Barrier Coat???

[paj637]

I know this topic has been batted around several times. Barrier coat or not to barrier coat? My 2006 normally sits on the trailer but I want to keep it on a coastal mooring for a few weeks at a time. I don't anticipate that I would leave it in the water for more than a month or so ever. I want to bottom paint it with hydrocoat and am not sure if I want to barrier coat it. Some say that the newer gelcoats aren't as prone to blistering as the older gelcoats. I know the option to wax is available but I think my back would rather just suck it up and bottom paint once every few years vice waxing every couple of months. Thoughts?

[dca81]

I have a 2004 that was left unprotected in the water by the PO and it had blisters. Don't know how new the fiberglass has to be to make a difference ,if any . Fiberglass repair costs before applying new barrier coat last winter was around $1800. Sorry, but I do not know how long it was in the water. I could not see the blisters until I cleaned off the servere algae growth.

[sctodd]

If you are gonna paint the hull anyways why not take the extra day or 2 and use the barrier coat. I have a 2002 26x and I had a case of "acne" on the hull. They were dry inside so I sanded the hull smooth and applied both a barrier coat and anti fouling. I wish I had put the barrier coat on when it was new. would have saved me a fair bit of sanding.

[Sumner]

If you are gonna paint the hull anyways why not take the extra day or 2 and use the barrier coat. I have a 2002 26x and I had a case of "acne" on the hull. They were dry inside so I sanded the hull smooth and applied both a barrier coat and anti fouling. I wish I had put the barrier coat on when it was new. would have saved me a fair bit of sanding.

I agree completely and that is what I'm doing in a week or so. Sure beats trying to get the bottom paint off later and then applying the barrier coat.

I'm using Tuff Stuff and it wasn't that much money.....

http://www.bottompaintstore.com/Tuff-St ... GL-KIT.htm

c ya,

Sum

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[paj637]

Can't argue against anyone's response. But is a barrier coat really needed if I only keep my boat in the water for a month or six weeks max? Bottom paint is needed if I keep it in the water more than five or six days in the summer here. In the winter, I can go almost a month without any growth that takes effort to remove.

[Terry]

You have to remove the old wax and then sand the bottom to apply anti-fouling. This process alone makes the hull even more vulnerable to blisters and the anti-fouling does not protect from blisters. You are already prepped for both barrier and anti-fouling so do them both and save yourself future grief.
I felt the same way when it came time for me to give up waxing and apply anti-fouling, I too questioned the barrier coat, but since I was already half way there I decided to do the barrier coat and have no regrets. I also wonder if the barrier coat improves re-sale value as a prospective buyer would percieve it as a value added feature.

[Bobby T.-26X #4767]

I agree completely and that is what I'm doing in a week or so. Sure beats trying to get the bottom paint off later and then applying the barrier coat.

I'm using Tuff Stuff and it wasn't that much money.....

http://www.bottompaintstore.com/Tuff-St ... GL-KIT.htm

c ya,

Sum

i recently used the same barrier coat followed by bottom paint. great value, excellent quality.
my X is currently in the water and i have no worries about any blisters.

Bob T.
"DāBob"
'02X w/ '04 90-TLDI (14" x 11 pitch)
Dinghy Motor: '06 2.5-Suzuki