Removing Anti-Fouling

[shan]

I am in the process of removing 30 years of built up anti-fouling. I truly believe, this is the job from hell. Even worse than dealing with contact adhesive.:ambivalence:

 

[mrming]

I feel your pain. I had our boat sandblasted at the end of last season thinking it would be a shortcut. Unfortunately it left behind a partially removed and extremely cratered layer of hard as nails Gelshield. Sanding this involved pushing the random orbital sander into the hull with all my strength. For days. Worst job I have ever done in my life!

 

[shan]

I have been using a chemical stripper that you paint on then leave for 12 hours and pressure wash off.... sounds easy doesn't it but believe me, it's a pig of a job especially trying to get under the boat to the keel without having anything dripping and burning its way through my very tender skin!

 

[mrming]

I also have a swing keel Benny. Very convenient but not the easiest to work on.

We're Coppercoating ours which if all goes well will mean not having to go under there again for a while!

She's currently propped up in the air and supported by timber frames lashed across the deck so that we can paint the hull with no interruptions.

We've also had the keel out and refinished that before fitting new brackets and putting it all back.

Anyone would think I didn't want to go sailing!

 

[shan]

Copper coating sounds interesting. Are you doing that yourself or getting someone to do it? Do you paint anti-fouling on top of the copper coating or leave it as is?

I have just added another to 'Strippit' caustic burns to my collection, despite being careful. ggggrrrrr

I know how you feel. We got our Beneteau in November 2013 and we are still working on it. I'm beginning to wonder if we will get it in the water at all this year! Our girl is propped up on her trailer, which doesn't make getting to the undersides particularly easy.

 

[Mistroma]

You could try an electric chisel/carver if the antifouling is quite brittle. I bought one years ago and used it to completely clean the hull on my previous boat. It had around 15 years worth but came right back to shiny gel coat in a weekend (not even a full one). I've just stripped the keel on my 42DS and that only took around 3 hours even though it's a pretty big keel.

It works well if the antifoul is brittle but does nothing if it is solid (e.g. previously treated with something to soften it for removal). The process looks lethal but I didn't have any trouble learning how to remove the antifoul without even scratching the gel coat.

The Bosch PSE180E came with wooden box a whole range of shaped chisels. It was sold cheaply because nobody was looking for something to use for wood carving. I've only ever used the large flat chisel and an even larger flexible one I think hat I bought as an optional extra.

This is the model I have, but I only paid £49.99 many years ago. http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=197

This one on eBay comes with the 2 tools I use: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bosch-Ele...Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item41807dbd61

I should also mention that the antifoul comes off in bits with little dust. The guys in the yard were impressed that the filter on my mask was still spotless when I finished the keel. Owners often seem to sand it off here and the amount of dust is unbelievable.

 

[Neil]

I have one of those 'scouring pads' for angle grinders, from Halfords.

http://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/191882?$pd_enlarge$


Lift out booked for next week, dust mask and eye protectors at the ready

 

[shan]

You could try an electric chisel/carver if the antifouling is quite brittle. I bought one years ago and used it to completely clean the hull on my previous boat. It had around 15 years worth but came right back to shiny gel coat in a weekend (not even a full one). I've just stripped the keel on my 42DS and that only took around 3 hours even though it's a pretty big keel.

It works well if the antifoul is brittle but does nothing if it is solid (e.g. previously treated with something to soften it for removal). The process looks lethal but I didn't have any trouble learning how to remove the antifoul without even scratching the gel coat.

The Bosch PSE180E came with wooden box a whole range of shaped chisels. It was sold cheaply because nobody was looking for something to use for wood carving. I've only ever used the large flat chisel and an even larger flexible one I think hat I bought as an optional extra.

This is the model I have, but I only paid £49.99 many years ago. http://www.woodworkersinstitute.com/page.asp?p=197

This one on eBay comes with the 2 tools I use: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bosch-Ele...Material_Paint_Varnish_MJ&hash=item41807dbd61

I should also mention that the antifoul comes off in bits with little dust. The guys in the yard were impressed that the filter on my mask was still spotless when I finished the keel. Owners often seem to sand it off here and the amount of dust is unbelievable.

Thanks, I might have to give that a try if this 2nd coat does not do the job. Joy of joys, I get to pressure wash it off tomorrow and find out.

 

[shan]

I have one of those 'scouring pads' for angle grinders, from Halfords.

http://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/191882?$pd_enlarge$


Lift out booked for next week, dust mask and eye protectors at the ready

My husband used the scouring pad for removing the glue residue from when we stripped off the headlining. Very useful for that but it didn't touch our anti-fouling.

 

[Aardee]

Copper coating sounds interesting. Are you doing that yourself or getting someone to do it? Do you paint anti-fouling on top of the copper coating or leave it as is?

Once coppercoated you don't need to antifoul, just jetwash the underside once a year

 

[shan]

Sounds ideal!

 

[Neil]

My husband used the scouring pad for removing the glue residue from when we stripped off the headlining. Very useful for that but it didn't touch our anti-fouling.

This is the one that fits a 4" angle grinder? Then that'll be a disappointment! It's advertised to take off paint and rust scale! I've never used one, but it feels as tough as nails.....

 

[ClaireDuet]

I've had mine sandblasted this year. She's only 22 foot but I think (know) I have saved myself a fortune in chiropractic bills...

 

[shan]

This is the one that fits a 4" angle grinder? Then that'll be a disappointment! It's advertised to take off paint and rust scale! I've never used one, but it feels as tough as nails.....

Ours takes 4 inch disks too. It just smeared our antifouling around but that was before we tried the chemical stripper. We are now down to a layer that looks brittle that it might work with but I have to wait and take the pressure washer to it tomorrow. I'll let you know how it goes.

So far the bosch electric scraper is looking like the best option, followed by coppercoat!

 

[Mistroma]

Try the flexible tool first and then the large chisel if you aren't getting anywhere. I ran the chisel edge over a grinding wheel first to make it blunt. It doesn't need a particularly sharp edge. The chisel vibrates forwards and backwards smashing into the layer of antifoul. All you need to do is let it wear though the antifoul initially (or use some other means of getting started).

The flexible tool is easy if it works but the chisel is slightly more tricky to use. I'm trying to visualise it and think I use it upside down (i.e. chamfered edge underneath). It took me a couple of minutes to get a feel for the angle so that it didn't dig in. I only made 2 tiny nicks in a 32' hull first time around and none at all last week on the keel of a 42' boat.

Another owner was so impressed that he borrowed it. However, his antifoul was solid and a little soft so it didn't work. That's the problem, it needs to be brittle and then it works even with well bonded paint. So no guarantees I'm afraid.


Picture of keel with both sides cleaned after around 3 hours work. The flat bits were very quick to clean but the rounded parts took longer. I wasn't trying to remove everything as the epoxy wasn't completely smooth. The keel had 7 coats of antifoul applied but I expect a fair amount had worn off with water washing.
http://www.mistroma1.webspace.virgi.../jeanneau42ds_maintenance/KeelCleaned2013.jpg

I did try a couple of bits of the hull and they went right back to smooth white gel coat. I could see some slight greyish marks remaining in some places (remains of Primocon).

 

[shan]

Thanks for the advice. I think I am getting to the stage where I am willing to try anything.

 

[rogerstown]

I used Stripit about six weeks ago on 10 years of AF on my 33 ft boat. Because of close proximity of other boats I could not power wash but used scraper. Generally it worked very well when left overnight, but it was during the spell of very good weather and some areas dried and were difficult and needed re doing. I did get one bad burn where my glove had a tiny hole. I would use it again,

 

[Javelin]

Worth checking in your local area about Coppercoat - it works in some places and in others it can be worse.
Here on the East coast I've seen more fail than succeed.
The worse case of yearly fouling was a boat based at lowest oft, it had been coppercoated at the beginning of last season and when we took it out in October last year it looked like it had been in the water for three or four years.

International Cruiser Uno and Seajet seem to be the best over the past four or five years in our area as we jet wash clean upwards of 100 boats a year.

 

[shan]

If we ever manage to get it finished, we will be in Cardiff for the f1st year and then the South Coast for the 2nd year.

 

[mrming]

Worth checking in your local area about Coppercoat - it works in some places and in others it can be worse.
Here on the East coast I've seen more fail than succeed.
The worse case of yearly fouling was a boat based at lowest oft, it had been coppercoated at the beginning of last season and when we took it out in October last year it looked like it had been in the water for three or four years.

International Cruiser Uno and Seajet seem to be the best over the past four or five years in our area as we jet wash clean upwards of 100 boats a year.

Yes indeed. We race the boat and scrub every 3 weeks so Coppercoat makes sense (in theory) for us. If you're planning to leave the boat in all season then you probably need to use whatever works best in your area.