Taking time off to work on the boat

[BruceK]

Yep and what did I get? I got to lie in mud for the last week while I scraped old anti foul off, Remind me again why we do this...... it's a distant memory and the warm fuzzy glow of it blew away with Storm Dorris along with several of my garden fence panels.

[lewlew100]

Thats just one of the joys of boating. Sorry to hear about your fence - DORIS managed to snap off 4 of my 6' posts at ground level, fence still standing, but will have come down. Geoff.

[sprocker]

You just know its all worth it Bruce!

I'm very interested to hear how you get on with the antifoul scraping.

[BruceK]

The scraper is fantastic. Especially if you've put a coat of paint stripper on to loosen the AF first. It also helps keep the AF in a long peel as you drive the scraper through. Easily do about 2m square an hour without much effort at all.

HOWEVER

Would I recommend it, no. The scraper is too efficient. Put it slight skew and it will nick the gelcoat. No real biggie as it all get's covered over by new AF and unless you are stupid doesn't go through the gelcoat to the weave. I was stupid twice on the corners of a chine. So will need to but on a dob of gelcoat there about a match head size wide, 3cm long x 2.
So yes if you are a yacht this scraper would be the best tool ever. For the complicated curves of a planing hull, it may just be too efficient. Labour saving though it is awesome. You'd be blimming impressed watching it work. I've had several people come and comment in awe.

[sprocker]

The scraper is fantastic. Especially if you've put a coat of paint stripper on to loosen the AF first. It also helps keep the AF in a long peel as you drive the scraper through. Easily do about 2m square an hour without much effort at all.

HOWEVER

Would I recommend it, no. The scraper is too efficient. Put it slight skew and it will nick the gelcoat. No real biggie as it all get's covered over by new AF and unless you are stupid doesn't go through the gelcoat to the weave. I was stupid twice on the corners of a chine. So will need to but on a dob of gelcoat there about a match head size wide, 3cm long x 2.
So yes if you are a yacht this scraper would be the best tool ever. For the complicated curves of a planing hull, it may just be too efficient. Labour saving though it is awesome. You'd be blimming impressed watching it work. I've had several people come and comment in awe.

Video needed!!!

[BruceK]

Oops. It's done now. Think of peeling a potato with a potato peeler 2 inches wide. About the same speed and efficiency. Note though. My boat has a OEM epoxy basecoat for the AF to go on, almost like a plaster layer. Over the years the AF has climbed about two inches above the epoxy base coat layer / waterline on to bare gelcoat. Where the AF is on bare gelcoat I could not remove for love nor money. That will have to be sanded off

[Bigplumbs]

Do you remove the old Antifoul every year. My friend just sands and paints over every year and removes occasionally

Dennis

[BruceK]

No your friend is "per normal". On some American boats the manufacturer puts on an epoxy plaster on which to paint anti-foul. It's a good system and adds protection to the gel coal. I say plaster because it's at least 4mm thick and resembles a cement rather than epoxy coat. Well where the AF wears off and exposes this plaster it becomes a bit friable as it oxidises and no longer a good surface on which to paint on. Hence the electric scraper. I was able to shave the AF and about a mm off the plaster. I put a pic up in sprocker's thread. You can clearly see it there.

[BruceK]

here

[BruceK]

After shaving I now get to sand. Under "normal" circumstances you should never really need to do more than wash and light sand the AF because it should naturally wear away per design preventing a build up of paint. Amanzi was once kept in a freshwater lock marina that then led to the sea. This meant that the owner did not need to put AF on at all as the change from fresh to salt and back again regularly prevented any growth. This meant the AF wore through and exposed the plaster and allowed it to deteriorate some. However, in so saying, every decade or less a scrape is necessary as there will always be parts of the boat that do have a paint build up, OR, you are changing AF brand to meet the new environment and they are not compatable. i.e. Amanzi had a soft eroding AF on because she is on the tidal estuary but I am going to try a hard AF this time.