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Hi Tom,

The damaged area(s) will need to be sanded right back to the hull in order to insure that all the loose or blistered paint has been removed. Be careful not to go through the gelcoat and into the bare matting below the surface, but if you do, apply a couple of coats of Epoxy to act as a primary barrier coat, before you prime and then add antifouling.

You will need two coats of primer before the bottom paint. Check with Pettit, but I believe the part number for the primer is PET-699Q for a quart. There is also a Pettit de-waxer PET-0095Q; if you end up having to use the epoxy, you will need to clean the surface with the de-waxer prior to applying the primer. When you are adding the primer coats, make sure you overlap the undamaged area to form a bonding seal and a nice feathered transition to the existing bottom paint.

The procedure is simple and only requires elbow grease. Sand back to bare gelcoat, and then apply two coats of primer, then you will have a nice surface for the new bottom paint to adhere to and the finished job will look professional.

Happy painting,

Captain Ian Fagg