I would like to remove my bottom paint and just have original gel coat. Boat is on a trailer in a covered RV slip. I’m wondering how much work this would be on a 2008 sea ray 290. Also can I get the original gelcoat gloss back on the hull bottom.
Ralph vaughn
If the boat was sanded in preparation for the bottom paint you want to remove, restoring the original luster is almost impossible and very labor intensive.
I’d be more inclined to do a first class bottom job and paint the bottom with a hard bottom paint and leave it black.
To remove the existing paint you will likely need to use a chemical paint remover.
I’d be more inclined to do a first class bottom job and paint the bottom with a hard bottom paint and leave it black.
To remove the existing paint you will likely need to use a chemical paint remover.
You could sand it of but you would most likely need to spray gelcoat and polish that. Sanding off bottom paint ranks in my bottom 3 things as worst experiences ever. It requires masks and suits and is absolutely a huge mess
My recently purchased 280 is bottom painted with a black, rough material that will leave black, carbon streaks on anything brushing against it. Since I keep it on a trailer, I wanted to remove it.
I started hitting it with everything non-chemical I could use near the outdrives - sandpaper, wire brush, paint scraper.
The paint scraper took off the carbon-like surface paint but left an under coat of grayish paint. I’m guessing a primer.
Fortunately, I started very close to the outdrives to get that 1 inch clearance I wanted so I was able to stop the futile process.
I am prepping to gel coat that small area, so it will end up looking fine.
I gave up on the removal process. It will just keep the bottom paint!
I started hitting it with everything non-chemical I could use near the outdrives - sandpaper, wire brush, paint scraper.
The paint scraper took off the carbon-like surface paint but left an under coat of grayish paint. I’m guessing a primer.
Fortunately, I started very close to the outdrives to get that 1 inch clearance I wanted so I was able to stop the futile process.
I am prepping to gel coat that small area, so it will end up looking fine.
I gave up on the removal process. It will just keep the bottom paint!
I would rather grind your entire boat to a powdered dust, carpet, tv's, and motors included, before I would want to lay on my back and sand all the bottom paint off the hull. Bottom paint is the nastiest, and most chemical laden material on the whole boat. And the older the boat, the less EPA, OHSA regulated the materials were. Complete breathing and skin coverage protection is a necessity. Was not that long ago, lead was used in bottom paints, then it was copper....neither of these in a dust form from your sander can be good for you to inhale all day. And the black paint on there now has probably penetrated the gel coat on the bottom to the point where you would end up removing all the gel trying to get the paint off, also not good.
That being said, I am going down the same path as your first response... pressure wash or soda blast the bottom to remove all that's possible, leaving the original gel bottom. Instead of an ablative paint, I would consider a shiny colored matched hard bottom paint. LOOK for a paint that can remain out of the water for periods of time, since you trailer. Some hard paints require it to remain wet to work. One hard coat of a good quality paint combined with trailer life, you may never paint it again. Hard paint has a slick shine that will not rub off or dissolve as does ablative paint, so less marks on docks or anything else at anything less than ramming speed impact. Prep work is most important so read each product (can) for prepping requirements.
want my professional opinion Ralph?......do what the first fella said.
Rusty
That being said, I am going down the same path as your first response... pressure wash or soda blast the bottom to remove all that's possible, leaving the original gel bottom. Instead of an ablative paint, I would consider a shiny colored matched hard bottom paint. LOOK for a paint that can remain out of the water for periods of time, since you trailer. Some hard paints require it to remain wet to work. One hard coat of a good quality paint combined with trailer life, you may never paint it again. Hard paint has a slick shine that will not rub off or dissolve as does ablative paint, so less marks on docks or anything else at anything less than ramming speed impact. Prep work is most important so read each product (can) for prepping requirements.
want my professional opinion Ralph?......do what the first fella said.
Rusty
My servicing Marina (Island Cove - they have a travel lift) in Chattanooga has a water/media blasting machine that they have good success with removing bottom paints. I takes about 1/4 the time of sanding. Since I'm ready for about my 5th bottom job, I'm going to look at that rater than just another "scuff and paint"...
I did what fwebster suggested to my Maxum. Sanded the bottom paint that was on it and taped off the boat and sprayed it with a paint (cannot remember the brand) that I got from my auto body shop guy, followed with a couple coats of clear coat and it still looked as if I just did it 10 years later when we sold her. We used gloss black. Kept boat on lift and it would stay in the water as long as 2 weeks and only require a wash down with boat soap and brush. We are on the Lower Potomac River in Maryland. We keep our 340 on same lift but keep it anti fowled as it may stay in the water on trips as long as a month.
I had mine soda blasted and repainted. About 3k with materials. Turned out nice. Almost impossible and cost prohibitive to return it to original. Would just do a quality repaint.
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