VC-17 Touch up & Spring Launch Questions

[mdistel]

My 93 C34 was fully painted last year by the previous owner with VC-17. He mentioned that some sailors on the Great Lakes only alternate between a full paint job and the rudder/keel/leading edge/water line. How many qts does it take to complete the touch up for those areas? I'll inspect more carefully but the paint looked to be in good condition.

My other question is how long does it typically take to wax the hull? Do you prefer to wax first or paint first? I need to get moving, splash down is May 2!

Here's a picture to give you an idea of how much (little) growth was on the bottom last fall.



Mark
93 C34

[sailingdream]

This will be my second drop into the water since I've had it, and I'll be giving it another coat of VC17, I use alittle over 1 can of VC17.

This will be my first yr of waxing, I know it will most likely kill me :)  Not really looking forward to it. I'll be using  Collinite #920 and #925.

I drop into the water in 2 weeks.(Toronto)

[Ken Juul]

The secret to waxing is using a good variable speed buffer with a quality bonnet.  Start on a slow speed to spread the wax over a small section of the hull, then increase the speed to buff it off.  I tried for years to do it by hand or with a cheap automotive type orbital buffer.  Either way I just wasn't satisfied.  You can pick up a good buffer at Harbor Frieght or Northern Tools for less than $100.  I too use the Collinite products.  Great stuff

[Albreen]

I don't know if you've had any experience with Poliglow as a wax substitute, but I've been using this product for a handful of years now with good success. No more sore arms, shoulders or back - much less time and energy to apply. The cleanser makes getting the boat prepped very easy for the application of the product. You can purchase in a starter kit and then supplement with what you need for future seasons. I can attempt to post a picture of the topsides of my 1987 from last spring if you're interested.

[mdistel]

I'll let everyone know how it works out, I'm heading over to the boat tomorrow despite a high of 48.

On the way I'm going to stop and pick up a variable speed polisher at Harbor Freight, thanks for the tip Ken. I think that will work better than the 10" orbital I borrowed.

I've read good and bad about Poliglow but since my gelcoat is still in great shape I'll stick to wax.

Mark
93 C34

[Susan Ray]

Paul, I am interested in seeing a photo of your boat polished. Did you do the hull? Thanks, Susan

[Jack Hutteball]

I usually apply 2 coats of bottom paint and only haul every 3 years.  So while the first coat is drying I wax the hull the remainder of the first day, apply the second coat of bottom paint the second day, and splash the third.  Then I sprawl in the cockpit and recoup with a cold one.
Jack

[horsemel]

I have continued to use VC17 on Blue Moon.  The first year I used rollers and paint pans to do the job. I ended up wearing as much paint as I got on the boat.   The next year I talked to a guy who had used a Wagner Roll N Go paint roller system.  I bought one for about $30.00 and it was a great investment.  No pouring from the can to the pan, no paint running down my arm and no waste.  Easy cleanup too. I know of two people who used the touch-up method around the water line and the leading edges of the keel etc.  Seems to work ok on fresh water Lake Erie so I am going to give it a try.  Normally I use about 2 3/4 quarts if I do the entire bottom.

I think I am going to try Prism Polish for the hull polishing this year.  I have heard good things and there have been good comments about it on this site.  I will probably seal the whole thing with an automotive polymer based final coat.

Mark Mueller
Blue Moon 815
1988

[Bobg]

I am on Lake Superior, there is virtually no growth on the boat at all, the bottom paint is getting spotty, in that I see where it is gone in places, is it necessary to VC 17, the boat when in this kind of water?.  I really don't know much about it.  Isn't that the stuff  that goes on coppery and turns blue later?  What advantages are there to put it on.  Thanks  Bob

[Ted Pounds]

Bob,
The big advantage to VC-17 is it's hard and makes the boat go faster (Faster than even an unpainted hull).   So the serious racers all use it.  Fouling in freshwater isn't near as much a problem as salt water.  Which is good for freshwater racers because they don't have to scrub the bottom as often.  VC-17 is only fair at keeping the bottom clean is salt water.

[sailingdream]

The method I use is pretty simple for VC17.  Using a 4" foam roller and a pan to fit. Sure it takes alittle longer(about 1.5-2 hrs) with the smaller brush. I mix the VC17 in the can. I then place back the plastic lid and cut a small "V" shape notch into the corner of the lid. I place a tape to cover the hole to prevent the stuff in the can from drying out, and still allows you to shake the can without spilling half of it out. I only pour out about 3/4cups out at a time. This way I'm able to take my time and not waste any of the VC17. I use up about 1 1/2cans. The unused portion is usable for the following yr as long as the can is sealed tightly.

[Bob Kuba]

Mark,

I thought about the Wagner method too, but was concerned that forcing the paint from the inside of the roller to the outside would filter out all the protective copper that's held in suspension in the paint. Since that is the basis for the protection in the paint, I decided against trying it.

Have you noticed this happening as you apply the VC 17?

Bob

[Fou Du Large]

I mix the VC-17 in the can

I put the VC-17 in a old clean KETCHUP bottle

I do all the job with 1 1/2 pint.

With the ketshup bottle there is no évaporation and you can shake the mix easily.. and apply the paint directly on the roll in the pan ...  No loss paint...

Good season!

[mdistel]

It took about 4 hours to clean and wax one side however most of the time was spent on removing the West Marine Cleaner Wax, it was very stubborn and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The 3M cleaner wax came right off. Both of them came with the boat and did a good job cleaning up the light stains but there was a clear winner in terms of useability.

Many other sailors were bottom painting. One guy was using an old dawn bottle to dispense his VC-17 a little bit at a time into a paint tray. This seemed to work well so I'll give it a try.

Mark

[Stu Jackson]

I used to think combo "cleaner & wax" saved time.  I learned it doesn't, because all you end up doing is waxing the dirt right into the hull.  Unless it's perfectly clean already, in which case wax only is better anyway.  Just my hull...