MacGregorSailors.com

I should probably antifoul my hull.

Do I leave it on the trailer? I have a 10,000lb winch and straps, but no longer anywhere I can hoist it.
How do I get underneath it on the trailer? Ramps?
How much sanding do I need to do?
What temp does it need to be outside for the paint?
How long does it need to dry before splashing?
What else do I need to know?

I know there's articles out there. TMI. I'll balk if I'm overwhelmed.

DaveC426913 wrote:I should probably antifoul my hull.

Do I leave it on the trailer? I have a 10,000lb winch and straps, but no longer anywhere I can hoist it.
How do I get underneath it on the trailer? Ramps?
How much sanding do I need to do?
What temp does it need to be outside for the paint?
How long does it need to dry before splashing?
What else do I need to know?

I know there's articles out there. TMI. I'll balk if I'm overwhelmed.

Sand with 80 grit normally so you have some 'tooth' for the paint to attach to. Clean first with soap/water and then a wax/grease remover so you don't sand any grime into the gel coat.

Determine if you are going to put on an epoxy barrier coat under the antifouling bottom paint to reduce the chances of blisters forming. If you want to do this now is the time not later when you would have to remove all the bottom paint.

Either get the trailer out from under the boat...or work with the boat on the trailer. You could block one end at a time and raise or lower the trailer to help get access or do what you can and then float the boat and put it back on the trailer so that you can reach where you couldn't.

You probably should be at least in the 60's but decide on the paint you will use and read the instructions.

Once the final bottom paint is on you can usually splash within a day or so but get the instructions for the paint to be used.

It is work but can be done in a few long days and if you go with barrier coat followed by bottom paint you need to apply the bottom within a short window, usually no longer than the next day and it is best to go over night between coats of barrier paint and then do the rest of the bottom paint the next day after the final barrier coat.

I used Sea Hawk products and their bottom paint goes on thicker so 2 or 3 coats is plenty. Then used their bottom paint where I had a black first coat and then a blue second coat so if I see black I know to apply more blue. A third coat at the waterline is also a good idea as it wears away there first.

You can find posts on getting the boat off the trailer and I also have info on that here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ide-3.html

With how I applied barrier and then bottom paint here....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... de-39.html

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

There is an old post about clearing the bunks while on the trailer. Lower the tongue with the dolly to its lowest point. Build a bunk that reaches from the ground to the stern. Raise the dolly until the rear trailer bunks pivot away from the stern and paint. Once dry reverse the dolly and remove the stern bunk.

For the forward v bunk raise the dolly to the highest point build a v-bunk for the bow area from the ground to the high position. Lower the dolly letting the boat rest on the V-bunk andA finish painting. Raise the dolly until the trailer v bunk reaches the hull then finish raising and remove the temporary bunk.
A
For both bunks do not raise or lower the dolly to the absolute lowest position. Always leave a little slack adjustment in the event the temporary bunks settle on ground.

1st Sail wrote:.... Build a bunk that reaches from the ground to the stern......

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner ... ide-3.html

Sumner

============================
1300 miles to the Bahamas and back -- 2015

The MacGregor 26-S

The Endeavour 37

Trips to Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

Well u could do what I done last yr borrow a hydraulic trl
http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... mmjll1.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... gq8rbj.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... dhsclv.jpg

http://i844.photobucket.com/albums/ab1/ ... gsgvm3.jpg

Lift her up in the air install stands & u r done , then I got lazy & said ok boy,s go too it lol

J

I did it on the trailer, put some space between the boat and trailer.

Worked - but was not too much confortable.

I put coppercoat... that is said will hold 15years...

So after some years all is ok... Will see later

I did it on the trailer, put some space between the boat and trailer.

Worked - but was not too much confortable.

I put coppercoat... that is said will hold 15years...

So after some years all is ok... Will see later

That's a lot of truss building to do for a job I'll probably do only once every few years.

And I'd rather not remove the trailer. I just have no desire to get under any contraption I built.

But y'all've given me some food for thought.

There's plenty of cradles and free-standing braces here at my club from all the other boats. Perhaps I could make use of them. If I can find any that can get in under my hull while on the trailer, I might be able to raise it just a foot or so.

DaveC426913 wrote: There's plenty of cradles and free-standing braces here at my club from all the other boats. Perhaps I could make use of them.

Shoot. I just realized the obvious flaw in that plan.
If my boat's on-the-hard, so is everybody else's.

Dave

I'm planning on doing bottom paint this spring, in the driveway, and am only planning on using a stack of cement blocks and framing lumber to raise the bow just high enough to get under the front and center bunks, with the stern bunk providing roll stability. Then do the stern bunk area, with blocking between the mid bunk and hull to provide roll stability, as the little bow vee bunk isn't adequate for that, IMO.

But I'm not putting my hands into those spaces. There are plenty of ways to prep without actually putting body parts in harm's way. If I can't do a tip-top job, then so be it. It's only a boat bottom, and far from a race boat. And I don't race anyway.

Tomfoolery wrote:Dave

I'm planning on doing bottom paint this spring, in the driveway, and am only planning on using a stack of cement blocks and framing lumber to raise the bow just high enough to get under the front and center bunks, with the stern bunk providing roll stability. Then do the stern bunk area, with blocking between the mid bunk and hull to provide roll stability, as the little bow vee bunk isn't adequate for that, IMO.

But I'm not putting my hands into those spaces. There are plenty of ways to prep without actually putting body parts in harm's way. If I can't do a tip-top job, then so be it. It's only a boat bottom, and far from a race boat. And I don't race anyway.

Thanks. That sounds more my speed.

Then there's always the issue of what paint to use.

My hull is currently black. I think there might be red or blue under that. So that means a certain type of paint, right?

What kind of sanding do I do?

A hand pad? Orbital sander? Belt Sander? Grinder?

I guess I just want enough to take off flakes, bubbles and attached critters, but not eat through the layers.

I'm not going to sand unless I have to. Pressure washing with a small nozzle, let it dry, then paint. There's what appears to be a good expoxy barrier coat under what's left of the ablative or hybrid bottom paint.

I used to use VC17 on my keel boat, every year, and never prepped that either. A good cleaning, and it's off to the races. But boy did that stuff stink. Like get high in minutes stink, and so volatile you have to keep a can of thinner handy, or it'll dry in the tray before you can get it onto the boat. Xylene, I think.

Oh, and I already have a can of Pettit Hydrocoat. Black (comes in a few colors). Bought it on sale, but still expensive. Water based, so shouldn't be so stinky.

https://www.westmarine.com/buy/pettit-p ... ecordNum=3