Hi ! I have a '67 Mariner which might not have ever been repainted in its life (this is my second season with her.) As part of this off-season's work, I am planning to do a complete repainting. Being that this is the first boat I have owned, I have a couple of paint/painting questions that I was hoping someone could answer. Where can I purchase that O'Day Hull Blue color? How many cans of paint will I need to cover the hull? What exactly is a 'gell-coat', and how do I avoid sanding into it? Does bottom paint cover regular hull paint?, or does it go onto the bare hull? I want to paint the deck / cockpit seats - what is a good non-skid type of paint to use? Thanks for all your help. Dan
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Questions
Dan - lots of questions. First, gel coat is a layer of plastic, typically pigmented that makes us the parts of the boat you see. The smooth colored hull and and the decks and seats are all gel coat over fiberglass. Next - does it really need painting? I would not paint unless I absolutely had to. Once you paint you have to do it periodically. Instead I would compound the heck out of it and see if you can get the color back, then wax, wax, wax. As far as the deck goes, you can restore the nice uniform white color with compound or very fine WET sandpaper. Failing all of that - paint. Bottom paint does not go over topsides paint, or the other around. You'll need to tape carefully and mask the area you're not doing first, then switch it around. I'd look to interlux's website for a good primer text. Justin - O'day OWners' Web
Dan - lots of questions. First, gel coat is a layer of plastic, typically pigmented that makes us the parts of the boat you see. The smooth colored hull and and the decks and seats are all gel coat over fiberglass. Next - does it really need painting? I would not paint unless I absolutely had to. Once you paint you have to do it periodically. Instead I would compound the heck out of it and see if you can get the color back, then wax, wax, wax. As far as the deck goes, you can restore the nice uniform white color with compound or very fine WET sandpaper. Failing all of that - paint. Bottom paint does not go over topsides paint, or the other around. You'll need to tape carefully and mask the area you're not doing first, then switch it around. I'd look to interlux's website for a good primer text. Justin - O'day OWners' Web
I must agree with Justin here..
Dan- Take your time before you start painting the boat. My Mariner is a 1974 and I only have painted the bottom (below the stripe) with anti-fouling paint. Gel coat is only a few mils thick, so any type of sanding of the hull/topsides will remove the gel coat. Gel coat is thin hard shield that gives the boat it's gloss but more importantly protects the fiberglass from the water. Water and fiberglass, over time, will result is many issues. The boat builders originally used gel coat as a non stick coating to spray in the mold so that they could remove the hull easily. Once you sand and/or paint over the gel coat, you set yourself up for continuos maintanance and upkeep. So make sure this is the route you want to take. My suggestions are as follows: Try an oxidation remover to remove the haze and restore gloss to the hull. I have used the Meguires system (available atany marine retailer) and saw improvements. I have a friend who details automobiles and he said the 'commercial' stuff they use is even better. So if you can find some of that stuff... There is a consumer product called 'Polyglo' (not the same as the auto stuff) that you can order over the net. A friend of mine at the TSBB (www.trailersailor.com) turned me on to this stuff. It is worth every penny ($50 kit will do your boat twice). Everyone thinks this stuff is like magic. But do not use on topsides because it leaved a slipperly surface. As for the topsides. There are a lot of ways to repair and improve it without painting. Interlux has glass and gel coat repair kits that are pricey but will work well. You can accent the deck with antislip treatment which will add a bit of color. Another friend at the TSBB, Jeff Fuchs, has done an awesome job refurbing his glass and he details it on his website. www.jeffandjanice.com Good Luck and please feel free to contact me with any questions. Craig
Dan- Take your time before you start painting the boat. My Mariner is a 1974 and I only have painted the bottom (below the stripe) with anti-fouling paint. Gel coat is only a few mils thick, so any type of sanding of the hull/topsides will remove the gel coat. Gel coat is thin hard shield that gives the boat it's gloss but more importantly protects the fiberglass from the water. Water and fiberglass, over time, will result is many issues. The boat builders originally used gel coat as a non stick coating to spray in the mold so that they could remove the hull easily. Once you sand and/or paint over the gel coat, you set yourself up for continuos maintanance and upkeep. So make sure this is the route you want to take. My suggestions are as follows: Try an oxidation remover to remove the haze and restore gloss to the hull. I have used the Meguires system (available atany marine retailer) and saw improvements. I have a friend who details automobiles and he said the 'commercial' stuff they use is even better. So if you can find some of that stuff... There is a consumer product called 'Polyglo' (not the same as the auto stuff) that you can order over the net. A friend of mine at the TSBB (www.trailersailor.com) turned me on to this stuff. It is worth every penny ($50 kit will do your boat twice). Everyone thinks this stuff is like magic. But do not use on topsides because it leaved a slipperly surface. As for the topsides. There are a lot of ways to repair and improve it without painting. Interlux has glass and gel coat repair kits that are pricey but will work well. You can accent the deck with antislip treatment which will add a bit of color. Another friend at the TSBB, Jeff Fuchs, has done an awesome job refurbing his glass and he details it on his website. www.jeffandjanice.com Good Luck and please feel free to contact me with any questions. Craig
haze on topside
Hi, My O'day (just bought July 2002) has a chalky/haze on the topside. What can I do to it to restore it to it's more respective appearance and not have the chalking/dull look topside as well? Mark
Hi, My O'day (just bought July 2002) has a chalky/haze on the topside. What can I do to it to restore it to it's more respective appearance and not have the chalking/dull look topside as well? Mark
Painting not so bad
Just to be contrary I'll throw in an opposing opinion. I have a '63 Mariner that I basically refit from the keel up. The gel coat was cracked and ugly. I decided to paint with Brightsides. After a month working in the yard, I started receiving all my "She looks really good" compliments after the first coat of pure white. And this in a yard with some pretty big beauties. Its no trivial task, but if you can put together 4 or 5 days of nice weather, I think this is a pretty good project. Not quite the same shine as gel coat, but the result are really good. Some tips: 1. Get the BoatUS 2002 catalog. It has some instructional sections that take you step by step (in the paint section). I followed this process. 2. Use a primer. You have to sand before you can paint, so you will lose the protection of the top layer of gel coat. Primer helps to restore some of this and gives the paint something to grab on to. 3. Sanding and preparation are KEY!!!! 4. Practice rolling and tipping. Its a very difficult process to grasp initially, but once you see how it works, you'll make good progress. 5. For the waterline and below. Use a barrier coat. This is where water will enter to cause blisters. A good barrier coat is cheap insurance against an expensive blister repair job. (Oz of prevention...) Cheers and Good Luck, Chris S/V B
Just to be contrary I'll throw in an opposing opinion. I have a '63 Mariner that I basically refit from the keel up. The gel coat was cracked and ugly. I decided to paint with Brightsides. After a month working in the yard, I started receiving all my "She looks really good" compliments after the first coat of pure white. And this in a yard with some pretty big beauties. Its no trivial task, but if you can put together 4 or 5 days of nice weather, I think this is a pretty good project. Not quite the same shine as gel coat, but the result are really good. Some tips: 1. Get the BoatUS 2002 catalog. It has some instructional sections that take you step by step (in the paint section). I followed this process. 2. Use a primer. You have to sand before you can paint, so you will lose the protection of the top layer of gel coat. Primer helps to restore some of this and gives the paint something to grab on to. 3. Sanding and preparation are KEY!!!! 4. Practice rolling and tipping. Its a very difficult process to grasp initially, but once you see how it works, you'll make good progress. 5. For the waterline and below. Use a barrier coat. This is where water will enter to cause blisters. A good barrier coat is cheap insurance against an expensive blister repair job. (Oz of prevention...) Cheers and Good Luck, Chris S/V B
Chris, I have a few follow up questions....
Thanks for your insight Chris. I see the downside to painting as the upkeep. Do you feel that the yearly maintanence, if you have any, is compounded because you applied the Brightsides? Has it chipped anywhere during the year from contact? If so, is it easy to recoat? How does it look after two years? Do you expec tthe paint to hold up? Thanks for the info. Craig
Thanks for your insight Chris. I see the downside to painting as the upkeep. Do you feel that the yearly maintanence, if you have any, is compounded because you applied the Brightsides? Has it chipped anywhere during the year from contact? If so, is it easy to recoat? How does it look after two years? Do you expec tthe paint to hold up? Thanks for the info. Craig
on my 1968 Rhodes 19 the gel coat crazed and
cracked so the only thing you could do was clean the hull, lightly sand ... the gaze was long gone ... used an epoxy filler on the craze/crack lines ... sanded smooth, primed and painted four thin coats with a little sanding between each. came out fine and looked good from 10 feet away for the 7 years I saw it around. antiskid is just regular boat paint with antiskid power added in. I couldn't find the original ugly blue either, but decided that a nice light gray seemed to work well. and it matched another boat that I rafted up to a lot. added a nice 3 inch red stripe as well. talk about a pretty little boat. bonus is that you can touch up the paint anytime. Yes from ten feet away you had to really look close to notice it wasn't a new stuart Rhodes. vic
cracked so the only thing you could do was clean the hull, lightly sand ... the gaze was long gone ... used an epoxy filler on the craze/crack lines ... sanded smooth, primed and painted four thin coats with a little sanding between each. came out fine and looked good from 10 feet away for the 7 years I saw it around. antiskid is just regular boat paint with antiskid power added in. I couldn't find the original ugly blue either, but decided that a nice light gray seemed to work well. and it matched another boat that I rafted up to a lot. added a nice 3 inch red stripe as well. talk about a pretty little boat. bonus is that you can touch up the paint anytime. Yes from ten feet away you had to really look close to notice it wasn't a new stuart Rhodes. vic
Paint experience (so far)
Craig, You're a few steps ahead of me. My paint job was completed in June of this year, so I can't speak with too much of a historical viewpoint. The paint has taken some abuse, esp from the boom during sail raising and lowering. ( I painted deck and topsides.) I was able to do a full coat in one day, I would expect that at most I would need to add a coat every spring, so it would add a day to my launch work. Otherwise, the touchup that I have done so far is not noticable at all. Cleaning has been better than expected. I picked up some tar substance from a pair of shoes, and it came off with a green scrub pad/water and some help from a bright sun. The paint looks a lot better than the new rub rail, which seems to get dirty pretty quickly. (MaybeI should paint that too!!
) This is all preliminary, but I think this was a good decision for me. The pure white from Brightsides really does glow. Cheers, Chris S/V B '63 Class #90
Craig, You're a few steps ahead of me. My paint job was completed in June of this year, so I can't speak with too much of a historical viewpoint. The paint has taken some abuse, esp from the boom during sail raising and lowering. ( I painted deck and topsides.) I was able to do a full coat in one day, I would expect that at most I would need to add a coat every spring, so it would add a day to my launch work. Otherwise, the touchup that I have done so far is not noticable at all. Cleaning has been better than expected. I picked up some tar substance from a pair of shoes, and it came off with a green scrub pad/water and some help from a bright sun. The paint looks a lot better than the new rub rail, which seems to get dirty pretty quickly. (MaybeI should paint that too!!
) This is all preliminary, but I think this was a good decision for me. The pure white from Brightsides really does glow. Cheers, Chris S/V B '63 Class #90- Status