As boat owners, perhaps our least favorite maintenance task is cleaning and repainting the bottom. For those of us who own “seasoned” boats (and we’re not talking about the Cajun rub you spilled in the galley), there comes a time when multiple layers of bottom paint must be stripped off and a fresh coat applied to the clean hull. Perhaps a color change is in order, or repairs need to be made. Whatever the reason, the old paint must come off.

Soda-blasting is a fast, environmentally friendly option that leaves the bottom clean and ready for paint.

Our 1975 Starcraft Chieftain’s riveted aluminum hull provides a difficult surface for stripping due to the hundreds of protruding rivet heads, as well as overlapping sheets of metal and multiple bottom strakes. Sanding? Impossible without tiny elves. Traditional chemical stripping is toxic and leaves a pile of gooey waste. Sandblasting would abrade the hull and rivets. We also wanted to clean up some galvanic corrosion on the transom where swim platform mounting brackets had been removed. Eco-friendly Soda blasting was the obvious choice.

“It started right here in Houston,” says Benny LeCompte, who now sells soda blast franchises through his company, SodaBlast Systems LLC. “Not to take all the credit, but the first patent was in 1986, and the boss of the engineer on that project was my brother. My brother and I then started the business in 1990 when we bought Sand Storm, a sandblasting equipment manufacturer. Ford Motor Company was our only customer for about six or seven years because of a big paint recall.

“I did my first boat in 1994,” he continues. “When our guy in Florida, Ben Hershberger, expanded his business into nothing but boats, the whole thing took off and headed north from there.” For our Starcraft job we called Barney’s Soda Blasting in Sturgis, Michigan (barneyssodablasting.com). Proprietor Barney Froning bought his business from another individual and has been blasting paint off boats for three years.We chose him because he was close to where our boat was stored in Northern Indiana. Visit SodaBlastContractors.com to find one near you.

Froning explained that soda blasting is similar to sandblasting. High-pressure air carries baking soda through a hose to a nozzle aimed at the surface you want to clean. For our aluminum hull, baking soda was less aggressive than sand but could cut through the paint faster than walnut shells or plastic particles—two other media. Blasting with soda removes the old paint and leaves a lightly abraded surface for new paint adhesion; it will not remove sealant from seams or thin the metal of the hull. The soda also got into pits caused by corrosion, leaving only clean, bare metal ready for repairs. We were unaware that many of these pits, caused by electrolysis in our marina, were even there until after the soda blast!

Froning took five layers of bottom paint off our 25-foot boat in 2 1/2 hours. It would have taken us weeks to do an equal job with sandpaper or chemical strippers. And the best part: It was easy clean-up. Since it was non-toxic paint and baking soda, we let Mother Nature wash away the dust from our gravel driveway without trepidation. The process is, indeed, dusty, and the portable compressor makes a fair amount of noise, so remember to advise (bribe?) the neighbors as needed.

Overall, we’re extremely pleased with the job—and the moderate price of less than $500. Prices vary by contractors, but as a general pricing guideline, LeCompte says to estimate soda blasting costs by multiplying the length of your vessel times itself.

Example: A 51-footer would be 51 times its length, or $2,601.
If the job calls for hanging plastic to contain the dust, it costs extra.

Now that our Starcraft’s hull below the waterline is bare metal, all we have to do is paint. More on that process using the Pettit Vivid system in the October issue.

For more information, contact SodaBlast Systems LLC at 800-216-7632; or visit SodaBlastContractors.com. If you live in southern Michigan or northern Indiana, contact Barney’s Soda Blasting at 269-651-9860; 269-358-0589 (cell); or visit the company’s website, barneyssodablasting.com.

Article Source: LakelandBoating.com, Sept 2010 by Ron Barger & Brian Opfer.

SodaBlast Systems, LLC

We have a SodaBlaster™ for
every project and every budget.
Choose from our 25 standard models
designed to meet your Soda Blasting needs.

Proudly Made in the USA!

SodaBlast Systems takes great pride in manufacturing the highest quality blast equipment, using the best materials, workmanship and responsive customer care. We are the World’s Largest SodaBlaster Manufacturer.

SodaBlast Systems products are designed to be different. We strive to provide only the most Modern, Simple, Trouble-Free, Efficient, Economical and Versatile blast units available anywhere.

Our SodaBlasters are naturally Environmentally Friendly! Using our Specially Formulated Baking Soda Eliminates Toxins and Hazardous Chemical exposure to you and the environment!

SodaBlasting, as its’ name implies, is a process that delivers a bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) based medium by compressed air onto fiberglass, metals, wood, masonry, and other surfaces. Some of the many uses include de-painting, de-greasing, removal of graffiti, mold remediation, and fire/smoke restoration.

This is a state-of-the-art process that is non-damaging and environmentally friendly. The SodaBlast process will clean and strip the most vulnerable surfaces with unequaled results. And because baking soda is all natural, 100% biodegradeable and water soluble blasting medium, the clean-up is both easy and gentle to the environment.

SodaBlast Systems offers several models which are “multi-media” capable. What this means is that you can rely on the same Simple, Trouble-Free, Efficient and Economical results whether you blast with soda, sugar sand, corn cob, walnut shell, or one of many other common abrasives.

Removing boat bottom paint by SodaBlasting is a win-win for both boatyard owners and the independent Preferred Contractors who perform the work. For the yards, SodaBlasting is faster, cleaner, less expensive and environmentally friendly. For the contractors, it provides an excellent opportunity to own their own business and provide a service that is in high demand.

Robert May operates Tidewater SodaBlasting in Virginia. What started as a part-time job has grown. “The demand in the marine market is growing and I can’t keep up with it by myself,” he said.

Boat owners, yard and marina owners also benefit from contracting the work. Independent Preferred Contractors bring their mobile SodaBlaster directly to the site, and install plastic tenting around the boat, perform the SodaBlasting and then wrap up the paint and other residue for disposal. This contains potential environmentally damaging pollutants and keeps neighboring boats free from dust or debris.

“By tenting the boat we protect the air and water as well as all the other boats from getting dirty, and that’s a draw as well,” May added.

The actual SodaBlasting step only takes a few hours and, depending on the size of the boat, the entire process can be completed in a day or less.

For more information about becoming or locating a SodaBlast Systems LLC Preferred Contractor, visit SodaBlastContractors.com and submit a request for a “SodaBlast Preferred Contractor.”

SodaBlasting is a high-pressure, air-driven and non-destructive method of cleaning and stripping
paint from steel, fiberglass, aluminum, wood and other substrates using eco-friendly bicarbonate of soda. Removing multiple layers of old paint without harming the boat’s substrate can be easily accomplished.

SodaBlasting reveals blisters and other hull damage hidden under paint. This can save potential boat buyers thousands of dollars in repairs.

Removing multiple coats of bottom paint by SodaBlasting quickly exposes blisters, without damaging the surrounding gelcoat.

Joe Sharpe, owner of JS Boatworks, Inc., a custom boatbuilding and fiberglass repair facility in Brunswick, Maine, takes pride in all his work—starting with the hull. The only method he uses to prepare boat bottoms for painting is the SodaBlast System.

To ensure an absolutely clean and paint-receptive surface, Sharpe Sodablasts all his new CJ 25 center console boats before applying any antifouling coating. Boats dropped off for hull repair are sodablasted to remove existing paint—right down to the gelcoat, safely & efficiently.

Sharpe also works closely with marine surveyors and boat buyers to evaluate boats that have run aground or exhibit boat bottom blisters. Before proceeding with any repairs, he first insists on treating hulls with the full SodaBlast System to determine extent of the damage. Since the SodaBlaster machine is fully portable, Sharpe also offers a Preferred Boatyard Program to marinas and yards looking to outsource hull-stripping jobs prior to re-painting.

“Even new boats need hull preparation prior to painting,” said Sharpe. “Many boatbuilders, such as Pursuit, void their warranty if the boat’s hull is abraded using conventional, 80-grit sandpaper. They don’t want the gelcoat damaged. The SodaBlast System works perfectly, and maintains the builder’s guarantee.”

Sharpe also notes local regulations are often very stringent when it comes to cleaning bottoms and removing old paint. SodaBlasting is an Eco-Friendly solution!

“In many areas, even the effluent from pressure washing must be contained, filtered and tested before disposal—an expensive and time-consuming task. SodaBlasting encapsulates the paint as it is removed, making any dust and paint particles much easier on the environment.”

Take few minutes to look at a few Before & After photos of boats SodaBlasted down to their gelcoat:

Preparing a hull for painting can be one of a boater’s toughest jobs—that’s why many marinas or boatyards usually end up doing the work. But traditional powerwashing is not effective against removing bilge-oil film, old paint and blisters—and rougher methods like sanding and chemical treatments can destroy the boat’s thin gelcoat. Blasting the surface with a high-power stream of bicarbonate of soda, the same material that soothes an upset stomach, removes multiple layers of old paint and opens up blisters for repair—in 1/10th of the time.

Employing the same technology used to restore old cars and remove graffiti, sodablasting directs a high pressure (75 to 150 psi) stream of soda and air at the hull. The machines are supplied by SodaBlast Systems LLC to trained operators and private contractors, who easily trailer the units to the job site and move the machine among individual boats. Simple plastic tenting around the boat contains the removed paint and dust, which is then easily collected and discarded.

An added benefit of sodablasting is its ability to expose hidden problems, especially blisters that have been covered by multiple layers of paint. Boat surveyors, working on behalf of prospective boat buyers, rely on Sodablasting to pinpoint problems that could otherwise be overlooked.

For sailors and high-performance boat owners who dislike speed-robbing bottom paint, sodablasting will completely remove all existing paint from the gelcoat in preparation for a final surface buffing. And for new boats, sodablasting removes the shine from the gelcoat before the bottom is painted for the first time. 

Antifouling paint suppliers appreciate sodablasting’s ability to properly prepare the hull for a blister-protecting barrier coat. Often overlooked or improperly done, preparing the surface for a barrier coat is an extremely important step that ensures proper adhesion of subsequent antifoul coatings. In this procedure, the sodablasting machine’s pressure is decreased, which allows the gelcoat to be gently etched without damaging the hull. This allows the barrier coat to firmly bond to the surface of the gelcoat.

To remove existing blisters by conventional methods, hundreds of man-hours are often necessary. Sodablasting can safely and effectively remove 500 blisters and feather the edges for repair in only a few hours. In severe cases of blistering, the entire hull of a 36-foot boat can be simply and safely sodablasted in half a day or less. Sodablasting can safely and effectively remove multiple layers of bottom paint and prepare blisters for repair at lower costs than any conventional method.

SodaBlast Systems LLC produces a full line of Genuine SodaBlasters commonly used the marine industry.

Whether it’s brand new or previously owned, a boat should undergo a thorough inspection before switching owners. Removing bottom paint with the SodaBlast System can protect potential buyers from thousands of dollars in bottom repairs.

Experienced and beginning boat buyers alike can be fooled by a pretty paint job, but it’s easy to pick out blisters and damage on an unpainted hull. Unless a boat owner or dealer has documentation to prove the integrity of the hull, the only way to know for sure is with a non-destructive inspection method.

SodaBlasting removes old coats of antifoulant and paint quickly by using a stream of air-driven, formulated baking soda under high pressure. The result is a properly prepared surface that is ready for any necessary repairs and re-painting. The entire process can be accomplished in 1/10 the time as traditional techniques, so transactions can close in a timely manner.

Certified SodaBlast Systems Preferred Contractors are located throughout the United States and Europe. Boat owners and buyers can find a contractor in their area by visiting www.sodablastcontractors.com and clicking on the “Preferred Contractors” link.

These certified contractors will bring their mobile equipment directly to the site and install plastic tenting around the boat. Once the Sodablasting is complete, they wrap up the paint and other residue for disposal. This captures environmentally damaging pollutants and keeps neighboring boats free from dust or debris.

Spotting blisters on an unpainted hull is usually obvious. But when the bottom is camouflaged with multiple layers of paint and marine growth, a less labor-intensive approach is needed. Unlike sanding or corrosive chemicals, SodaBlasting boats removes old coats of antifoulant and blisters quickly, without damaging non-blistered, bare gelcoat, and then properly prepares the surface for repair—all in one operation.

Blisters are most often caused by osmotic intrusion of water into the hull. As water molecules enter the hull, they pick up acids and other chemicals that alter their composition and size, making the molecules larger and trapping them inside. Since these molecules are unable to find their way out, pressure builds up and forces the gelcoat to separate from the fiberglass, forming a blister. If the blister breaks while immersed, it allows for greater water intrusion into the fiberglass laminate, and perpetrates the blistering process to deeper levels.

Traditional blister repair involves grinding, sanding or sandblasting the hull. This process is time-consuming, labor intensive and, unless extreme care is taken, can result in severe or permanent damage to the gelcoat and fiberglass laminate. SodaBlast Systems, LLC of Houston, Texas, provides a fast, effective and controlled alternative to these conventional methods.

SodaBlast Systems, LLC

In the SodaBlasting process, a non-destructive stream of air-driven, specially formulated baking soda under high pressure is first used to strip the antifoulant paint and open the blister. Then, to prepare the surface for repair and repainting, the affected area around the blister is feathered by split-second, swirled “micro-blasting.” This finishes the surface in preparation for repair.

The entire process can be accomplished in 1/10 the time as traditional techniques, resulting in a properly prepared surface that is ready for blister repair and painting. The Genuine SodaBlaster is the favorite choice of professionals.

SodaBlasting Boats is also environmentally friendly, a major concern for repair yards and marinas. Minimal plastic tenting installed around the work area contains the soda and old paint for proper disposal.

SodaBlasting is conducted through a network of specially trained, independent Preferred Contractors who bring their mobile equipment directly to the site. They install the plastic tenting around the boat, perform the SodaBlasting and then wrap up the paint and other residue for disposal.

The actual SodaBlasting step only takes a few hours and, depending on the size of the boat, the entire process can be completed in a day or less.