After a fairly mild winter I find that my boat really could use a cosmetic upgrade in the cockpit. There are stains, chips and cracks on the seats and storage covers and it really looks worn. I have gone on line and understand the need for filling the affected areas after they have been enlarged and cleaned but I am not so sure about the steps needed in painting the whole area. Can this be done nicely with a brush or should I purchase aerosal cans? Can anyone steer me to a good paint, either one or two parts.
painting cockpit of 1980 Catalia 30
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Thanks for the informationtry brightside paint and primer..............roll and tip...........check it out on you tube
Brightsides is a one part polyurethane by Interlux. They also make a two part polyurethane called Perfection. I have used both. Brightside is an easier system to work with but it is soft finish. A two part paint system is harder to work with, but it is a harder finish that is more resistant to scuffing and lasts longer.
Both the one and two part paints look great for the first few days after you apply them. After a season, you may be wishing you went with a two part.
I've been told the Interlux Perfection system has less color pigments (?) which is why you need several coats, but it is also why it looks stellar and why the finish so hard.
Both Brightside and Perfection can be applied with a brush and roller. It requires a good "Roll and Tip" method, which took me some time to get right. If the existing paint in your cockpit is a one-part paint, you can't put a two-part on top of it. You can apply two-part polyurethane on top of existing paint if it is two part or gel coat only. The factory will tell you how to test for that.
Whatever you do, read the literature from the factory very closely and several times. As Navicula said, look on YouTube for the videos. It is all about the preparation, not the actual painting. Here are a couple short videos, though there are plenty more on-line you should see as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUv9HNiMQuM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-cVvbO-NGc
The videos above show the application of two-part to a hull. The finish is that hard! If you use it on your cockpit, you'll want to remove as much of the existing deck fittings and fixtures as possible. A two part system, while great when finished, is just terrible to try to work around a lot of masked areas. The video shows them using it on a smooth hull with no obstructions; it is a different story to get around cleats, winches, winch lockers, etc unless they are removed. If that is too much of a hassle for your paint job, you may want to go with a one-part system. The flow characteristics are easier and the pot-life is longer, but as I said, it isn't as hard as a two part and won't last as long especially in high traffic areas.
People get pretty religious about Interlux versus Awl Grip, but they are the owned by the same company.
Good luck.
Both the one and two part paints look great for the first few days after you apply them. After a season, you may be wishing you went with a two part.
I've been told the Interlux Perfection system has less color pigments (?) which is why you need several coats, but it is also why it looks stellar and why the finish so hard.
Both Brightside and Perfection can be applied with a brush and roller. It requires a good "Roll and Tip" method, which took me some time to get right. If the existing paint in your cockpit is a one-part paint, you can't put a two-part on top of it. You can apply two-part polyurethane on top of existing paint if it is two part or gel coat only. The factory will tell you how to test for that.
Whatever you do, read the literature from the factory very closely and several times. As Navicula said, look on YouTube for the videos. It is all about the preparation, not the actual painting. Here are a couple short videos, though there are plenty more on-line you should see as well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUv9HNiMQuM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-cVvbO-NGc
The videos above show the application of two-part to a hull. The finish is that hard! If you use it on your cockpit, you'll want to remove as much of the existing deck fittings and fixtures as possible. A two part system, while great when finished, is just terrible to try to work around a lot of masked areas. The video shows them using it on a smooth hull with no obstructions; it is a different story to get around cleats, winches, winch lockers, etc unless they are removed. If that is too much of a hassle for your paint job, you may want to go with a one-part system. The flow characteristics are easier and the pot-life is longer, but as I said, it isn't as hard as a two part and won't last as long especially in high traffic areas.
People get pretty religious about Interlux versus Awl Grip, but they are the owned by the same company.
Good luck.
The only probem with painting is that it will never match your existing, old gellcoat. So what you don't paint around the perimeter of the cockpit will wind up looking dull or worn as well. Then U start thinking that u might as well paint the whole deck. This can get costly. My P.O. repainted the whole deck, likely because it was worn, but didn't repaint the cockpit! WTH! A cheaper alternative to painting is a little tube of liquid gelcoat repair that W. Marine sells for about 10 bucks that really works well on small scuffs & chips. I've even smeared it lightly across worn bits on the cockpit seats & it conceals a lot of wear spots.
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