 

I am a novice, but I am gaining experience very quickly. I’d like to participate in some races this year, so I’m trying to preserve the speed qualities of my boat without spending too much of my limited funds on repairs and maintenance.

 

Thanks in advance for any advice or encouragement any of you have to offer.

[robertgharrison]

When you say, "I noticed that 90% of the red bottom paint has flaked off," do you mean it was gone to the point that most of the bottom was bare?

 

I ask this because my boat was last painted in 2007 with two coats of an ablative paint. I sail from a slip on a fresh water lake. We only have to contend with a little algae. I clean the bottom a couple of times a year with a brush. I still have a lot of paint.

 

If you have lost 90% of your bottom paint, that seems like an awful lot. There may a problem with what is underneath it, or with how the bottom was prepared prior to painting.

[fdsailor]

When you say, "I noticed that 90% of the red bottom paint has flaked off," do you mean it was gone to the point that most of the bottom was bare?

 

I ask this because my boat was last painted in 2007 with two coats of an ablative paint. I sail from a slip on a fresh water lake. We only have to contend with a little algae. I clean the bottom a couple of times a year with a brush. I still have a lot of paint.

 

If you have lost 90% of your bottom paint, that seems like an awful lot. There may a problem with what is underneath it, or with how the bottom was prepared prior to painting.

 

 

Yes, most of the bottom is bare. As I said, I didn't do the painting, so I don't know how it was prepared, but when I bought the boat and took it to be painted, it had what looked to me like a quality job of several coats of protective primer. How much paint did you use? Is a quart enough or do I need to buy a gallon?

[robertgharrison]

I didn't do the paint job on my boat. It was done by the brokerage/yard that sold me the boat. It is a 1984 boat. I'm not familiar with the technical aspects of primers and bottom paints, and which ones are compatible and which ones are not, however, if almost all of the paint is gone, it sounds to me like a problem with preparation or compatibility.

 

Take a look at the Jamestown Distributor website (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com), and then call them and explain your problem. I have found them to be knowledgeable and helpful. They will probably know exactly how much paint you'll need too.

[cdoyle]

FDS:

 

The VC17 is easy and avoids build-up. But, it only lasts a year. I'd use it again, were I you. 2 quarts will be plenty. Roll it on with a short-nap roller, and then "tip" it with a mohair pad moving the pad front to back using a stroke that mimics how the water will flow across the hull. If you don't care so much, you can just roll it on and forget the tipping part. Make sure the roller and the pad are free from ALL dust and dirt.

[Will]

Hey FDS,

 

First off, make sure you are talking about the correct paint. International Paint makes VC17 for freshwater and VC Offshore for saltwater. They are completely different paints.

 

Here is the link to the IP anti-fouling page.

 

http://www.yachtpaint.com/usa/diy/products/antifouling/search.aspx

 

There is a ton of good info there. Be sure to read the datasheets and the safety sheets. They aren't kidding!

 

I've found that the biggest difference between pros and amateurs is that the pros follow the manufacturer's directions. If it says to thin with 216 - we thin with 216. If it says to wipe down with xyz, we wipe down with xyz. If it says to hop up and down on your left foot while spraying....

 

Amateurs tend to get sticker shock at West Marine, and save 5 bucks by using a cheaper solvent or something like that. Trust me, they aren't ripping you off.

 

VC17 dries really, really fast. If it's warm you might not get a chance to tip after you roll. Like Chris said, short nap roller. Get a good one! You can burnish the paint with burlap or scrumpled up newspaper.

[SunCoastMarine]

Where do you sail? The area you sail can determine the bottom paint.