[Rhodes22-list] Keel and osmosis repair - update

[The Rhodes 22 Email List]

Finally, after working on the bottom and keel for most of the Summer I
finished today except for the spots where the boat is supported on the lift.
For those who may be considering the need for osmosis repair, I have a few
observations about Interprotect 2000e barrier coating that might be of use.

I spent a lot of time trying to decide whether to go with the West System
barrier coat or the Interprotect 2000e. I am glad now that I went with the
Interprotect. Here are the advantages as I experienced it:
	- Interprotect goes on like paint. It has a 5 hr pot life (probably
more) but dries on the boat very quickly. This I think is a big advantage
over the West system where you have to make small batches and work within a
narrow window to get it on before it starts to go off. Interprotect is much
more forgiving. 
	- Interprotect comes in white and gray. Alternating colours ensures
complete coverage and I found that to be surprisingly helpful.
	- With temperatures in the high 70s I was able to recoat as soon as
I finished the previous coat. Interlux says that it should take 3 hrs at
that temperature for the coating to dry sufficiently - measured by the fact
that you can press your thumb into the coating without any paint transfer to
your thumb. It took me about 1 hour to apply a coat with each coat a bit
faster than the previous one and once finished the place where I started
already was ready for recoating.
	- I used 3 gallons of Interprotect and was able to apply 6 coats
with about 1 quart waste - partly because I was using two colours and that
means more waste. The first coat took 3/4 of a gallon and subsequent coats
slightly less than 1/2 gallon. 
	- Using the 3/8 nap rollers, as recommended, I was able to get coats
that were 3 mils thick. Interlux suggests a total of  10 mils which they say
requires 4-5 coats. I put on 6 coats because I already had the paint and was
not sure I could trust my film thickness gauge. It appears that I applied
about 18 mils so that should be more than adequate.
	- After the last coat of interprotect I was able to apply the
antifouling almost immediately but waited about 1hr in order to have lunch.
I hope I didn't delay too long. I used Bottomkote Act for the antifouling
primarily because it was rated so well by Practical Sailor. It goes on
beautifully over the interprotect and is supposed to bond chemically with it
if applied at the right time. I guess I will find out whether my timing was
right after I launch.
	- Interlux tells me to launch within 60 days of applying the
antifouling and to apply the antifouling immediately after the interprotect
is applied. In my case I can't do both so I applied only the first coat of
antifouling and will apply the second before launch.

In total the work involved in stripping the old paint, osmosis repair and
recoating was gruesome work and took a ridiculous amount of time. Boat
repair seems to consist mainly of applying epoxy and then sanding most of it
off - usually overhead.

Using 3 gallons of polyester resin I and filled the voids in the keel.
Hopefully I got most of the voids. I filled the cracks in the keel with
thickened epoxy and covered the cracks with 4 lavers of cloth and epoxy. I
covered the exterior of the keel with 2 layers of cloth and epoxy and then
faired the whole thing with West  resin and fairing additives.  I used
Interlux Watertight fairing for the final imperfections. It is very
expensive but wonderful to work with as it applies so easily and sands
easily without amine blush. In the end it is probably cheaper than West for
these small repairs as you can make up much smaller batches than is possible
with West.  

Using the 3M 3030 masking tape for the water line worked very well. I had it
on the boat in the sun for well over a month and it came off very cleanly
with no residue. It was unaffected by the epoxy. It was removed about 30 hrs
after the first coat of epoxy barrier coat was applied. The edge is not as
sharp as blue masking tape but it is surprisingly  good and I am happy with
the result. Being able to leave it on the boat for up to 90 days was a real
benefit.

I am so glad to get that part done. Now I need to remove the supports from
the lift so I can apply the interprotect and antifouling to those spots. I
hope to do that tomorrow if the weather cooperates. Then the boat will be
removed from the lift and returned to the temporary shelter for the winter
and eventual completion I have been in a rush to complete this stage as I am
going to the UK for most of September and wanted the boat out of the lift
before I leave next Wednesday. Past September it will likely be too cold to
do any of this type of work.

The cut thumb is pretty much healed except that one half has no feeling at
all and the other half is constantly burning. Otherwise I am able to use it
now that I am learning to judge pressure without feeling. The good news was
that it was my left hand. The bad news is that I am left handed. I heard on
the radio the day after my attempted self-amputation that home amputations
have become most common and typically involve a band saw and the victim is
the thumb on the dominant hand. So it appears that my attempt was quite
trendy, if not entirely successful, for which I am grateful. Be warned, it
doesn't take much of a slip to do a lot of damage with a band saw.


Graham 
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