OK, So I'm trying to buy another boat. Donzi ZF34 1998. At the moment it has been bottom painted. My question is, I won't be keeping the boat in the water but on a trailer. What should I do with the bottom? Is it true that bottom paints should be kept in the water? I'd like to go back to gelcoat but what would the cost be to do this? I don't mind the paint if it holds up during the season.

There is a company by me in buffalo ny called blast off. One of their services offered is bottom paint removal. No idea what they charge, but they have photos online.

I was going to do this to my 33 Donzi but decided against it. If it just has bottom paint over gel, it can be soda blasted and buffed (depending on thickness of the gel coat). If there is a barrier coat (epoxy primer) under the bottom paint then plan on dozens of hours of upside down sanding, lots of time fixing some other idiots damage from prep work, several hours of spraying gel coat upside down, and finally, dozens of hours of buffing the new gel coat. I would hate to imagine what a shop would charge to do something like this. I might have actually done it if I would have had a way to flip the boat upside down.

Just think how much beer you would have went thru..,

Thanks, I am very encouraged now.

I have done 3 boats now 2 27ft formulas and a 31 ft mirage had them corn blasted ..I bought the 27 ft boats to flip and most guys walk away from bottom painted boats ..I put both 27 ft boats on stands in my driveway the guy charged me $800 to do the pair $400 each ..guy was mobile with a big screw compressor .the mirage I did myself with bottom paint stripper from west marine took me a day and a half .all boats came out perfect

LOTS and LOTS of time. body paint is nasty ****... its ****ty enough to strip and re bottom paint a boat let alone smooth it back and gel it

Shoot me a pm. I have done a bunch.http://www.offshoreonly.com/forums/f...removal-2.html .That was one I did . I never had to regel any that I have done. I have sanded through a few spots but I just blew alittle gel on it and it was fine. One thing u have to look at is the resale. I boat without paint will sell a lot faster then one with. It is worth the investment.

if you soda blast it will not profile the gelcoat or better yet plastic beat blast it low pressure high volume

Thanks guys, I find out next week if I got the boat, just looking for options down the road.