Antifoul removal and hull preparation

[nimbusgb]

Which Bahco pull scraper did anyone use, and which size blade?

I used a Bahco 650 2" Ergo Paint Scraper. I used 2 blades ( you can rotate the blades once to get a new edge ) the blades are 50mm wide and tungsten carbide I think, not worth sharpening unless you can guarantee a perfectly flat finish if you are removing paint or antifoul.

It has been suggested to round off the ends - say the last 2 or 3 mm of the blade to prevent gouging when ( not if ) you get the occasional stroke wrong. I didn't do this and had perhaps 6 gouges ranging from a couple of inches to one about a foot long.

Boat was a very beamy Oceanis 390, perhaps 34' lwl and it took me a day and a half to strip back about 10 years of antifoul right down to the gelcoat.

Best way short of blasting to get a/f off!

I subsequently grit blasted the hull and epoxy sheathed and coated it but if I had to remove a/f again it would be with that scraper.

 

[stevepick]

I got a great tip on this board a few years back. Go to a good builders merchant and buy a sanding pole, pad and abrasive mesh roll. Its the setup plasterers and ames tapers use. The carbide mesh abrasive is very effective ( it takes longer to clog and is easily rinsed when it does), use with a bucket of water for rinsing every few strokes,and cuts through eroding AF like the proverbial knife. I take my AF back each season now. It takes 90 mins or so to do a 30 foot AWB. Its wet sanding so there is no dust, and if you have a hose handy and keep your bucket of water fresh, you can see exactly how far back you have gone. The pole makes it easy to get leverage and into awkward areas ( like underneath).
Worth a try first before going to the scraper?

 

[AtlanticGreenPro]

Just pay someone who has a Farrow System and have them blast it off. A lot easier and a lot cleaner.