Dumb question - preparing for paint

[Erbardy]

I am preparing my boat for a paint job. I removed a bunch of hardware from the deck and removed the port lights, and realized that I never washed the boat. Now I have a "holy" deck (insert joke) and need to wash it. IT is stored in a garage far from water access and I do not want to take it to a car wash due to the cabin not being enclosed since I removed hardware and the cabin windows. Does anyone have suggestions on a cleaning product to "clean" the deck and topside in preparation for painting the surface? There is a little "green" at certain spots and want to be sure I use an appropriate product for cleaning the boat.

The same question goes in preparing the bottom of the boat for anti-fouling paint.

Thanks!

 

[jssailem]

Bucket of warm water, a dash of dawn dish soap, a sponge and some towels. Might do the job.

 

[Jim26m]

I've washed my cars in the garage using that same method. Works great and uses very little water, and makes almost no mess.

After you get the dirt off, the paint instructions and/or paint supplier may have a recommended prep solution to do a final wipe down before painting. Tack cloths can be used to pull off trace dust if you let it sit for awhile after cleaning, before applying the paint. I probably wouldn't bother to tack before bottom painting, but would do it for topside painting.

 

[rgranger]

WAX! You need to make sure you have gotten all of the wax off of the boat. If not, your paint will fail.

After cleaning, test a small portion with a little acetone on a towel. If the area looks like you were able to remove some shine, then you still have wax buildup and will need to wipe down the hull with rags damped with acetone.

 

[Brian S]

WAX! You need to make sure you have gotten all of the wax off of the boat. If not, your paint will fail.

After cleaning, test a small portion with a little acetone on a towel. If the area looks like you were able to remove some shine, then you still have wax buildup and will need to wipe down the hull with rags damped with acetone.

WAX! Total Boat Dewaxer and Surface Prep - or whatever your paint manufacturer recommends. TotalBoat Dewaxer and Surface Prep Solvent Wash

 

[markwbird]

Ouch. That's a tough one. No easy solution. You gotta wash it and you gotta wash it well. Try to cover/fill the holes and wash in small areas at a time.

 

[Barnacle Bill]

You can wash it off with soap and water and a bucket and then make sure you rinse it well and let it dry or dry it with towels. Then you want to make sure, as noted above, that no wax is on the surface. Most paint companies make dewaxers for this purpose. Use a clean cloth and keep turning the cloth so that you are not rubbing the wax into the boat. Use lots of rags or paper towels. Then you can start your sanding. You want to sand all the areas you wish to paint to a frosty finish (no shiny parts) so that the paint will stick well. Take a solvent and clean up all sanding residue. Then you should pick out your paint brand and use their primer to paint on the fiberglass first. This will help the color you chose to adhere better and it also will cover up any perosity that might exist on an older surface which is good for a great paint job. If you applied the epoxy well with a very smooth finish, then you can apply the paint within a certain time window explained by the manufacturer of the paint. If not as smooth as you like, or if you go beyond that window to reapply, then you must sand to give it a good tooth. It is always better to apply two or more thinner coats than one thick coat. And, also better to apply paint so that you have a wet edge through out the area you are painting. In other words, don't paint half of the hull and then stop for a coffee break and come back in an hour and commence where you left off as you will easily tell where that stop and start section is. That's my 2 cents (but I have been doing this for a long time).

 

[rgranger]

.... as you will easily tell where that stop and start section is. That's my 2 cents (but I have been doing this for a long time).

I've painted a few (3) boats myself and this is a true statement. You can tell. By the third time I was a little smarter and when I needed a bathroom break, I stopped at an edge. I used where the transom meets the hull sides but I think the bow stem leading edge would also work.

If you are not familiar with roll and tip look up a youtube about that technique.