Sand Blasting Anti-fouling ?

[Ed]

Originally Posted by abl1111

I had a local sandblasting company take a look at some sand blasting I wanted done and we got to talking about sand blasting the bottom of the boat to removing anti-fouling - he gave a very good price and when I asked about 'dangers' about blasting and gelcoat damage, he said he has done many many boats with no issue.

Is there a real concern having a sandblaster remove bottom paint ? I certainly would not use it if there is. My plan would be to remove bottom paint and then epoxy seal…

Thx

It all depends on the skill of the operator. At the yard where I work, I have managed roughly 20 blasting projects over the last few years. Most projects have been a volcanic ash & water slurry, glass media and soda.

Soda is typically blasted at very high pressure. 80-100psi. If not done properly, the operator can leave ripples like those you see in the sand at the beach (this happened to my personal boat - a guy out of Malden, MA really screwed up the bottom of my former Grady White). You also need to sand the entire hull with 80 grit when done.

Volcanic ash and water (farrow system is a brand name but there are others)...is typically blasted at much lower pressure - say 40-50 psi. This is probably my favorite. Plus you don't have to sand when finished.

Glass media also leaves a very nice texture.

Considering you live on Long Island, I would contact that fellow in NJ who does Farrow blasting in the tri-state area.

Remember, saving $400 now only to have spend 4 days sanding and fixing your hull from a poor blast job is not worth it!