Hull bottom paint question- What am I looking at?

[Ron Hill]

Guys : If you want to find out what dissolves a paint - call the company that makes it.  They can tell you right off!!

A thought

[KWKloeber]

BUT now that she's south and therefore not seasonally on the hard, VC-17 is a PITA.  Now I'd LOVE to have a hard or ablative paint -- but cannot (easily) apply that once VC has been used.

I've given that, removing VC-17, some thought.  I'm thinking acetone or other solvent and lots of wiping.  Then some light sanding.
What is the PITA of VC-17 south.  I'm thinking, in the back of my alleged mind. that I may do a cruise to Fla for a couple of years.  What would be the problem with VC-17?
Jim

Jim

VC doesn't last typically but a season.  And here no one pulls their boat for annual storage. There IS NO STORAGE, only working yard space -- so it's an extra annual cost to just pull to wash and renew the VC rather than using a multi-year hard or ablative bottom.  Hardcore racers might justify the added cost. 

-k

[Ron Hill]

Jim : I've found that with an ablative paint, if you spray on TSP (garden sprayer) and scrub with a medium grade scrub pad, most of the paint will come off.  A second time and it's all off!!

A thought

[waughoo]

When I bought my boat, the lower boot stripe was painted over with bottom paint.  I used citristrip painted on THICK and then covered with plastic to keep it from drying out.  After about 3 or so hours, I removed the plastic and scraped off the loose paint.  After about three rounds, it was mostly gone and I sanded the remaining off.

[KWKloeber]

When I bought my boat, the lower boot stripe was painted over with bottom paint.  I used citristrip painted on THICK and then covered with plastic to keep it from drying out.  After about 3 or so hours, I removed the plastic and scraped off the loose paint.  After about three rounds, it was mostly gone and I sanded the remaining off.

That must have been way back before someone determined that if one lets a few flakes of paint hit the ground before cleaning it up or letting a teaspoon of dust into the breeze will kill us all?

[waughoo]

Oh no... it was recently :-)  however, it was done exceptionally carefully to catch the paint scraped off, and a festool random orbital with festool dust collection vac to catch the airborn dust while sanding.  I only HALF died... but it was worth it.