Painting the outside of a boat

[Maine Sail]

Why paint it at all? Use that Ploy Glow stuff before painting. I think you you'll need 10 or more coats.

Paint is going to peel brother. You are wasting your time.

The best advice in this entire thread... Or you could wet sand, compound, polish & wax.. As others have noted the paint cost is insignificant in the time/labor cost of the whole project.

About ten years ago my boat yard painted a gorgeous old Pearson 35. The owner insisted on a single part paint, Interlux Brightsides, to save on project cost. The yard owner & manager tried, over a period of a few weeks while doing the prep work, to talk him out of it but got nowhere.

Exactly four seasons later the same exact boat was in the paint shop again only this time for an Awlgrip job. Because of the path chosen the first time "to save money" the additional labor cost for removing the old single part paint was now almost 3k alone on top of all the same prep work they had done four years earlier..

The prep is the most time consuming and the cost differential in paint is not even something that should be considered. If you want a decent paint that will adhere well and last Interlux perfection is great stuff.

If your only option or instict is to use a single part paint then I would strongly advise a product like PolyGlow or a compound/polish & wax.

I have used "industrial" paints before and they look good for a yaer or two but beyond that they fade faster and tend not to adhere as well. In general single part paints do not adhere as well as two part paints especially when subjected to moisture constantly..

Contrary to popular belief by a few penny pinchers paints are not all created equal. This has been born out time and time again in publications like Practical Sailor and Consumer Reports who have tested them. The UV packages added to marine paints are formulated to account for the intense UV both from direct sun and indirect reflection off the water. There are as many formulations of enamel and polyurethane paints as there are brands of soda. No two soda's taste the same just as no two enamels or polyurethanes will perform exactly the same in a given environment..

 

[larryw]

I'm with the no-paint crowd, unless you want to change a color. If the gelcoat is still decent, use a polishing compound then a wax. A 2 21,(whatever that is) so it's probably on a trailer? I don't think you'd get any return on your time/effort paint project, besides personal satisfaction, and there's no quantifying that. It's a boat. Just sail it. You probably won't even keep it that long, either. Two-foot-itis will set in very soon. JMHO.

 

[Ross]

Ross, what did you use to paint your boat?

McCormack Interlock.

 

[RECESS]

Some of us bought a real nice boat that had already had a paint job. I decided to pony up for the two part Perfection. I knew the prep work would take some time and figured I would have all the cleaning and sanding done in a month. If I get a good weather window, I am ready at the end of this week. I am in my third month of prep work. Never underestimate how long it takes to really do something right.

 

[sailingdog]

I'd have to agree with Maine Sail that preparation is generally the bulk of the work/expense of prepping a boat for a paint job. I worked in the paint industry for a while and most of the major failures of any paint job was generally attributable to poor preparation.

 

[TimCup]

Don't be afraid to paint-

i painted my 22 Oday 3 years ago, and my buddy is STILL telling me how good it looks. I wasn't gonna sink a lot of money into this little boat, but the gelcoat was GONE. Open pores everywhere.

I went to an auto paint supply store and bought a two part paint for trucks. Wasn't expensive, sorry dont remember the actual cost, it think around $80. They tinted to match, and it looks great!

I am sure porch paint is hard, UV resistant and wearable (made to walk on, right?). And I'm the first to complain about stuff costing stupid money because it says marine. but 2 part paint isn't marine, and it costs more because it IS better.

Most everything that must be combined and mixed is stronger than single substances (5200 not withstanding). Glue, paint, gelcoat, resin, you name it. Use the 2 part paint and prep well. The paint will last years ( actually, cars & trucks painted with this stuff is still looking good after 15 years with minimal attention!)..

Just my (strong)opinion!


cup

 

[Rick9671]

boat painting

I am trying to find an easy, do-it-myself, and economical way to paint my boat (from the waterline up). Is Glidden porch and floor paint a decent choice? Also, I need to apply it by using a roller so any hints would be great. Thanks...

I bought a used boat (Rebel, 16 feet) a few years ago that had a magnificent paint job, top and bottom; it looked like a new boat for about two years. Then, the paint developed hairline cracks everywhere, as if the paint had shrunk. It did not peel except on the wood work in the bilge. I suspect that the paint was not suitable for coating fiberglass, but I do not know when or by whom it was applied. Apparently iit was applied to make the boat more attractive to unsuspecting buyers. What are you doing for bottom paint? My boat picked up a very difficult to remove coating of algae in Scofield Reservoir during 2007 and I presume the risk of collecting algae in Utah Lake is similar.

 

[Ross]

I did very extensive work on the outside of my boat so paint was the only reasonable option. I haven't had any problems with adhesion but fading has been a problem.
The photos are before and after I installed new windows.