www.iFourWinns.com

I am sooooo less than please with the idiots at Riverside. Turns out not only did they entirely screw up just about everything I had them do last Winter, they ALSO eff'ed up the bottom paint.

I caught some sand with the props and had the boat pulled this last Monday to remove them. What I discovered, to my horror, is a bunch of the bottom paint is peeling.... AGAIN. I had their paint person look at it and his assessment was it a) doesn't have enough barrier paint and b) didn't have the ablative applied properly anyway.

Get this, it'll be $3500 to fix this mess. Ouch. And would end up taking at least two weeks to do it. Double ouch.

So I'm figuring on just touching up the existing mess and waiting until the end of the season to have the bottom completely redone.

RUN, do not walk, from the utterly incompetent work done at Riverside.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

If it's any consolation, the bottom paint I had applied in MAY is starting bubble and chip off. Thankfully, it's only one side right now.

I was told that the bottom paint sticks better to the primer but the primer was more to prevent blistering and not a necessity. My hull was scuffed and painted twice, and now it's bubbling.

I'm facing the same dilemma now. Pull it out and wait ??? weeks to repair it.

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SOLD! 2006 30th Anniversary Vista 278
"Conch'd Out!"

http://vista278.com

From what I've been told it's critically important that the last layer of barrier paint and the first layer of ablative be applied EXACTLY as the manufacturer indicates. Too long a delay and/or the wrong ambient conditions will doom it to failure.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

I put non-ablative paint on my boat

I know there is more prep work the next time I paint it but it seems to me to be less of an exact science when applying it

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1995 258 Vista

Aha! Bill I figured it was Riverside. I didn't want to say it but I figured that's where you had your boat. Hell, I've probably seen it down there. I smacked my prop on something last weekend and it has a very slight bend (~3/4" long) on each blade of the outer DP. The mechanic at the marina suggested getting the prop resurfaced even though its slight since the DP's are particularly sensitive to vibration.

I've only been to Riverside for parts but like to look around while I'm there as they keep a decent Vista inventory on their lot.

I'm surprised you guys are having these issues with the paint. I sanded with 80 grit, used some acetone, pressure washed as prep and my paint has been fine, one coat. I even had the boat out on saturday and hit it lightly with the pressure washer without anything flaking off. What brand paint are you guys using? I didn't go with Interlux, I used a different anti ablative and the name is escaping me...

I don't keep the boat there, god no, have you SEEN the filthy water there? We have a slip in Annapolis. I just had the boat pulled last week at Port Annapolis over on Back Creek. That's where I discovered the paint screwups.

If you can yank the props yourself the best place to take them is Miller's Island Propeller down on Sparrows Point Road. Literally just across the street from the old Beth. Steel plant (one of them anyway). They're cash-only so get the final price before going out there for pickup. I got a deal on mine due to a misquote (but I ain't arguing when it's in my favor).

3/4" isn't slight. It doesn't take much to cause trouble. I got lucky that my problem wasn't vibration, apparently I'd banged 'em up pretty evenly! My problem was no power out of the hole and greatly limited top-end. But if you've got any vibration you really don't want to have it get transferred into the more expensive parts of your outdrive. Before you get that one fixed, get a quote on a new one first.

I got the boat put back in the water yesterday and all seems well. I took it out for about an hour, at various speeds, and everything appears to be in working order. I'm going to pop the couplings loose during the week to double check the shaft alignments. But seeing as how there's no vibration, felt or visible, I'm guessing things are ok.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Trailering a boat is looking better all the time!

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Fred 248Vista
So much water so little time!

Heh, I'll take these adventures against boat ramp follies, every time. I had a trailerable boat some years ago. The level of foolishness associated with getting in/out of ramps was too much for my patience.

Now, if I lived in an area with lots of lakes I'd certainly revisit the idea. It'd certainly be a lot of fun to be able to splash the boat on different lakes instead of just be stuck in one. But for us, here on the Chesapeake, there's not much need for that.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Supposedly the dealer put Interlux's Epoxycop paint on there this past Spring. When I described the symptoms to the Interlux folks they said it was likely due to two mistakes. One being not getting the ablative onto the barrier coat within the time/temp window. And the other being not having let the ablative dry long enough before putting the boat back into the water. Given how they screwed up the delivery this season (and last) I'm betting it was BOTH mistakes. This was the opinion of the paint guy at the yard this week too.

What really irritates me is I specifically asked for them to put the best paint available on there to carry me at least two seasons here on the Chesapeake. Instead they put the cheapest eff'ing stuff Interlux makes on it. IDIOTS. ...sigh...

Hopefully the paint I applied to patch it this week will hold up until the end of the season. I had them pressure wash the hull then I sanded around the various patches. Cleaned it thoroughly with Interlux 216 (as per their advice) and let it dry three days before going back into the water (it calls for 16 hours minimum). Come winter time (or next Spring) it looks like I'll have to have ALL this removed and completely redone. Having sanded just for the patches this week there ain't NO WAY I'm doing that job myself. Way too much dust. Then there's the hassles of using the travelift to move the boat around to reposition the blocks under the keel.

You'd think a place in the boat business for 30 years would have a grip on doing things. You wouldn't think YOU would have to become the expert to figure all this out. Well, in the case of this dealer, you'd be making a big mistake. I'm just really fed up with the whole fiasco.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista

Bill,

My marina actually uses Millers Island Prop. Got my prop back today and man o man it's perfect! I hate to put it in the water Wasn't cheap @ 160 but they pick up and deliver to the marina.

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V475
Chris Craft Catalina 23 w/ 300 G2
Previously-V338, 248 Vista, H210

Yes, Millers does *excellent* work. Did both of mine and it's now running very smooth.

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-Bill Kearney, 2005 348 Vista