Hull Scratches: Epoxy or is bottom paint enough?

[tbepler]

newbie here with '06 sea hunt 18'6" Triton CC that i bought used a year ago. When i hauled it out last fall i put two scratches (1/8" deep X 18" long) in the hull through the bottom paint from the trailer bunks as the ramp slope was not steep enough and i didn't have the trailer in far enough. Also, while power washing, a 2'X2' section of the black bottom paint flaked off exposing a white surface. I'm not sure if the bottom was painted before i got it from the dealer since by the end of last season there were big barnacles in some areas (i would imagine that if it had fresh bottom paint when i got it in April '07 it would have been protected from barnacles through Nov '07 when i took it out? it was moored in the western end of Long Island Sound.)

So my question is does the scratches/flaked paint increase the risk of osmosis of sea water into the fiberglass and should i therefore epoxy the entire hull? Or is the risk small and i should just use bottom paint (maybe two coats?) Thanks in advance for any help!!

[browndog]

Is the exposed area white gelcoat ? If the dealer preped the hull correctly- removed the mold wax and idealy put on a barrier coat, then just recoat with anti fouling paint. If the boat was sitting unused for days at a time in warm water some gowth would be expected. There are different grades of anti fouling bottom paint, so don't skimp on quality.

[Breakwater]

Browndog is right, if the paint was the only thing that flaked/scratched off.
If it didnt' scratch the gelcoat, don't worry about it, and just cover it with bottom paint.

I'm not sure if you're saying you scratched the actual hull though.

If you did, it's a very easy fix. Here's how atleast I'd do it.

Because it's on the bottom of the hull, and being bottom painted. The ultimate finish wouldn't matter. If it was on the topsides, I'd use factory matched gelcote and fair it out to a smooth finish, so the boat doesnt wear battle scars.
But, Since it's slapped over with paint:

Gently sand 0ut the scratch with a heavy grit sand-paper.
Then go to west-marine and buy " 3m 5200" in a ~10 ounce tube. Lay the 5200 onto your sanded mistake, and let it cure. Then cover it with bottom paint.

Don't

[soundownsam]

DO NOT USE 5200 FOR HULL REPAIRS.

If you haven't gone through the gel coat you are fine. Reapply bottom paint in the spring and go fishing. Depending on what type of bottom paint you may need to launch very soon after painting.

If you have gone through the gel coat you will know because the scratch will go though the white layer and into bare glass. This is likely to have a reddish tan tint to it. If this is the case you will want to prep the area with course sand paper (100 grit or so) and make your repair with Marine Tex. Marine Tex is an easy to use 2 part epoxy putty/filler that will bond well to the fiberglass, seal it from water intrusion and be sand and paintable. Mix teh two parts and wipe in with a bond spreader. wipe with an acetone soaked rag to smooth and clean.

sam

[Go Fish]

If a 2' x 2' section of bottom paint came off with the powerwasher the hull was not properly prepared before bottom paint application. I'd go after it with the powerwasher for a while longer and see how much more of the bottom paint you can get off before you remove it all and try again with someone who will do it right for you.

As for the hull scratches: I agree with a previous poster that you don't need to make it a work of art if you are going to cover the repair with bottom paint...but using 5200 for gel-coat repair is just about the worst advice I have ever heard.

Just fill the scrath back up with gel-coat and sand it smooth. Evercoat markets some do-it-yourself gel-coat repair kits that will make the job fairly easy. There are some pre-thickened gel coat repair formulas that would be good candidates as well. You can find them at West Marine and on-line.

[browndog]

I recommend a West Sytem epoxy repair kit over Marine Tex. The kit comes with powder to thicken the epoxy to a peanut butter consistency so it won't run or sag. It bonds better than Marine Tex.

[super-fly]

Another vote for West system....I use the 404 high density adhesive filler as an additive to the factory gelcoat that i get from my local marina...(the factory gel is not really necessary for bottom applications)

If your problem area penetrates the gelcoat down to the glass underneath use a small grinder or dremel to feather the cracked edges of the gelcoat. sand the surrounding the area and fill the damaged area with the west system paste(as mentioned above, should be the consistency of peanut butter)
I usually add slightly more than is needed, the west system will shrink slightly during the curing process. Once the repair has fully cured.... lightly sand the area and finish with the bottom paint of your choice.

I also use an ablative antifouling bottom paint....you're not going to see any of the flaking with this type of paint

[tbepler]

much appreciated, a huge help to someone new to this but likes to DIY -

when i get the boat out of storage i'll have to check the scratch depth to make sure it didn't go past the gel coat, if it did i'll give a go w/ the western system and either way slap on two (?) coats of ablative bottom paint (something like the Pettit ultima SR ablative bottom paint?) after an overall sanding.

Hopefully my next post will be asking how to fix a snapped 10wt rod after run-in with a monster albie...thanks again!