Dark Colored Hauls

[DJW]

Looking at a 49' boat with a dark green haul. What are the pros and cons of a dark colored haul? The boat would be docked in HI. It has factory installed AC so that would keep the interior cool but have thoughts on the dark colored gel coat/fiberglass breaking down in the sun?


Dennis

 

[Steve.Cook]

I'm thinking of painting mine dark blue with a big white San Diego Chargers logo on the side

 

[jviss]

What the haul is a "haul?"

 

[Don S/V ILLusion]

We have a dark green hull but in Rhode Island so the climate is substantially different. It does cause the interior temperature to be slightly warmer on hot July/August days but not to the extent the A/C cannot overcome it. It does not cause premature delamination or "bleed-thru" of the laminate if the hull layup was properly done originally. It certainly makes the boat more difficult to find in a crowded anchorage at night and to my taste, it looks better than plain white but that's a personal preference.

Having had both painted and white gelcoated topsided boats, the former is easier to maintain a shine and if done properly, will last as long or longer than the thin gelcoat many manufacturers apply, is easier to clean and requires no buffing.

About the only downside to me is that inevitable nicks and scratches one gets over time which, if through the paint to expose the white gelcoat, are obvious.

 

[kloudie1]

The gelcoat will "chaulk" and dull, and fade faster in the high UV places like Hi.. White does not show the chaulk as much, but it chaulks too...uhhhh.., white fading is OK.

 

[Ron20324]

What the haul is a "haul?"

It's that piece between the water and the deck.

 

[Hermit Scott]

He must be from Texas 'cause that's how it's pronounced down here, even withe the uppity white folk.
There are more than a few boats around this neck of the woods with dark colored topsides. I met a guy in the yard that had gloss black, sprayed on a 40' or so boat. His deck was white. He said he spent alot of time in the Bahamas and Mexico and didn't have a problem with excess heat. I was in a 25' boat 3 days ago in 100 degree heat that had a tan top and dark green topsides(hull) and in side the temp was fine. The tan deck did burn my feet a bit.

 

[kloudie1]

Laughing loud, Hermit.

 

[Joseph Shirley]

Dark green was an original color when fishing boats were originally converted to yachts, but fell out of favor some years after . Nathaniel Herrishoff, the wizard of Bristol was once quoted as saying that "There are are only two colors to paint a yacht, Black or White, and anyone who paints one Black is out of his mind".

Of course thats only one man's opinion. As previously mentioned dark paint does fade (chalk) quicker and it is much hotter inside. If you have air-conditioning it's going to work a lot harder than you'll want it to.

I have no personal experience with dark hulls, but I have had experience with black bottom paint, and I will never use it again. When I was in Mexico and had the boat on the hard, the sun heated one side of my black painted rudder so badly that it blistered and completely de-laminated which required a complete re-glassing of one side of my rudder.
Have you ever wondered why so many boats are white?

Good Luck

Joe S

 

[Nereussailor]

A friend of mine has an H30. his hull is white, I also have an H30, my hull is dark green. Here in Florida, they are both hot. No real difference in temp. Mine looks better though.

 

[kendall]

Agree, I've always been partial to a dark hull.

The disadvantage of a dark hull depends a lot on it's shape, boats with a lot of freeboard, and boats that are pretty 'straight' from deck to waterline will absorb a LOT of heat. 'Olde'r styled boats that have a lot of overhang, low freeboard, and get narrower from deck to waterline won't gain as much heat.
My Triton has a black hull, and is very pretty. The only thing I've noticed is that in the morning, when the sun is low, it warms up quicker than white boats, but during the day I haven't noticed any difference between it and other boats.
Yeah I know, "It's michigan, how hot can it get?" If you can ask that question, you ain't been here!

Ken.

 

[RichH]

If you live in a 'moderate' climate you will only own ONE dark hulled boat in your lifetime. They are stunning, but they are HOT HOT HOT.

What you should never do is paint a white/light hull dark !!!!! The increased heat (and 'thermal cycling') on the hull will further 'cure' the polyester and eventually you will see 'visible imperfections' on the surface of the hull due to the 'continued thermal stress' - called 'print through' of the underlying structural fiberglass roving beneath the matting and gelcoat. Boats that have 'dark' hulls from the factories, usually have additional THICK matting layers under the gelcoat to minimize the inevitable 'print through'.
Take a walk through any large boatyard and seek out older boats that have been PAINTED dark. Look at the hulls from a shallow incident angle ... and SEE the thermal destruction and change of surface. Dont ever paint a white/light boat 'dark' if you live in a 'moderate' climate ... its OK (maybe 'proper') for Maine and upper NewEngland and other frozen wastelands but not where the summer heat can be extreme.

 

[mitiempo]

Nathaniel Herreschoff's comments I believe relate to a wooden boat - black would absorb a lot of heat and dry out the seams. Fibreglass ( or "frozen snot" as Capt Nat called it) would have no issues except a slightly warmer interior.
Brian