local marina has quoted a price [decent] to chem. peel bottom,abrade,wash w/solvent ,apply 2 coats pettit 4400,2 coats pettit 4700,followed by 2 trilux. anyone had bad results from chem. strip vs. blast [soda vs. sand]. he [marina paint guy] maintains he can get same results w/pettit in 4 where it takes 6 coats of interprotec? happy to hear your toughts. later Bill

Bill,

Hi long time no see or hear from U on the site. Are U still boating outta Oscoda ? I’ve moved the boat over to the west side of the State where the Salmon are at least for a while longer. I’ve used the Peel Away stuff on a scale of 1 to 10 I’d give it a 6.5 works fairly well but time consuming I did the transom area below the water line as a trial area to get it to bare aluminum it took 3 days & a very messy chore one word of caution if anyone by chance uses Peel Away don’t use the average run of the mill rubber gloves, the stuff eat right thru them plus your hide (believe on this one) get a heavy duty commercial grade. Next go to the Peel away site below read there marine section get in touch with a tech at the manuf below. When I did he estimated about 15 gal to do the job correctly? After boning up on the facts ask the place that going to do the job if they have ever done a Aluminum boat with barrier coating & to give U an out the door guaranteed price in
writing so there won’t be any surprises when U go to get your boat. They’re use to just getting down to the gel coat on plastic boats.

http://www.dumondchemica...appsolutions.htm#marine

Now on the Pettit produces the only one I’ve used was their 6980 Steel primer for the rudders works well on the steel rudders till the prop wash bares the upper part of the rudder usually every season. But unless U have S.S. rudders I don’t think any paint will stand up to the prop wash for long. I’ve also used their 6455 metal primer seeing I’m in inside storage & can’t use the spray can type of etching primer. & were as the Vinyl-Lux Primewash is a two part & once it’s mixed U have to use it all were as the Pittit can be resealed & reused. Well AnyWho that’s my ½ pennies worth. Bill, remember most them marina guys up in the Oscoda area are plastic boat guys. ???

Norm,
Bigs Live On

PS: as Jeff suggested they should at least use the 6455 etching before they apply any other coating

My sandblast job cost me $600 and was worth every penny. Those guys earned their money.
They were recommended by my current yard guys who are Marinette owners.
Having witnessed the whole process, I think it is the only way to get down to bright metal.
The vinylux prime wash (applied ASAP) is absolutely essential.

I agree with Jeff. Your yard guys are probably fiberglass guys. They like to avoid sandblasting fiberglass hulls because it tends to pop out the blisters which requires a lot of priming, filling and fairing. When we blasted my last boat (Trojan F-32) the hull looked like birdseye maple. It more than doubled the cost of the bottom job and cost us weeks of prime boating season.
Just one more reason I switched to a Marinette.