removing anti-fouling paint

Member Joined: Feb 06, 2009 Posts: 42 Location: skegness

the anti-fouling paint and greyundercoat under my hull seems to scratch off fairly easy in lots of areas and underneath is a algi-green moisture. it looks to me like it wasnt applied to a clean surfice. i am toying with the idea of taking the whole lot off as i dont need it because my boat is kept at home,the paint has been applied very thickly you could say lumpy.does any one know if i can use paint stripper without affecting the fibre glass resin hull or some other safe way of removing it or leave well alone any suggestions greatfully welcome.

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:26 pm

there is a stripper which is gell coat freindly you pain it on and power wash it of after a stated time its a leathel product if you get it on your skin it about 40 pounds a tub but you do your hull with one tub its a french souding name i will look it up look it up and let you know i have used it its good stuff but not cheap regards andy cool

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:42 pm

The product Cro$$y refers to is Dilunett. Colchester, Essex. It does no harm at all to the grp, but make sure you are well covered. I wore yellow rubber gloves whilst using the stuff. I didn't realise instantly that I had sprung a leak, the paint remover burnt me almost down to the bone on my index finger. The resulting sore took months to recover.

Posted: Tue Feb 10, 2009 10:43 pm

hi its called DILUNETT 27.33 for 2.5 ltrs at marine megastore dont forget gloves,regards andy cool

Member Joined: Feb 06, 2009 Posts: 42 Location: skegness

thanks for that you two,and for the gloves warning. do you think 2.5ltrs. will do my shortie? they have painted her fairly high up [see photos] and as andy knows the boat has quite a wide bottom,i am thinking one tin each side but you have used it and can judge better than me.

Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:38 pm

the best way to go is get 2.5 ltr,s it should do all hull dont put it on to thin but a good covering power wash of and if it does need a second coat andyou have some left all well use it on the stubern bits if not all done you know you will need a nother tub dont doo it on your new trailor and where you cant clean up it makes a terbble mes a concrete pad that can be scrubbed and powerwashed best place jack your boat up on to wood blocks and draw your trailor out so as you can get to all the hull regards andy cool

Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 3:47 pm

dont wanna pee on everyones parade with this awful stuff you are reccomending....but i have just done mine and i used a pressure washer albeit it was a mother of a washer and cost me £25 for the use from my marina but it totally cleared all the antifoul with no harmful substances washed into the enviroment(no im not a tree hugger i added that bit to please the tree huggers)

Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:32 pm

its a fair comment try a power washer first as your going to have to use one which ever route you go and if it all comes of you saved some petrol tickets, regards andy cool

Member Joined: Feb 06, 2009 Posts: 42 Location: skegness

last night i had a go with my pressure washer and found out that the height of the old paintline had been extended about another 6ins. on the bow and it was a botch job coming off fairly easy with my washer, correct me if im wrong but i think IF the job is done properly you would need a paint-stripper because you wouldnt shift it very well with a pressure washer, my washer is a comercial grade that i use for work and it didnt make much headway on the old paint, well i think i will call it job done now i have got the loose paint off,the rest is stable. has anyone tried the cirrus-system paint remover advertised at the top of this page £28.00. for 4ltrs and is more user+echo friendly than dilunett wether its as good is another thing. thanks for the advice hammiloz youve saved me some cash big grin

and thanks cro$$y and TCP [tom cat p---.]