Mike, I painted mine back in 2013. Here is something I sent to someone posting about this same topic.
Tom, first Don Casey’s book This Old Boat is a great resource for any project boat. I have a copy at home and one on the boat. Also, Interlux has an ask the expert thing online, and I have actually called and spoken with some of their technical advisors and they are helpful.
Once you have committed to DIY, to paint the topsides the first thing you need to do is decide one part or two part. This was my first time to paint with marine paint or paint a boat so I opted for the less durable easier to use one part Brightside by Interlux. (Good reviews in Practical Sailor) I used white, where I live and in St. Pete even a light gray or beige can heat up. I mixed in Intergrip to the paint for my nonskid areas. This is a must, because just paint over the nonskid is super slick.
I bought the majority of my supplies at Home Depot or Sherwin Williams. You need smooth foam rollers 2in and 4in trays, tape etc. . For doing the molded nonskid you will need four inch with some nap on it. (I found the 2in very helpful for tighter spots.) You will also need lots of sandpaper, I bought a new sander that uses quarter sheets of sandpaper, the kind indicated in Don Casey’s book, it was a good call. I bought all of my primer, paint, cleaners and thinners online from a place in FL and saved about three hundred dollars over West Marine and local chandlery including shipping. Lots of foam brushes and one good badger hair brush.
Start with a really good cleaning, then remove every piece of deck hardware, hinges etc. that you can, I left the cleats. Then use Interlux de-waxing solvent 202 I used less than a quart. Wipe everything down liberally, then rinse (as directed on the can I think) I never found any gloves that would stand up to this solvent it ate through three pair of “chemical resistant gloves”. Then start sanding, you are not sanding everything off, just making it ready to take the primer. I forget but I think I went 80, 150, 220 before I primed. You do not want to get down to the fiberglass. Then fill and fair any holes or damage that you want taken care of sand those to smooth. Wash down, wipe down with Interlux 333 using two rag method. (one for wetting one for wiping). Then prime the whole topside, I rolled it on and tipped it. When dry, sand, wash wipe and paint.
I painted the whole topside with one coat, rolled and tipped everything. Did the deck one day and the coach roof and cockpit the next. Then taped off all the nonskid areas, mixed in the intergrip (stirring frequently) using the rollers with nap on them did two coats. I did paint the tops of the raised area just in front of the cockpit with the nonskid paint and I love that, otherwise that would be slick. I roughed up with a scotchbrite pad between coats on the nonskid. Pull the tape then paint the smooth areas, roll and tip. Sanding and wiping between coats. I kept the brush near by rolled a little area and tipped. I used foam brushes for all but the final coat where I used the badger hair brush.
One thing I did and was glad I did was take the tops off of the lazarettes in the cockpit took them home and practiced on them before starting full bore. It was very helpful and frankly encouraging to do that first. That way if it was a total disaster I could put cushions on them and be done.
I ended up putting some Seadek pads down in the cockpit floor, I really like them. My dad had thrown down some Awlgrip paint without prepping properly and it was coming off and I could not get it out of all the recesses so I covered it. Here are some pics. Before, doing and after.
