I would like to know what kind of finishes would work best to change my hull color from white to royal blue. I want a very glossy high quality finish. Also want info on high build prep filler to smooth the surface to perfection. I am an aircraft mechanic, and very capeable of doing the job but need product info. Thanks Chris....
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All depends on how THICK the present matting layer
White gelcoated boats typically have a thin underlayment of matting over the structural roving. Painting a boat with a thin matting layer to a DARK color may result in 'print through' of the roving if the matting is insufficiently thick. Boats intended for dark gelcoat or to be later painted dark usually have a much thicker matting layer under the gelcoat ... and this is important. Dark colors subject the hull to more extremes of thermal stress. Polyester resins never 'fully' cure and the increased thermal cycling and stress due to the darker color promote a 'wrinkling' of the gelcoat and matting to a further degree of 'curing' that in a few years shows as: ugly bumps on a newly painted dark hull. Just walk around any boat yard with stored older boats that were painted blue or black, look at the surface irregularities that developed due to the addition of dark paint and ask yourself if you really want this !!!!!!! Nothing looks 'sweeter' than a dark hull but if the original matting layer isnt already thick enough you risk the inevitable 'pimples' when overcoating white gelcoat with dark paint. I'd certainly consult other owners of the same model year who have painted theier hull a darker color and find out the 'true' results after several year of soaking in the sun. Join an 'owners association', owners email group, etc. and ask this very important question: what happened to the smoothness of the hull after you painted it with a dark color? how many years did it take for those ugly shallow print-through bumps to appear? Some boats with cored hulls should NEVER be painted dark ... Niagara is a good example of 'color' incompatibility with cored hulls as the dark hull and thermal stress literally destroys the bond in the cored topsides. That said, nothing is prettier than a dark hull. But I also have to state that you usually only have ONE dark hulled boat in your lifetime ... as they are hotter than HELL on the inside.
White gelcoated boats typically have a thin underlayment of matting over the structural roving. Painting a boat with a thin matting layer to a DARK color may result in 'print through' of the roving if the matting is insufficiently thick. Boats intended for dark gelcoat or to be later painted dark usually have a much thicker matting layer under the gelcoat ... and this is important. Dark colors subject the hull to more extremes of thermal stress. Polyester resins never 'fully' cure and the increased thermal cycling and stress due to the darker color promote a 'wrinkling' of the gelcoat and matting to a further degree of 'curing' that in a few years shows as: ugly bumps on a newly painted dark hull. Just walk around any boat yard with stored older boats that were painted blue or black, look at the surface irregularities that developed due to the addition of dark paint and ask yourself if you really want this !!!!!!! Nothing looks 'sweeter' than a dark hull but if the original matting layer isnt already thick enough you risk the inevitable 'pimples' when overcoating white gelcoat with dark paint. I'd certainly consult other owners of the same model year who have painted theier hull a darker color and find out the 'true' results after several year of soaking in the sun. Join an 'owners association', owners email group, etc. and ask this very important question: what happened to the smoothness of the hull after you painted it with a dark color? how many years did it take for those ugly shallow print-through bumps to appear? Some boats with cored hulls should NEVER be painted dark ... Niagara is a good example of 'color' incompatibility with cored hulls as the dark hull and thermal stress literally destroys the bond in the cored topsides. That said, nothing is prettier than a dark hull. But I also have to state that you usually only have ONE dark hulled boat in your lifetime ... as they are hotter than HELL on the inside.
Interesting
I bought an old fixer upper boat. It was painted blue. I can see the print through even after it was painted and could not figure out how one could do that. It seems any sanding would have flattened out some of that but your explination matches what I have. As far as a hot boat is concerned, It might not be so bad in Michigan as the water is always cold. We'll see. Thanks for the info.
I bought an old fixer upper boat. It was painted blue. I can see the print through even after it was painted and could not figure out how one could do that. It seems any sanding would have flattened out some of that but your explination matches what I have. As far as a hot boat is concerned, It might not be so bad in Michigan as the water is always cold. We'll see. Thanks for the info.
i would not do it
It may look great for a while but when you scratch it ding it or what ever you get the old color showing thur and it not only looks bad but its a pain in the butt to fix.
It may look great for a while but when you scratch it ding it or what ever you get the old color showing thur and it not only looks bad but its a pain in the butt to fix.
Dark hulls?
I keep hearing how bad dark hulled boats get. When I got my boat, a Venture 222, she had a blue hull, I didnt like. I went in and sanded lightly the blue and reapplied resin, with black pigment, producing a beautiful hull. After having her 3 years (her decking and cabin top is white) I have had neither any distortion in the hull from being black, and have not found it to be any hotter than any other vessel I have been on! After the resin coating I used Helmsman marine gloss polyurethane over it and the hull looked like a mirror. You can see yourself in it even. It is all up to you, but I know others have stated warnings concerning dark hulls and mine is the darkest, BLACK. If you go to the 22 foot Venture link on this site you can see my boat in the photo section. Under windy day at the lake. Plus there are a few other pics there too of the inside, etc.! I really dont know what all the hub bub is about dark hulls anyway?
I keep hearing how bad dark hulled boats get. When I got my boat, a Venture 222, she had a blue hull, I didnt like. I went in and sanded lightly the blue and reapplied resin, with black pigment, producing a beautiful hull. After having her 3 years (her decking and cabin top is white) I have had neither any distortion in the hull from being black, and have not found it to be any hotter than any other vessel I have been on! After the resin coating I used Helmsman marine gloss polyurethane over it and the hull looked like a mirror. You can see yourself in it even. It is all up to you, but I know others have stated warnings concerning dark hulls and mine is the darkest, BLACK. If you go to the 22 foot Venture link on this site you can see my boat in the photo section. Under windy day at the lake. Plus there are a few other pics there too of the inside, etc.! I really dont know what all the hub bub is about dark hulls anyway?
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