painting my Catalina

Apr 3, 2015
74
catalina catalina 22 Carolina beach NC
So this past weekend i sanded down the free board on my Catalina 22. A few question.
Do i use a roller and brush ?...any particular kind ?...I'll be buying the paint from Defender as that's were i bought the paint for the bottom last year.
I also want to pain the top deck ...can i use the same paint ? I also would like to high-lite the top deck the same color i did the hull with. Can i use the same pain that i used on the hull "anti fouling " for that ?...thank you for any and all your thoughts....
Mark
 
May 25, 2012
4,333
john alden caravelle 42 sturgeon bay, wis
tom young here on sbo does a masterful job of all those projects on his vessel. he can steer you in a great direction for having a sweet finish. there are many options for sure. his recipe is a very good one.
ask tom :)
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
So this past weekend i sanded down the free board on my Catalina 22. A few question.
Do i use a roller and brush ?...any particular kind ?...I'll be buying the paint from Defender as that's were i bought the paint for the bottom last year.
I also want to pain the top deck ...can i use the same paint ? I also would like to high-lite the top deck the same color i did the hull with. Can i use the same pain that i used on the hull "anti fouling " for that ?...thank you for any and all your thoughts....
Mark
Hi Mark!

Assuming you're using a one part enamel for the topsides, like Brightside or Easypoxy, use a standard foam roller and pan.

Some use foam brushes to tip. With a light touch you might be happy the foam brush (get several).

I prefer a good quality bristle brush only because it is a little stiffer for moving paint around.

The roller applies an even, thin coating of the paint, light tipping with the brush smooths the 'orange peel' or 'stiple' left by the roller.

You can use the same paint for your decks.

You say "highlight". Are you talking about painting the areas around the non-skid pattern? (those smooth areas outside the non skid pattern are called the 'margins')

You can do them a different color but don't use your 'bottom paint' for anything except below the water line. Not only because it could be toxic, it won't apply or wear well.

Hope this helps, there are many here that have done this. Ask away!
 
Apr 3, 2015
74
catalina catalina 22 Carolina beach NC
tom young here on sbo does a masterful job of all those projects on his vessel. he can steer you in a great direction for having a sweet finish. there are many options for sure. his recipe is a very good one.
ask tom :)
thank you i will look him up
 

greg_m

.
May 23, 2017
692
Catalina Jaguar 22 Simons Town
Hi.. I used two part polyurethane paints to paint my entire hull. In SA the brand is known as "Interlux" - Perfection.

You can check my thread on the application. It was a hell of a lot of work.

Surface preparation: My panelbeater/car body repair friend drummed this into me... surface preparation is 90% of the work before painting and shows up 100% of the time when done crap!

Primer coat: Did three coats of white two part primer coat with sanding to 120 grit between coats. Reason for that is I was promised by supplier that the foam rollers with the fine layer of mohair like bristles on were "perfect" for the job. They came free from the roller and made my boat look like it needed a new razor to shave with! Went over to plain white foam rollers and LOTS of them. As soon as they show signs of wierdness change them. Way cheaper than time wasted and fresh coat of expensive paint that needs to be sanded off again.

Top coat: Did four coats of white two part top coat because had to sand the second coat right back due to wind borne dust and dirt landing on the wet surfaces... I was most pee'd off! We also decided to drop the "tip" part of the roll and tip method for the last two coats. That was definitely the game changer for me. Best quality foam rollers I could find and lots of them and no tipping. The phrase "less is more" is also very important... apply multiple THIN coats instead of trying to get thick coats on that will run! Roll slowly to avoid producing bubbles and don't over wet the roller.

My finish came out super smooth and shiny. No signs of orange peel and no signs of brush strokes because I did not tip off the paint. I am very impressed and most visitors ask if I sprayed the surface! "Nope just plain old foam roller is all!" is my response.

Good luck with your efforts and hope the job comes out fantastic!

The deck... Oiy-vay... lots and lots of detail to do.... the hull was the easy part ;)
 
Apr 3, 2015
74
catalina catalina 22 Carolina beach NC
Hi.. I used two part polyurethane paints to paint my entire hull. In SA the brand is known as "Interlux" - Perfection.

You can check my thread on the application. It was a hell of a lot of work.

Surface preparation: My panelbeater/car body repair friend drummed this into me... surface preparation is 90% of the work before painting and shows up 100% of the time when done crap!

Primer coat: Did three coats of white two part primer coat with sanding to 120 grit between coats. Reason for that is I was promised by supplier that the foam rollers with the fine layer of mohair like bristles on were "perfect" for the job. They came free from the roller and made my boat look like it needed a new razor to shave with! Went over to plain white foam rollers and LOTS of them. As soon as they show signs of wierdness change them. Way cheaper than time wasted and fresh coat of expensive paint that needs to be sanded off again.

Top coat: Did four coats of white two part top coat because had to sand the second coat right back due to wind borne dust and dirt landing on the wet surfaces... I was most pee'd off! We also decided to drop the "tip" part of the roll and tip method for the last two coats. That was definitely the game changer for me. Best quality foam rollers I could find and lots of them and no tipping. The phrase "less is more" is also very important... apply multiple THIN coats instead of trying to get thick coats on that will run! Roll slowly to avoid producing bubbles and don't over wet the roller.

My finish came out super smooth and shiny. No signs of orange peel and no signs of brush strokes because I did not tip off the paint. I am very impressed and most visitors ask if I sprayed the surface! "Nope just plain old foam roller is all!" is my response.

Good luck with your efforts and hope the job comes out fantastic!

The deck... Oiy-vay... lots and lots of detail to do.... the hull was the easy part ;)
Thank you very much ....looking forward to get this done and get out on the water!!
 
Sep 24, 2018
2,549
O'Day 25 Chicago
The smoother the paint, the easier it will be to keep clean. The PO of my Starwind tipped and rolled the deck and applied non-skid additive. The boat gets much dirtier than others in the marina
 

Dug22

.
Jan 29, 2019
67
Catalina 22 Vincent Alabama, BSC
I also am thinking about painting the top coat of my Catalina 22. What is the process to paint the non-skid? Do I have to sand it down or is there a paint that I can just roll over the existing non-skid? I purchased a quart of Kiwi Grip but if I do not need to sand it I would like to go that route. Also for the margins what is the preparation method that I need to use and what kind of paint do I need to use? I have to wait a few months to accomplish this because it is the winter time and the rainy season here.
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
I also am thinking about painting the top coat of my Catalina 22. What is the process to paint the non-skid? Do I have to sand it down or is there a paint that I can just roll over the existing non-skid? I purchased a quart of Kiwi Grip but if I do not need to sand it I would like to go that route. Also for the margins what is the preparation method that I need to use and what kind of paint do I need to use? I have to wait a few months to accomplish this because it is the winter time and the rainy season here.
If the non skid pattern is good (still grips), you don't have to sand it down to paint it. Give the non-skid a good cleaning with bristle brushes and something like TSP that will remove everything. A light sanding of the margins might be needed. For two part, the directions will tell you what they require.

I've painted my non skid decks that are 50+ years old and the grip is still good. One part Acrylic enamel from Valspar.
Forward dorade box.jpg
 

Dug22

.
Jan 29, 2019
67
Catalina 22 Vincent Alabama, BSC
That is what I will do then. Can the one part Acrylic enamel be tinted?
 
Apr 3, 2015
74
catalina catalina 22 Carolina beach NC
Hey Dough..this is what i got back...using a one part enamel " Bright Side or Easy poxy ".. using a foam roller and a bristle brush. and yes you can use the same paint for the top deck
mark
 

TomY

Alden Forum Moderator
Jun 22, 2004
2,758
Alden 38' Challenger yawl Rockport Harbor
That is what I will do then. Can the one part Acrylic enamel be tinted?
Yes it can. I used a Porch and floor base in a satin finish and could tint that most any color. Acrylic enamel is different than oil products. It takes longer to dry and you can't get it wet for a couple of days (read the instructions for details). But once it's hardened (like a week), I find the Acrylic enamels very tough for one part (tougher than oil base in my experience).

One other caveat to Acrylic, it doesn't cover as well in some applications and may require another coat.

Do your research of one part vs two part paints. Basically, one part is less work than two part but one part is less durable. Books could be written on this subject alone.
 
Aug 31, 2011
243
Catalina C-22 9485 Lake Rathbun, IA
I used Interlux Brightside also. Original colour (beige) was tired and the PO's name (Annie B) had no connection to us so major upgrade inside and out (incl new cushion covers) to coincide with the renaming (Southern Cross). Much sanding to get the hull and topsides smoothed down. 3 coats of primer, with a tinting of the final coat to add depth (the previous colour was a beige and I wanted a nice depth to the royal blue so added just enough to tint the primer to a mid colour). I think this worked well. I used rollers then tipped with a fine brush (not cheap, worth the investment). I had considered spraying but did not rate my skills highly enough at that time. Might reconsider if i ever do that again. Go onto the Interlux website. they have some great resource materials to download on painting tips, paint selection (using Interlux products of course !)

For the topsides I again used Interlux product. It is nice to work with and their non-skid deck paint is much better (IMO) than adding sand or other additives. I like Kiwi Grip as well (since the name is of my homeland) but ended up this last time going with Interlux throughout (interior also). I like the contrast of the white Brightside margins with the non-slip in grey. It took a lot of masking and trimming to get the radius and so forth around fittings but end result is very rewarding. We love the brightened appearance while retaining some classical C-22 lines. Best of luck.
20150411_103936.jpg 20150411_103947.jpg
 

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Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Make sure you follow instructions on paint label faithfully. And I recommend not cutting corners on the thinners and brushing liquid.... using what the manufacturer recommends.. seriously. I had success with foam rollers and a foam brush for tipping... but the secret is to get the thinning correct for the most preferred dry time... too fast and the paint starts setting up before it lays out, too slow and it will affect the next over coat... READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!
 

Dug22

.
Jan 29, 2019
67
Catalina 22 Vincent Alabama, BSC
Mark, did you make your cockpit cushions? If so what size thickness of foam did you use and what kind, also were did you order it from?
 
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