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Conference unifix::sailing

Title:SAILING
Notice:Please read Note 2.* before participating in this conference
Moderator:UNIFIX::BERENS
Created:Wed Jul 01 1992
Last Modified:Mon Jun 02 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:2299
Total number of notes:20724

1132.0. "bottom paint for a fast cat" by MOORED::GERSTLE () Fri Feb 17 1989 12:48

A non-noting friend of mine is seriously considering getting a racing
catamaran - 23' LOA.  The boat is currently dry-sailed and therefore has never
been bottom-painted.  Since the prospective owner would like to be able
to moor the boat in salt-water AND still go VERY fast (the boat competes
with Formula 40s I'm told) he is concerned about the _weight_ and possible
drag of bottom paint on his hulls.

I suggested that the weight should not be an issue - my guess was about
1 - 1.5 gallons of paint to do a 23' catamaran with a total paint weight
of about 10 - 12 pounds.  If he uses a hard finish paint then what are
peoples thoughts on his speed concerns?  Also - for those cat owners out
there - how much bottom-paint does it really take to do a boat this size?

Thanks,
Carl

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1132.1Water..HYDRA::HAYSCan't go back and you can't stand still ... Phil Hays ZSO1"Fri Feb 17 1989 16:3713
RE:.0 by MOORED::GERSTLE

> I suggested that the weight should not be an issue - my guess was about
> 1 - 1.5 gallons of paint to do a 23' catamaran with a total paint weight
> of about 10 - 12 pounds.  

The real weight problem is due to absorbed water.  Wood or fiberglass will 
absorb a substantial percentage of it's weight in water.  If he is real worried 
about weight,  he should drysail all the time.


Phil

1132.2work, work, workELWOOD::DRECHSLERTomWed Feb 22 1989 17:429
    I would emphatically agree about the lack of effect of the weight
    .. the drag is all important if he is going to moor it.  I believe
    there are teflon added & I know of graphite supplemented bottom
    paints of which I know one mono-huller will swear by.  More interesting
    is his application techniques, which are certainly nothing new.
    Just laborious.  Sand between first & second coats, thin out the
    second, & wet-sand the last one. Ugh! If he's truly competitive,
    dry-sail it, waxed (carnuba, of course). ..Later TomD

1132.3It ain't called "Turtle Wax" for nothingAKOV12::DJOHNSTONThu Feb 23 1989 11:245
    Skip the wax totally.  Water molecules bond better to wax than finely
    sanded glass left untreated.  Ugly, but faster.
    
    Dave

1132.4Get down and Get FunkyAKOV11::KALINOWSKIMon Feb 27 1989 12:0816
    I agree with .3      Never wax the sucker unless you are selling it! 
    
    400 wet sand the boat before every race. Being 23 feet, you can bring
    it into 2 feet of water near a beach and quickly rub it down. You are
    going to get wet soon enough, so spend a couple minutes looking
    for Neptune!
    
    At the Newport boat show, some kid showed up with his Formula 40
    he bought used. It was pretty beat up, and had a huge amount of crud
    on the hulls. Forget the teflon stuff, just clean the hulls every week.
    It is a cheap way to make a cat fast.
                                                               
    By the way, what kind of a 23 footer is he racing? Is it class racing?
    
    john