fouled with old antifoul

Engage

Engage

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28 Oct 2001
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Preston, Lancashire, UK
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For the life of me I can't remove my antifoul. My 19 foot fantasie has so many layers of AF that I don't think it had ever been removed. The most recent coat was international inland waterways (blue) and that came off reasonably well with strippit from CFS. However, under that there is this red stuff, in places 3-4 mm thick. If I pick a piece off I can see that it is easily 10 thin coats of various types of paint, mostly red. I am pretty sure it is a paint as opposed to epoxy or some such but it will not soften (well enough) with either strippit or Dilunett gel?

In addition my 2.5L tub of Dilunett gel is full of big crystals, is this normal or a bad batch? It is a bugger to paint on as it flicks everywhere. The crystals vary in size from about 2mm to 6mm. Either way, how do I get of this red antifoul without costing more that the boat is worth? I have used both types of AF remover covered with alu-foil and cling film overnight. No/little difference.
 
The antifoul will come off in no time with an angle grinder.
Be carefull however - for obvious reasons! A normal orbital sander should also do the job, provided you've got a good one.
 
I suggest that magic potions don't always work and sometimes you just have to get down to elbow grease.
It depends how you value your time, whether you consider various hand-held and power scrapers to be worth the boat.
I've done this job - even when the layers come off generally in big flakes or a serires of chips you are probably looking at into 50+ hours work for a boat that size - I did it on a Signet 20 over almost an entire winter of weekends.
Of course - if it doesn't want to come off (mine did, in patches) then why bother?
 
Get yourself a Sandvik scaper... the one with a carbon steel blade, about 2" wide, file the corners to a round (so that their is less chance of digging in), a decent mask and you are ready to go! On a Westerly Discus Ketch, I would reckon to clear one side on Saturday and t'other on the Sunday....The thicker the a/f the easier to get off! Have fun...
 
I agree with Mudplugger. A good scraper will probably be easiest when the old coats are that thick. As he says be very careful with the edges of the blade as it is very easy to gouge into the gelcoat. Also remember to wear a good dust mask, goggles and cover exposed skin. Antifouling is nasty stuff and you don't want it in any orifices!
Once you've got the bulk off you can use the chemical stripper to clean up any residue before applying new antifouling
 
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Get yourself a Sandvik scaper... the one with a carbon steel blade, about 2" wide, file the corners to a round (so that their is less chance of digging in), a decent mask and you are ready to go! On a Westerly Discus Ketch, I would reckon to clear one side on Saturday and t'other on the Sunday....The thicker the a/f the easier to get off! Have fun...

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yep,i think so too..
 
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