Epoxy, glass and repainting

[Bill Baillie]

I understand that a carvel planked hull needs to be stripped and re-primed every few years. What about a strip or cold molded hull that has been covered in glass and epoxy? First of all, do these hulls need to be stripped? Second, if they do need stripping how you you do it? I don't think that chemical strippers or heat guns would be a good thing to use on the epoxy. Can you just sand and repaint?

Bill

[JimD]

I would never strip the paint from my glassed wood hull. Too easy to damage the fiberglass. If I decide to repaint I will sand the old paint while trying not to go through the primer, and repaint. Lucky for me it's a small hull.

[Gary E]

I understand that a carvel planked hull needs to be stripped and re-primed every few years. Who told you that?... a paint saleman?

A friend of mine has a boat built in 1936...it's on it's 3rd or 4th set of twin engines and as for the hull?... he NEVER takes all the paint off, just sands to make it ready for the next coat of finish paint....some areas need a spot of primer but never take all the paint off.

[outofthenorm]

I'm scratching my head and asking the same thing: "Who told you that?. If a hull is properly prepared and primed in the first place and painted with a few coats of quality paint, it should never need more than an easy sanding and a top-coat. Mine's 45 years old and never been stripped. People stil ask me if it's a f*&%#$ss hull.
I tell them no, it's made from miracle fibre "W".

- Norm