I would really like to paint my boats hull this winter. Right now its white but I would like to paint her either dark blue or dark green. I have had one person say that if I use the right paint it is tuff as nails and I can paint the boat any color I want. I’ve had two people say that a dark color on a white boat is not a good idea because it will show any little scratch and if you don’t keep it washed down it will always show white salt on the hull. They also say that the dark color will heat up and can damage the glass under the paint. How about it, anyone out there paint their white boat a dark color or know someone who did?
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$$$$$$$$
You did not say what kind of boat but no matter what,it will get expensive relative to the size and value of the boat if it is done by a professional. Only do it if you absolutely love this boat and will keep it a long time. If you do decide to do it, then the downside to a dark color is that the glass imprint may be more evident. Awlgrip and Imron are very tuff but it can be scratched and touching up can be difficult. Since you live in Maine I wouldn't worry about heat buildup. Why not consider another route by using Island Girl or Poliglow which will bring the white back very nicely. I would then restripe the boat and add new canvas to match any color you want. You would be suprised how sharp the boat will look. I did this on my 1986 this last year and many people thought I had a new boat or had it painted. I have to agree that the green or blue hull is very sharp looking.
You did not say what kind of boat but no matter what,it will get expensive relative to the size and value of the boat if it is done by a professional. Only do it if you absolutely love this boat and will keep it a long time. If you do decide to do it, then the downside to a dark color is that the glass imprint may be more evident. Awlgrip and Imron are very tuff but it can be scratched and touching up can be difficult. Since you live in Maine I wouldn't worry about heat buildup. Why not consider another route by using Island Girl or Poliglow which will bring the white back very nicely. I would then restripe the boat and add new canvas to match any color you want. You would be suprised how sharp the boat will look. I did this on my 1986 this last year and many people thought I had a new boat or had it painted. I have to agree that the green or blue hull is very sharp looking.
linear polyurethane paint
The heat from dark paint will not damage the fiberglass, that's just nonsense. See any painted boats melting in your marina? See any salt-encrusted painted hulls? Trust your own eyes. If you are the fastidious type you can paint the boat yourself and save some of those $$$$. Linear polyurethane paint (such as Awlgrip) is applied with a roller, and it will shine like you won't believe. An amazing guy in Maine completely refit an old Pearson Triton, including repainting the hull, and included a description of the job (with pictures) on his website. It's well worth a look, I have included a link to the site. I applaud your idea. I hope I have enough nerve to do it when my gelcoat finally refuses to shine. I get tired of the Clorox bottle look. Paul sv Escape Artist h336
The heat from dark paint will not damage the fiberglass, that's just nonsense. See any painted boats melting in your marina? See any salt-encrusted painted hulls? Trust your own eyes. If you are the fastidious type you can paint the boat yourself and save some of those $$$$. Linear polyurethane paint (such as Awlgrip) is applied with a roller, and it will shine like you won't believe. An amazing guy in Maine completely refit an old Pearson Triton, including repainting the hull, and included a description of the job (with pictures) on his website. It's well worth a look, I have included a link to the site. I applaud your idea. I hope I have enough nerve to do it when my gelcoat finally refuses to shine. I get tired of the Clorox bottle look. Paul sv Escape Artist h336
Post Cure from Dark Paint.
Paul, was only semi correct. Though Dark paint will not "Damage your hull" it might cause "Post Cure". Post cure is when the hull heats up to a point where any uncured polyester resin cures which could cause "Print Through". Though this sounds like a good thing, the results can be displeasing to the eye. I saw a Hunter 37 Cutter, that was painted black and had just come back from the Bahamas (where it post cured) The sides of the hull looked like paint on top of fiberglass cloth, (referred to as PRINT THROUGH). Structurally the hull looked fine, ascetically it looked pretty bad. Also the darker the paint the more it brings out the waviness in the hull. So if you don't mind looking at every hull imperfection and a hull that looks like painted fabric go for it
What about silver glitter paint like on a bass boat that's shiny
Paul, was only semi correct. Though Dark paint will not "Damage your hull" it might cause "Post Cure". Post cure is when the hull heats up to a point where any uncured polyester resin cures which could cause "Print Through". Though this sounds like a good thing, the results can be displeasing to the eye. I saw a Hunter 37 Cutter, that was painted black and had just come back from the Bahamas (where it post cured) The sides of the hull looked like paint on top of fiberglass cloth, (referred to as PRINT THROUGH). Structurally the hull looked fine, ascetically it looked pretty bad. Also the darker the paint the more it brings out the waviness in the hull. So if you don't mind looking at every hull imperfection and a hull that looks like painted fabric go for it
What about silver glitter paint like on a bass boat that's shiny the down side of paint
The paint idea will make the boat look great for a while and compared to older paints the the polyuretanes are great! But if you change color and then scratch the new paint the old color will stand out like a lighouse on a dark night. Secondly the new paint will last a limited time before it needs to be redone. 5-8 years is pretty typical to need a new job. If you can restore the old finish its really a better way to go.
The paint idea will make the boat look great for a while and compared to older paints the the polyuretanes are great! But if you change color and then scratch the new paint the old color will stand out like a lighouse on a dark night. Secondly the new paint will last a limited time before it needs to be redone. 5-8 years is pretty typical to need a new job. If you can restore the old finish its really a better way to go.
doesn't matter way up there
You live so far inside the artic circle that the sun hardly ever sees the boat. Hell, I'd WANT a dark paint living up there, help keep me warmer.
You live so far inside the artic circle that the sun hardly ever sees the boat. Hell, I'd WANT a dark paint living up there, help keep me warmer.
Fine if the boat is stationary
Re, Scott While it is true that Maine doesn't have the sun's strength to post cure the boat. Most sailboats that I've seen eventually make their way south at some point in their lives (Snowbirds). Thus all it would take is one hot day for the boat to get print through. So as long as it stays up in Maine for the rest of it's life, sure paint away.
Re, Scott While it is true that Maine doesn't have the sun's strength to post cure the boat. Most sailboats that I've seen eventually make their way south at some point in their lives (Snowbirds). Thus all it would take is one hot day for the boat to get print through. So as long as it stays up in Maine for the rest of it's life, sure paint away.
Many of the high end boats are Painted.
While I would have to agree that paint may or may not be the finish of choice to many of us, most of the high end boats are in fact painted and not gel coat colors. I have to believe that the quality of the application has more to do with the durability than the type of paint. I do not know much about automobiles with fiberglass bodies but they do not have any problems with the aformentioned problems either.
While I would have to agree that paint may or may not be the finish of choice to many of us, most of the high end boats are in fact painted and not gel coat colors. I have to believe that the quality of the application has more to do with the durability than the type of paint. I do not know much about automobiles with fiberglass bodies but they do not have any problems with the aformentioned problems either.
Paint Issues
Hi Steve, >While I would have to agree that paint may or >may not be the finish of choice to many of us, >most of the high end boats are in fact painted >and not gel coat colors. If the manufacture decided to paint the boat from the start, they would most likely use more glass mat near the surface to prevent print through. I'm not to saying that all boats will print through, but take a real close look at white boats with dark stripes. The area covered by the stripes will usually have some print through in the southern climates. >I have to believe that the quality of the >application has more to do with the durability >than the type of paint. I would say that keeping it clean and waxed would increase durability the most. Followed by paint type, followed by application. >I do not know much about automobiles with >fiberglass bodies but they do not have any >problems with the aformentioned problems >either. Most auto manufactures do not use fiberglass cloth near the painted surface since they do not need as much strength as compared to a boat hull.
Hi Steve, >While I would have to agree that paint may or >may not be the finish of choice to many of us, >most of the high end boats are in fact painted >and not gel coat colors. If the manufacture decided to paint the boat from the start, they would most likely use more glass mat near the surface to prevent print through. I'm not to saying that all boats will print through, but take a real close look at white boats with dark stripes. The area covered by the stripes will usually have some print through in the southern climates. >I have to believe that the quality of the >application has more to do with the durability >than the type of paint. I would say that keeping it clean and waxed would increase durability the most. Followed by paint type, followed by application. >I do not know much about automobiles with >fiberglass bodies but they do not have any >problems with the aformentioned problems >either. Most auto manufactures do not use fiberglass cloth near the painted surface since they do not need as much strength as compared to a boat hull.
There's definitely a difference in paints
High end boats that are painted are all painted with Imron, which costs about a zillion $$ a gallon and can only be applied by licensed pros 'cuz it's highly toxic. But it's worth it 'cuz it doesn't oxidize and is almost indestructable (unlike gelcoat). Awlgrip is a little less expensive and can be applied by anyone, but DIY jobs are usually easy to spot, ,and it's a lot more vulnerable to scratches than Imron. One of my dockmates bought an aluminum hull boat owned by a car dealer who'd had it painted in his shop with automotive paint. Looked ok from about 15' away...but up close was another story. Automotive paint may be fine for cars, but cars don't live in water...and if you want to see how it'll hold up on a boat, check out 3-5 yr old cars that don't live in covered parking.
High end boats that are painted are all painted with Imron, which costs about a zillion $$ a gallon and can only be applied by licensed pros 'cuz it's highly toxic. But it's worth it 'cuz it doesn't oxidize and is almost indestructable (unlike gelcoat). Awlgrip is a little less expensive and can be applied by anyone, but DIY jobs are usually easy to spot, ,and it's a lot more vulnerable to scratches than Imron. One of my dockmates bought an aluminum hull boat owned by a car dealer who'd had it painted in his shop with automotive paint. Looked ok from about 15' away...but up close was another story. Automotive paint may be fine for cars, but cars don't live in water...and if you want to see how it'll hold up on a boat, check out 3-5 yr old cars that don't live in covered parking.
Peggie, I painted mine with Imron.
I painted my boat with Dupont Imron and I survived to write about it. Only because I researched it and how to do it correctly. IMHO Peggie is right, Imron is much better than Awlgrip, as you can fix small areas easily. Awlgrip doesn't allow you to do this. Basically I purchased a 25 foot hose for my scuba regulator so I was breathing clean air while spraying it. The day I sprayed it was only 95 or so. Breathing SCUBA air which is dryer that the Sahara wasn't fun. I had to drink gallons of water just to stay hydrated that day. Pros would use a 3M mask with a remote forced fresh air pump for around $800. The only problem I saw with that setup is that I don't think it would work painting a boat outside as it is likely to suck paint fumes back into the system, unless you have a 200 foot air hose upwind, which isn't practical. That system is meant for a automotive spray booth where outside the booth is clean air. I was also outfitted in a Tyvek bunny suit with hood, mask, Nitrle (sp?) Gloves, and booties. You don't want the stuff on you skin either! Why is this paint so TOXIC, it has ISOCYANATES in the hardener. If you breathe ISOCYANATES into your lungs, your lungs will proceed to fill up with crystals and well, if that happens you won't be boating long If you get the paint on your skin, it goes right into your nervous system, that's just as bad. I was able to purchase the paint in my state without a license, though the paint guy grilled me to make sure I knew what I was doing. I ended up paying about 190.00/gal for the Imron and about 100/gal for the Primer, I chose an easy to work sand able primer from NASON (Another branch of Dupont Industrial coatings) The key to getting the killer paint job is to put on about 4-5 coats of top coat. Orange peel is ok at this point, runs are bad, avoid runs if possible. Normally all boat yards stop here. And it is a crap shoot whether the job looks great or doesn't. Now you employ Custom Automotive techniques for "Show car paint Jobs" You use 1500-2000 grit sandpaper to sand off about 1-1.5 coats until everything is nice and even. 3M sells the typical wet / dry sand paper, only use that paper wet! 3M also sells 6" 1200,1500,2000 dry sandpaper discs. This is what I choose, since it is faster and less messy. Wet sanding produces a better finish, but when your looking at 54 x 6 feet of hull on each side, dry sanding is good enough. After you are finished sanding (using protective equipment as that paint is still TOXIC!) Now you use a 3M fine cut rubbing compound to remove the sanding scratches. It now should be slightly hazy in appearance. Now you switch to 3M Machine Glaze, this polishes the paint to yield a shine that is equivalent to a show car finish. Then proceed to use a wax to protect it for a decade or more. Attached is a picture of the finished do it yourself Imron Spray paint Job.
I painted my boat with Dupont Imron and I survived to write about it. Only because I researched it and how to do it correctly. IMHO Peggie is right, Imron is much better than Awlgrip, as you can fix small areas easily. Awlgrip doesn't allow you to do this. Basically I purchased a 25 foot hose for my scuba regulator so I was breathing clean air while spraying it. The day I sprayed it was only 95 or so. Breathing SCUBA air which is dryer that the Sahara wasn't fun. I had to drink gallons of water just to stay hydrated that day. Pros would use a 3M mask with a remote forced fresh air pump for around $800. The only problem I saw with that setup is that I don't think it would work painting a boat outside as it is likely to suck paint fumes back into the system, unless you have a 200 foot air hose upwind, which isn't practical. That system is meant for a automotive spray booth where outside the booth is clean air. I was also outfitted in a Tyvek bunny suit with hood, mask, Nitrle (sp?) Gloves, and booties. You don't want the stuff on you skin either! Why is this paint so TOXIC, it has ISOCYANATES in the hardener. If you breathe ISOCYANATES into your lungs, your lungs will proceed to fill up with crystals and well, if that happens you won't be boating long
If you get the paint on your skin, it goes right into your nervous system, that's just as bad. I was able to purchase the paint in my state without a license, though the paint guy grilled me to make sure I knew what I was doing. I ended up paying about 190.00/gal for the Imron and about 100/gal for the Primer, I chose an easy to work sand able primer from NASON (Another branch of Dupont Industrial coatings) The key to getting the killer paint job is to put on about 4-5 coats of top coat. Orange peel is ok at this point, runs are bad, avoid runs if possible. Normally all boat yards stop here. And it is a crap shoot whether the job looks great or doesn't. Now you employ Custom Automotive techniques for "Show car paint Jobs" You use 1500-2000 grit sandpaper to sand off about 1-1.5 coats until everything is nice and even. 3M sells the typical wet / dry sand paper, only use that paper wet! 3M also sells 6" 1200,1500,2000 dry sandpaper discs. This is what I choose, since it is faster and less messy. Wet sanding produces a better finish, but when your looking at 54 x 6 feet of hull on each side, dry sanding is good enough. After you are finished sanding (using protective equipment as that paint is still TOXIC!) Now you use a 3M fine cut rubbing compound to remove the sanding scratches. It now should be slightly hazy in appearance. Now you switch to 3M Machine Glaze, this polishes the paint to yield a shine that is equivalent to a show car finish. Then proceed to use a wax to protect it for a decade or more. Attached is a picture of the finished do it yourself Imron Spray paint Job.Attachments
You must know the right people...
'Cuz I THINK it's illegal--or if not actually illegal, a major violation of vendor contract--to sell it to anyone who isn't licensed to use it. And your description provides a thorough explantion of why it isn't sold over the counter.
'Cuz I THINK it's illegal--or if not actually illegal, a major violation of vendor contract--to sell it to anyone who isn't licensed to use it. And your description provides a thorough explantion of why it isn't sold over the counter.
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