epoxy needed on clean hull?

[pjm]

Hi , I have a yacht that's never been moored.The hull is foam sandwich carbon fibre.Does it need epoxy coats before antifoul like a fibreglass hull?

[kengrome]

What type of resin was used in the layup?

[bntii]

Talk to the builder.

[Landlubber]

pjm,

Even without knowing anything about the build, 300 micron of epoxy can only be a good thing for her lovely little bottom.....just do it.

[pjm]

Originally Posted by kengrome

What type of resin was used in the layup?

It smells like fibreglass when I cut holes in it so I imagine it's polyester

[Knautcal]

Hi
For the low cost it takes to apply an epoxy barrier paint comparative to future rot is a no brainer. If you have any-doubts about the correct procedure there is plenty of info. available at your local marine paint suppliers and the internet.

Cheers

[kengrome]

It smells like fibreglass when I cut holes in it so I imagine it's polyester

If the layup used any kind of 'ester resin rather than epoxy I would use a barrier coat.

[Landlubber]

pjm,

Just curious, but is the hull really carbon fibre?

It must be some sort of racing yacht, is it an old model or something that you have managed to oick up. Seems very strange to me that such an expensive hull is all of a sudden going to be moored.

What sort of boat is it mate?

[PAR]

It's a waste of materials to use polyester on high modulus fabrics like carbon weaves, so it's 99% likely that it's vinylester and much better equipped against blisters. Epoxy could be used on the bottom, as Landlubber and others have mentioned. It will offer additional moisture ingress protection under the bottom paint.

This said, a few manufactures and custom builders are using epoxy in their laminate schedules, so contact the manufacture (again as has been pointed out by others).

[Herman]

Actually, I have seen, and I still see, carbon being used in combination with polyester resin. Of course it is a shame to waste the carbon that way, but it happens.. I even owned a "carbon hull" Topper Boss, which actually had 2 narrow strips of carbon, 3 meter long, in the hull. Rest was CSM/Polyester...

Everything else already has been said:
-For construction details, talk to the builder (if still in existance).
-Some coats of epoxy on the (sanded) hull will not hurt her in any case.

Also check the inside. If the boat is a hyper-light built boat, the bilge will probably not be coated, but could even be just "peelply surface" (very coarse surface). If water is likely to enter the boat, it is a good idea to apply some epoxy coating in that area as well.

[pjm]

Originally Posted by Landlubber

pjm,

Just curious, but is the hull really carbon fibre?

It must be some sort of racing yacht, is it an old model or something that you have managed to oick up. Seems very strange to me that such an expensive hull is all of a sudden going to be moored.

What sort of boat is it mate?

It's a magic 25 sportsboat (about 1996 I think)

THANKS EVERYONE. I'll just go ahead and coat it

[Landlubber]

pjm,

It will not actually be a carbon firbre boat, it may have carbon fibre reinforcings but I honestly doubt very much that it is a carbon fibre boat..1996 remember.

I did some repairs on a Farr 1104 (if i remember right) in 1986, the owner told me it was a carbon fibre reinforced shell, well after crawling into the lazarette area, I can see a single line of carbon fibre vertically every 2 inches. What a load of crap to call that carbon fibre reinforced.

I suppose some dumb arsed lawer would dissagree, as it is in fact carbon fibre reinforced, but to all intents and purposes, it would have done NOTHING, other than allow the salespeople to crap on.

Caveat emptor....