Removing Bottom Paint

I just did my 98 40 BF combi. It cost me 1100 to soda blast the bottom 27 per foot. (MAKE SURE YOU BLOW OFF ANY DUST THAT GETS ON YOUR BOAT BEFORE IT GETS WET!!!!!

Then be prepared to find blistering. Yes even on a Blackfin. They look like a case of the Chicken pox. This is caused by osmosis. Some boats have severe blistering. size of quarters so I have been told, then there are going to be the dents and dings in the gel coat from hitting who knows what. They ALL had to be fixed My boat had about 6 spots of blistering about 1Sq ft. each. Not bad case the best built boats all have it and I was told mine was very good.


After the soda blasting - you got to get under the boat and sand off or using a wood chisel knock off and chips of hard copper base paints that just won't come off. Then you must sand the bottom with 80 grit sand paper. Then repair the blistering with a interlux 2 part watertite filler. Re-sand the filler areas. Then I used interlux 202 fiberglass cleaner on the hull...

4 coats of Interlux 2000e epoxy barrier coat and two coats of Interlux Micron ablative.

Google interlux ---- they have very informative tutorial videos right on their website... Watch them and it will show you step by step .


Now here is what I can tell you about re doing the bottom. It is costly. Materials, and the soda blasting were ($3000.00) three thousand for my 40. I did all the labor with my friends. My neighbor had his 38 Henriquies done last year and the boat yard charged him $5500.00 & the Henrigues hull is not anywhere as complex as a BLACKFIN...... It is messy - most boat yards say no way to the blasting. It is labor intensive. To re apply the barrier coat epoxy paint is a minimum 2 man job. There are no short cuts ---

It is part of maintenance that i think is important. I don't know if it will enhance my performance or fuel economy --- but I guess it could not hurt.

CHECK OUT THAT INTERLUX SITE ----- Watch the video

GOOD LUCK
Rick
Sweet Melissa
40 BF Combi