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Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Cleaning the hull & painting the bottom

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/25/2010 : 21:28:18

My 33 year old boat may not have been polished for a few decades. I've only painted the bottom since I've owned it the last 5 years. I had it hauled out this month for bottom paint, and decided to clean up the hull. Lots of work, but I like the result.

Algae and tannins on the hull before the job

Amazing difference with On & Off acid treatment

Then after wet sanding with 600 grit, polishing with 3M rubbing compound, polishing with Finesse It II, and waxing with Collinite Fleet wax

The bottom had a few dozen barnacles, and some of the hard red paint (Pettit Trinidad SR) had worn through to the previous blue layer over the last 2 1/2 years, especially near the bow and the top of the keel

Hope these coats last for 2 years on the keel

Three coats of wax only protect the hull, apparently, and I wa surprised that there was little increase in shine after the compounding. The final polishing step seems to produce only a subtle, microscopic change in the smoothness of the surface.

It was interesting that I discovered a few dozen scratches and places where minor collisions or dock damage had occurred over the decades. If I had spent a few days of additional work on gelcoat repairs, the surface could have returned to new condition, but I don't thing it's worth the trouble for such an old boat with so many other minor issues with various systems.

I'll probably keep the boat a few more years. It's a good boat for me and family and friends to discover fun anchorages around the Chesapeake Bay.

JohnP
1978 C25 SR/FK "Gypsy"
Mill Creek off the Magothy River, Chesapeake Bay
Port Captain, northern Chesapeake Bay

Edited by - on

Tomas Kruska
Admiral

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Czech Republic
522 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2010 : 03:17:55

Nice work.

I wish I have the original gelcoat on mine

Edited by - on

Prospector
Master Marine Consultant

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Canada
3159 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2010 : 07:03:26

Looks really good!

I negotiated a full buff and compound job on our hull when th eyard did the bottom for us last winter. It got a lot of comments when we arrived at our slip in the spring. I wonder how long the shine will last.

Edited by - on

Tom Gauntt
Navigator

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204 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2010 : 07:54:33

John, Looks great! BTW, are you hearing anything from your marina folks about new environmental laws starting next year for us Marylanders? I just ste up my haul-out and winter storage and my guy showed me new rules that make all marinas in the state (and I think even more strict rules on the Bay) must now catch ALL run-off from power washing and have filtered. My guy says power washing is about to get VERY expensive here. Also, absolutely NO hull cleaning while the boat is in or over the water (i.e. divers). This possibility makes me wonder about how to protect the bottom and even if I should keep my boat.

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OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3442 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2010 : 14:14:47

Tom,

The Washington Sailing Marina on the upper Potomac River does Tuesday Pressure Wash "Race" specials which costs $75 regardless of sailboat length. They raise the boat with their travel arm, move it where it is just clears the water and centered above their water drain, pressure wash it and then lower it back into the water. There are rules regarding marina services to protect the Potomac River and so the way their system works, the water drains into a concrete reservoir below the asphalt and is then pumped to a HEPA Filter. I believe the water then goes back to the Potomac. Considering they pump and filter the water, the pressure washing is not cost prohibitive. But then again, their system has been installed for many years and for a marina to have to install a new system, it's going to cost a few bucks - Hopefully, they will not price gouge the customers.

Edited by - OLarryR on 09/26/2010 14:16:21

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5895 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2010 : 14:23:25

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 Tom,

The Washington Sailing Marina on the upper Potomac River does Tuesday Pressure Wash "Race" specials which costs $75 regardless of sailboat length. They raise the boat with their travel arm, move it where it is just clears the water and centered above their water drain, pressure wash it and then lower it back into the water. There are rules regarding marina services to protect the Potomac River and so the way their system works, the water drains into a concrete reservoir below the asphalt and is then pumped to a HEPA Filter. I believe the water then goes back to the Potomac. Considering they pump and filter the water, the pressure washing is not cost prohibitive. But then again, their system has been installed for many years and for a marina to have to install a new system, it's going to cost a few bucks - Hopefully, they will not price gouge the customers.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Wow, that's a great deal! If you have it cleaned only once, in mid-summer, your boat will perform so much better, regardless of whether you're a cruiser or a racer. I wish I could get that deal here.

This summer we've had repeated reports of sharks and even a whale in the Bay, and I'm getting wary of jumping in to scrub the bottom.

The whale was seen only a few miles from here, but, maybe I'm worrying too much about it. Do whales eat people?

Edited by - Steve Milby on 09/26/2010 14:43:27

OLarryR
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3442 Posts

Response Posted - 09/26/2010 : 20:04:29

I thought whales ate Plankton but maybe there are some whale types that would eat a tasty human. Wasn't Jonah eaten by a whale ? Then there was Moby Dick - For sure, Gregory Peck was eaten by a whale !

Edited by - on

Tomas Kruska
Admiral

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Czech Republic
522 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2010 : 01:36:10

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Tom Gauntt
 ...I just ste up my haul-out and winter storage and my guy showed me new rules that make all marinas in the state (and I think even more strict rules on the Bay) must now catch ALL run-off from power washing and have filtered...
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Hm.. eco-terrorists hits again. What a stupid rule. Its all the vegetable (nature product) so why it should be filtered? I suppose that we are now using the nature "friendly" anti-fouling so what is the reason for this? Seems someone thinks that boats are the same as cars with all that oil stains.

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JohnP
Master Marine Consultant

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1520 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2010 : 10:01:03

Tom,
No, I have not heard from my marina about new regulations for bottom cleaning runoff. I'm gonna ask them.

Edited by - on

pastmember
Master Marine Consultant

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2402 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2010 : 16:08:00

God I love Kansas...

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Stuff4Toys
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2010 : 17:17:32

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by OLarryR
 I thought whales ate Plankton but maybe there are some whale types that would eat a tasty human. Wasn't Jonah eaten by a whale ? Then there was Moby Dick - For sure, Gregory Peck was eaten by a whale !
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Many whales ARE plankton eaters except Killer Whales and maybe a few more. Jonah was literally eaten by a "Big Fish" not particularly a whale. Tom and Jerry spent some time in a whale too!

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Stuff4Toys
1st Mate

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USA
83 Posts

Response Posted - 09/27/2010 : 17:19:39

Oh Yeah "Nice Detail Job" on Gypsy, hope mine looks that good in a few weeks.

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