My bottom treatment went like this:
1st Year
- Pull boat for winter
- Sandblasted to remove all old paint and open small blisters
- Opened any osmotic blisters with dremel tool (had about a dozen dime sized)
- Let bottom dry out over winter
- Filled and faired all blisters with West System epoxy with fairing additive
- Applied 3 coats of Interlux 3000 barrier coat with roller following manufacturers directions
- Applied 2 coats of Interlux VC Offshore with roller following manufacturers directions
2nd Year
- Applied 1 coat of Interlux VC Offshore with air sprayer following manufacturers directions
- Wet sanded to 240 grit
3nd Year
- Applied 2 coats of VC Offshore with foam brush to edges of keel, rudder and bow
- Sanded smooth with 240 grit what I applied with foam brush
- Applied 2 coats Interlux VC Offshore with air sprayer following manufacturers directions
- Wet sanded to 240 grit then to 400 grit
4th Year
- Touched up thin spots with VC Offshore using foam brush
- Wet sanded to 400 grit
5th Year
- Touched up keel, rudder and some spots on hull with foam brush.
Hear are some tips I learned the hard way:
- Spraying is much faster and I got a better finish requiring less sanding. My sprayer is a Krebs 35T (about $120). It is far superior to the Wagner sprayers I have used. I got best results with a #8 tip 10-14" from the surface. The siphon tube works fine with the Offshore and Interprotect. Clean-up is easy. This sprayer costs more but I think it's worth it. And you can use it around the house. I have sprayed the Interprotect 3000 on other boats and that also worked very well. You have to sand within 2-4 hours or it gets quite hard.
- A smooth bottom is faster and easier to keep clean
- Before spraying apply a couple of coats with a foam brush to the edges of the keel, rudder and bow (where paint tends to wear faster)
- Start sanding with 240, 400 doesn't have enough bite
- Use 3M Fineline tape to mask the waterline and tape paper to that with regular cheap tape. You can leave Fineline on the boat for weeks without leaving a glue residue behind.
