The following spring came quickly, and, as usual, work came first. So rather than a total refit we decided to restore the Blackwatch by tackling one project at a time. In year two of owning the boat, we took care of the undercarriage first. It was time for a soda blasting and bottom painting.
Soda blasting is a great way to take years of bottom paint off your hull while not damaging the fiberglass. Mass Soda Blast came right to the yard and took care of the job. These guys were great and the whole process was enclosed in plastic so the copper paint and sodium bicarbonate was rolled up and disposed of properly. No cuprous oxide paint to leach into the ground.
While on the “green” environmentally friendly tack we chose a local company, E-Paint, for our barrier coat and bottom paint. If you check this company out you’ll find some great independent tests showing how good their stuff works. The best part is, the E-Paint is not just green to be green, it’s a better product while being environmentally friendly. With E-Paint you can also paint your running gear without fear of the pitting that copper bottom paints will leave behind.