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Ben Hershburger, an
independent contractor who for three years has been using the process
on boats up to approximately 90 feet in South Florida, agrees. Hershburger
says using chemicals to strip paint is costly and time-consuming because,
once the paint is removed, the chemicals and remnants must be taken to
an approved chemical dumping site and, afterwards, sealed into drums.
Prior to sodablasting, he relied heavily on pressure washing and grinding,
which resulted in a lot more difficulties, most notably finding a skilled
grinder who could remove the paint without leaving holes in the gelcoat.
He says that although sodablasting “might be a little noisier,”
it is faster. (LeCompte says using a SodaBlaster to clean and/or remove
paint from the boat’s hull takes about 1⁄10 the amount of time
traditional methods do, but cautions that paint residue must still be
disposed of in accordance with local codes.) Hershburger adds that baking
soda is easier to work with, since the substance itself doesn’t produce
any harmful chemicals to breathe in or protect your skin from.
Connelly claims he removed
the bottom paint from a 35-foot sportfisherman with a 12-foot beam in
just 45 minutes. He also told me about a friend who uses the method who
at one time needed a team of laborers to do the work he now does himself
in a fraction of the time. “With all his extra time, he’s building
a tug boat. I’d say he’s very appreciative,” Connelly adds.
It is because of stories
like these that MMLJ has teamed up with Home Port Marine Marketing to
develop and execute a public-relations program for the SodaBlast system.
LeCompte says MMLJ wants to make people aware that such an option exists
in a market where conventional methods are “destructive [to gelcoat]
by their nature.” He says he’ll occasionally sodablast a hull
and reveal a “swirling” or “blistering” from a previous
job, indicating a damaged gelcoat in need of patching or replacement,
which can be costly. That’s why the cost of grinding vs. sodablasting
cannot be compared; LeCompte says since sandblasting tears up the hull
bottom, it is more costly in the end. “A lot of boat owners tend
to go for what’s cheapest up front, but there’s always that
ten percent of people in the know, who are looking for an alternative,”
he says. “We want to reach them.”
Although the cost of
a SodaBlast job varies according to a boat’s length and beam, LeCompte
reports that clients can expect to pay approximately “$20 per foot
for a 22-foot boat, $30 per foot for a 35-footer, topping out at around
$40 or $50 per foot for larger boats.”
So if you’d like
to save yourself some hassle, get your boat back in the water quicker,
and do your part to protect the environment, check with your local marina
to see if there are any SodaBlasters in your area. Or call MMLJ directly,
and the company can refer you to a local contractor.
MMLJ Phone:
(800) 727-5707. www.mmlj.com.
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