[frers-list]re: Bottom Work VC Offshore

[Edgar Smith]

Hi Rod:

I had VC Offshore on my J-29 and it did the same thing. For me it was =
little cracks that would open up and break off as chips. They were =
mostly on the hull around the keel joint and on the underside of the =
hull where paint was thick. I=92d grind any loose areas down to the gel =
coat and feather the edges, but a few more would always appear right =
before I was about to paint, so I=92d fill them with glazing putty. I =
used a 3M single part automotive product that was red and came in a big =
toothpaste tube. Wasn=92t perfect, but it dried fast and was very soft =
and easy to sand. Not sure why it was happening. I thought it was =
inadequate sanding of the gelcoat before the original paint job, but =
maybe it had something to do with moisture getting under the paint. My =
Frers has Pettit Vivid white which the previous owner put on over =
Baltoplate. I like it fine. It has really good anti fouling properties, =
and the slime is easy to see when diving to clean it. It=92s also much =
easier to apply and sand than VC Offshore, but not nearly as hard, so it =
tends to wear through at the waterline by the end of the season. It =
actually clouds the water if you scrub it hard with a brush. I=92d say I =
get as smooth of a bottom as I did with the VC Offshore with less work. =
But the brush strokes tend to re-emerge as the season progresses and the =
top layer of paint wears off. It claims to be multi season, but I =
reapply every year. Not sure if it would adhere to VC Offshore. I don=92t =
think anything does. If the chipping gets out of control, I=92d consider =
having the bottom soda blasted and trying another paint.

Ed=