gelcoat or paint

[jleblanc31]

I ve decided to paint Philter when I get her white is boring . the bottom and above the water line need a lot of work to get ready for paint my question is. above the water line Do I need to regelcoat than paint or just paint on what ever is there same for the bottom I know I need anti fouling paint on the bottom also but do I regelcoat than put anti fouling paint or just paint.

 

[centerline]

if your going to paint, there is no need to gelcoat the surface.... what IS need is prep. above the waterline you need to fill in any and all gelcoat chips, then sand it all down smooth... then apply a topsides paint.

below the waterline, you need to prep in the same manner, then paint with an antifouling paint..... OR, what is common now is using a barrier coat on the gelcoat below the waterline, then cover with an antifouling paint....

 

[BobM]

Figur out how much time you expect it to take to prep the hull. Then triple it if you want to do a decent job.

 

[jleblanc31]

im a auto body tech and mechanic by trade I can prep a full size car in 3 days I figure that much surface area about one side of a boat sounds about rite to you ?

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

I had several manufacturers once say that white is preferred above the water line as it was noticeable out on the water but also less hot inside the cabin with white vs. a dark color.

 

[mikemac007]

I am also considering this aspect, dark vs white color . there is a new tattoo very dark blue for sale i hesitate because of that. It sure looks nice but for how long. I feel i would have to protect it from the tropical sun for durability and color change. My old sailboat was beige, i painted it tweety yellow. Still looks great. It really stands out , especially when it was anchored. People took pictures of it. Now it is at the marina.

 

[HMT2]

I painted my '83 H31. I live in Texas so the color was white no question about it. I know a young guy that buys old beat up boats and lives on them, fixes them up and flips them. He told me that he once painted the deck of his boat a very light gray and white, and that from the berths he could feel the overhead and know if the paint was gray or white simply by the temperature of the headliner. Typically you see white hulls in hotter climates and those beautiful blue hulls in colder climes to draw in the heat.

 

[jleblanc31]

wile at dock it will have a/c, on the water I should be in the cockpit sailing I was going with a white or off white on top side and dark blue on sides with a red bottom. look up the Friendship 40 for color scheme. I live in New Orleans and my Macgregor was very hot in the summer and it was white. out on the water wasn't bad with the hatches open but on the trailer in the back yard you would sweat bullets. stuck a window A/C unit in the companion way once and nearly froze to death sleeping on it one night.

 

[Crazy Dave Condon]

One other thing about blue and red topside painted, it tends to fade more in the sunlight. Never figured that out but washing and waxing more often were the norm even though I was a former dealer.