Bottom detailing

[mjw930]

Question, what would a decent price be for a complete wet sand and buff out of a 22C bottom?

I'm talking the entire surface below the paint line, taken off the trailer then put back on.

[Cuda]

Too damn much! Call the Boat Hospital in Deland, that's where I had my deck taken off. They should be able to do it. I see him on the roads every once in a while. Real nice guy, and so is his wife. He was doing a deck off, and new tank in another 22, when I had mine there. He knows me. They have moved since I had work done. They're almost directly across the street from Mystic Marine.
http://www.boathospital.com/html/contact_us.html

[gcarter]

Here's a thread where I did some bottom detailing on the Minx.
Maybe you could buy or rent some dollies...........:wink:
http://www.donzi.net/forums/showthread.php?t=43778

[mjw930]

George,

Thanks, I know how to do it but I don't really have the time or the desire, especially if this is something that I can have someone else do for a reasonable amount of money.

I don't mind wrenching on a motor or rewiring the whole dash but glass work is something I've never been good at or have any desire to become good at. This is one of those, "I'll pay someone else" tasks for me. Hey, I gotta do my part to stimulate the economy, right :wink:

[mjw930]

Too damn much! Call the Boat Hospital in Deland, that's where I had my deck taken off. They should be able to do it. I see him on the roads every once in a while. Real nice guy, and so is his wife. He was doing a deck off, and new tank in another 22, when I had mine there. He knows me. They have moved since I had work done. They're almost directly across the street from Mystic Marine.
http://www.boathospital.com/html/contact_us.html

Joe,

I'll plan on doing that. I'm just looking for what a ballpark cost might be so I don't have sticker shock when he gives me a quote :wink:

[Cuda]

George,
Thanks, I know how to do it but I don't really have the time or the desire, especially if this is something that I can have someone else do for a reasonable amount of money.
I don't mind wrenching on a motor or rewiring the whole dash but glass work is something I've never been good at or have any desire to become good at. This is one of those, "I'll pay someone else" tasks for me. Hey, I gotta do my part to stimulate the economy, right :wink:
Amen brother. I'd rather have to rebuild an engine, than repair a crack!

[Cuda]

Joe,
I'll plan on doing that. I'm just looking for what a ballpark cost might be so I don't have sticker shock when he gives me a quote :wink:
When I had the deck off, new tank, all half inch fuel lines, and some deck cracks repaired, along with a new rubrail, and probably some junk I don't remember, my tab was just a tad under $6,000.

[smokediver]

if you could get it up on a forklift .... and depending on the condition of the bottom ... guess around 30 bucks a foot .... maybe a little more as it is hard working above your head ... puts lots of pressure on the shoulders !!!

[MOP]

After you get it nice and shiny don't forget to rough up the last 1/3 to break the stiction layer, a shiny bottom is not as efficient as one that is smooth true but roughed up. Breaking the glaze with #220 helps. Breaking the stiction layer has been long know to increase speed, the fact that a perfectly smoth golf ball will fly about 15% less distance then the stippled one. Also In Freemantle during the Americas Cup Dennis Connor applied the Boeing rivlets to the bottom of our entry and gained 2/10 of a knot which won us the Americas Cup that year.

[mjw930]

After you get it nice and shiny don't forget to rough up the last 1/3 to break the stiction layer, a shiny bottom is not as efficient as one that is smooth true but roughed up. Breaking the glaze with #220 helps. Breaking the stiction layer has been long know to increase speed, the fact that a perfectly smoth golf ball will fly about 15% less distance then the stippled one. Also In Freemantle during the Americas Cup Dennis Connor applied the Boeing rivlets to the bottom of our entry and gained 2/10 of a knot which won us the Americas Cup that year.

I'm not sure I really want to rough it up considering I could care less about that last 1 mph but I'll consider it.

What is your (or anyone else's for that matter) opinion of clear coat on the bottom?

2 places I've talked to have offered that as an option if the wet sand and buff only lasts a season. I've always been under the impression that the only paint you should use on a bottom would be bottom paint but with 2 professionals recommending it as an option I'm wondering if there is some new paint I'm not aware of? Also, what are the negatives of applying a hard clearcoat to a bottom.

[smokediver]

if the gel is in good shape , i wouldnt clear it ... even if you wanted to paint it , i would use a good single stage paint like concept , awlgrip , etc ... i wouldnt clear it as over a period of time , the clear is gonna get chips in it and that will drive you nuts ... if it were me , i would just clean it up and put a coat of wax on it ... not sure what you are trying to achieve but i wouldn't go with a base/clear on the bottom ....

[mjw930]

if the gel is in good shape , i wouldnt clear it ... even if you wanted to paint it , i would use a good single stage paint like concept , awlgrip , etc ... i wouldnt clear it as over a period of time , the clear is gonna get chips in it and that will drive you nuts ... if it were me , i would just clean it up and put a coat of wax on it ... not sure what you are trying to achieve but i wouldn't go with a base/clear on the bottom ....

That's what I'm going to do. Their only reason for suggesting clear is to prevent it from chalking again. When gel gets older, even after a wet sand and polish it will chalk a lot faster than when it's new. They were just throwing out options as I would expect from any professional.

I may try some polymer stuff like Leverage just to see if I can extend the look.

All I'm trying to do is remove the chalkiness and get some of the shine back. I know it's the bottom but I want it to look good on and off the trailer. I also want to reduce the staining and make it clean up easier after a day on the water. For that I need to make sure I keep a good wax/sealant on it.

[Cuda]

I was scrolling through my cellphone today, and saw I still have the Boat Hospital's number on it, :)

[gcarter]

That's what I'm going to do. Their only reason for suggesting clear is to prevent it from chalking again. When gel gets older, even after a wet sand and polish it will chalk a lot faster than when it's new. They were just throwing out options as I would expect from any professional.
I may try some polymer stuff like Leverage just to see if I can extend the look.
All I'm trying to do is remove the chalkiness and get some of the shine back. I know it's the bottom but I want it to look good on and off the trailer. I also want to reduce the staining and make it clean up easier after a day on the water. For that I need to make sure I keep a good wax/sealant on it.
Minicraft makes some clear gelcoat. I asked about it as a propectant, they said it turns yellow w/age.......:mad:
I guess you're better off keeping it inside or get a bigger cover.

[smokediver]

there is a way to avoid the chalkiness coming back so soon ... wax .... gelcote is porous ... it sucks all the oil out of the wax a lot quicker once it has really died out ... ever see a dull boat get buffed out and a week later look a little faded and then in a month look like butt again ? if you keep putting wax on it over a few consecutive days , it won't happen or it won't happen nearly as bad ... maybe a product like leverage would work better in that kind of app. i have never used it so i can't speak from experience ..

[Cuda]

I had very good luck using Aqua Buff 1000, and 2000, then a coat of Meguire's carnuba wax, on a Navy Blue Donzi Minx.

[VetteLT193]

By the time you are paying for a wet sand + clearing you will be past the cost of just doing Awlgrip on the bottom.

Assuming it doesn't sit in the water for months at a time, Awlgrip will last and is much easier to clean... I think the rest of your boat is painted anyway?

[MOP]

A painted bottom suffers in two ways, the trailer bunks and also if left in the water for any extended period it will blister. The blistering has been brought up on the board several times.

Phil

[VetteLT193]

A painted bottom suffers in two ways, the trailer bunks and also if left in the water for any extended period it will blister. The blistering has been brought up on the board several times.
Phil

I have yet to hear from anyone with an actual blister problem with a high quality boat paint (Awlgrip/Imron). The only stories I've heard are because of cheap and/or automotive paints. In reality Gelcoat is probably worse for blistering than Awlgrip because gelcoat is porous.

Trailer bunks aren't a problem for Awlgrip either.