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I for one hate it...

So Monday I was finally able to get the boat off the trailer and begin the process of stripping off some 20+ years of rolled on crappy bottom paint.

The guy who own the boat before me would just roll a new coat on every before the boat went into the water. Needless to say this has added up over the years. Also without proper prepping it had begun to start coming off in big chunks.

Wanting to do it he right way I knew I had to get it off the trailer. So last weekend while I was out of town my dad took it upon himself to build a gallows frame to help support the boat while it was off the trailer. So when I returned home on Sunday the frame was build and in 3 sections ready to go.

Come Monday afternoon we set up the frame and began to dolly the hull off the trailer. To start be lowered the tongue of the trailer all the way down. Then we placed 2 cinder blocks with a 2x6 and a 4x4 on top at the stern. Once those were in place we cranked the tongue back up as high as it could go thus lifting the stern off the trailer. With the stern off the trailer we used blocks of wood between the bunks and the hull to level it and used ratchet straps and ropes to go from the cleats through the hawse pipes to the over head frame. Once those where up tight we lowered the tongue a bit and used a jack and a block of wood to lift the bow and set it on a set of cinder blocks and wood.

With the hull free of the trailer now set began to slide the trailer out. Once we got to a cross beam on the trailer would use the jack again to lift the hull up to set up an other cinder block support behind the cross beam and removed the one in front of the beam and set the boat back down. We did the same thing for the axles and the last cross beam and finally the trailer was out. It was actually not that bad at all.

Now with the trailer out of the way I started using peel away to strip the bright blue bottom paint off the hull. I found the peel away to work well however, you need to let it sit of about 8 hours before you remove it but, you need to have it off by at least 16 hours or else it begins to dry back up. The peel away also has not burned my skin nor harmed the gel coat in the areas where it was gotten on it unlike other strippers. So now I have gotten one side of the hull done and am staring on the other side. I have been working in shifts where I will coat half of one side and then strip it. Typically the stripper has gone on at night and then I have been stripping it at 6 in the morning before I head to work (I do not have to be at work till 9). Once that is stripped I will coat the next half and strip that when I get home and recoat the next area for the following 6 am wake up call. With the paint off I have found that there is an epoxy barrier coat under all the blue paint. It really is white however, the blue paint has stained it dark blue and cooper. With a little sanding though it turns back to white. This will be a plus as the new bottom paint I will be putting on is my Desert Tan I have had made up so the white will be a great base.

Here are some pictures of the process so far. I will keep posting them I get through the process.

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Tongue lowered
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/tonguedown.jpg[/IMG]

Set up of overhead
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Setup1.jpg[/IMG]
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[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Setup2.jpg[/IMG]

Blocks at back
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/blockatback.jpg[/IMG]

Tie off ropes
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Tieropes.jpg[/IMG]

Lifted stern view
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Hangingstern.jpg[/IMG]

Lifted side view
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Hangingsidebefore.jpg[/IMG]

Lifted Bow View
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Hangingfront.jpg[/IMG]

Stripping begun
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Understripped.jpg[/IMG]
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[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v427/jeff_rohlfing/Bottom%20Paint/Understrippedfront.jpg[/IMG]

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Hi Jeff - great pictures!! I should have taken pictures of my bottom paint ordeal.

My 13' Super Sport also had layer upon layer of bottom paint...ugh. I chose to use a sander - actually 3 sanders since I burned one out doing this nasty job. By the time I was done (2 days of sanding) I had "snowdrifts" of bottom paint dust in our barn and tendonitis in my shoulders...

Regarding lifting a boat to work on the bottom: your gallows system is awesome - but most folks should be able to rent an Engine Hoist for a day or so - these will usually lift a couple thousand pounds. I'm lucky - my husband owns one of these wonderful tools!!

I hung the bow of the boat from a sturdy point; and used the engine hoist to lift the back end and pull the trailer out. To be safe, I also swiped a couple of jack stands to place under the boat, in the event it would fall, at least I wouldn't be crushed.

It was a nasty job, but the bottom of my Super Sport looks great!! I chose to repaint with antifouling paint - seemed the easiest way to go?? I was afraid if I took ALL the paint off, I'd have to re-gelcoat the bottom, which is out of the realm of things I'm able to do.

Deb

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Stripping bottom paint isn't easy on any hull. Ugh :@ been there.

John

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Been there done that on my 25! I removed several layers of black paint, lightly sanded and buffed back to original.:D:D The gelcoat shines like new now. I keep the boat on a trailer and preferred the gelcoat over peeling paint look. While my boat was blocked I fixed up my trailer, replaced the suspension, brakes, and installed a freshwater brake-flush system (wish I had photographed the progress). It was worth it, if I remember correctly took about 5 days. Good luck.

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I did my Sport 13' back in 1976.....

I'm sure glad it was only a 13'.....
I swore I never wanted to do that again...... So far, I am living up to my promise....

Nasty, messy, back breaking job.....

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There was one very thin and thankfully un-prepped layer of bottom paint on my 15 Mischief. I was tempted to remove the MANY layers on my 21's bottom to try and get back to a smooth surface instead of the asphalt like surface it has now. I think I just reminded myself and saved myself the grief of doing that again.

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More in progess images
Click Here

Finally the custom matched Desert Tan Paint is on!

For the Finished product and the bottom painting look here...
Link

[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/attachments/dscn4378.jpg[/img]
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[img]http://www.whalercentral.com/forum/attachments/dscn4379.jpg[/img]

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Looks great Jeff! This coming winter I will be embarking on stripping many years and layers of bottom paint off my new to me 13. I think I am going to flip it to do that job. (one of the nice perks of the 13)