Antifouling and hull preparation for a boat that has been in the water for 2 years

[wvansl]

Hi!
I'm about to buy a boat in Greece which has been in the water for 2 years. It definitely needs new antifouling and maybe even more. I've never done this before and I've been googling a lot and reading up about it.
Many recommend taking all the existing (if any) off, cleaning the hull, and putting on a few layers of epoxy on the hull.
When that is done, do 2 to 3 layers of antifouling.

Is that give or take correct? Any suggestions?

Further, I've been reading about hard, soft, and self-polishing with a bit of copper antifouling.
It's hard to find a decisive answer but my idea goes out towards the self-polishing copper-based antifouling.

The plan is later to take out the boat every winter, it will probably be in the water for about 4 months a year.
Thankful for all the advice I can get. Cheers!

 

[johnalison]

Assuming that you are not going to be sailing this season there may be a lot to be said for stripping it all off and starting again with a coating of epoxy. If you want to sail for the remaining season, you will probably just want to pressure wash the hill, clean up the prop a bit and make the best of it. Whether it needs stripping may depend on the current state of the bottom. It may be that the old a/f is in good condition without much thickness and smooth after washing and a light scrub. In that case your problem will be the compatibility of your new paint with what is there. If you can’t tell what the old paint is, then you may be able to re-prime it and use paint of your choice, but will need technical advice on this. Broadly speaking, the hard and soft a/fs are incompatible but are often compatible within each group. Some will say that Coppercoat is the best answer, but it might be best to take local advice, that I can’t give.
Stripping all the paint off is a major task, but quite possible with the right equipment, though I have yet to hear of anyone who enjoyed it, but if done, you will at least know how you stand.

 

[wvansl]

Thank you!
We will have access to the marina for about 1 year so the plan is to sail every now and then (when the weather allows it) so it will be in the water again for almost 1 year before it will get in the schedule of half year out, half year in.

I can imagine the current antifouling is not in good shape and it is unclear what type is on it right now so I am preparing myself for quite some work to be done but on the other hand I also still want to try to enjoy the last bit of summer. Next year, when the boat goes on the land for the whole winter I can do a more thorough job in getting everything in perfect shape. At least, this is what I hope for in my head!

So I was thinking that maybe this year I can do:
- pressure wash
- scrape off the old antifouling paint (fun fun)
- put on about 2 layers of new antifoul

Then next year
- pressure wash
- scrape everything off
- epoxy layers to protect everything
- antifouling

Does that seem ok?

 

[jac]

Don’t scrape it off twice. It’s a nightmare of a job. For this year just remove any loose stuff and put on a couple of coats. Ask locally what is recommended as different formulations work best in different places.
Your year two plan is good. Maybe worth investigating having it professionally blasted off. Cost me about £500 in the uk last winter and a much better job and much quicker than manually doing it. You will also get a better job done of removing the old material which will be important if you are epoxying the hull.

 

[wvansl]

Thanks for the info,
Since I don't know the type currently would a primer and then a couple of layers of new anti-fouling work enough to hold for a year? Most likely it is a soft antifouling since it is a sailboat?

 

[Tranona]

Gouvia is not bad for fouling. They will pressure wash it for you when you get it out of the water and then you can decide what you need to do. Probably not worth stripping it right back, just enough to get a reasonably smooth surface. When I had my boat there with a similar pattern of use - 6 months in 6 months out I used the local antifoul, nothing fancy and did just as well as those who used expensive brands. Take advice from locals.

 

[Neeves]

You cannot make a decision until the hulls has been pressure washed. When that is complete take some pictures of the washed hull, post here (the same day) - and you will receive more informed information, by return. Ideally you want to be there when they pressure wash - people will talk to you - ask them what they use for AF, what is there boat usage, how good is their AF.

If the hull is in good condition a coat of epoxy is a waste of money.

Virtually all AF are copper (compound) based, unless your yacht has an aluminium hull. There is a pure copper based AF, Coppercoat - use google to check and then search this forum, but its complex........

Jonathan

 

[Stemar]

For now, I'd scrub off, slap on a coat of antifoul and go sailing.

Doing it properly can wait until the boat's coming out of the water anyway. Others have told you what doing it properly involves.