Topsides colors for 1987 272

jibes138 · Mar 23, 2015

Go to Jamestown Distributors. They sell pre colored gel coat that matches the color exactly. I used the tan or eggshell kind of color for a little touchup last year and it was an exact color match.

jibes138 · Mar 24, 2015

agprice22 said:
I admit I wasn't thinking of gel coat. I was thinking of doing two-part epoxy, which I have used with other boats with good results. I haven't used gel coat before. I would like to do the whole topsides to make the boat look new again. Is gel coat the product for the whole topsides? Do I brush it or spray it? If I spray it, do I use an airless sprayer? I don't own one, but I am apparently genetically predisposed to buying new tools! Thanks! Andrew

sounds like you want an epoxy paint. Gel coat is sprayed in the molds first when the boat is produced. I thought you were looking to touch up a few spots. If doing the whole boat awl grip or equivalent is usually used but is expensive

Sunbird22358 · Mar 25, 2015

Actually, gelcoat CAN be used with a spraygun to recoat large areas like the topsides (hull sides between gunwale and waterline), it is however a picky job and will require a gelcoat formulation that contains a wax that will "float" to the surface to seal the surface from the air in order to cure properly. Usually the surface will need to be compounded and or ultra-fine sanded then compounded after re-gelcoating. The results, if done correctly will be FABULOUS, and recreate the original finish or better.
Check out Ship-Shape -TV for an episode where this was done on a 1960 Glastron powerboat (I think DVD copies of the show are available or there maybe You-Tube videos linked to the SSTV web site.)

Having said this.... if it were me and I needed to repair a large area of the hull, I'd use one of the 2-part polyurethane or acrylic paints and get a color as close to the original as I could. Paint seems less finicky than gelcoat, even if it may not hold up as long as gel coat. Kind of funny to read an old book from 1969 that claimed that gelcoat would only last about 5 years before the gloss and color could no longer be maintained, so thye boat would need to be painted...... my DS II is 36 years old and the gelcoat looks brand new each Spring after I use a fairly light duty oxidation removing compound applied and removed by hand buffing, followed by 3-5 coats of a good marine paste wax. Look at the STUART Marine web site (current builder of the MARINER and RHODES 19) to see what can be done to restore faded gelcoat on 40+ year-old boats.... WOW!

Getting back to painting, I do not have experience with the 2-part paints, but have painted 2 fiberglass hulls with Interlux Brightside Polyurethane, and that paint held up well, gloss was still good after 5+ years. It does require careful application to be sure of not missing spots, and do not try to brush it out too much. Roll and tip may work better than just brushing. Spraying can be done, but most experts recommend the roll & tip method as less hazardous (less airborne chemicals).

Panta Rei · Mar 26, 2015

agprice22 said:
Thanks! I think the gel coat is intriguing, but I agree and will go with the polyurethane paint. I have used it with great results before. The trick is to always brush BACK toward the last applied paint, or you end up dragging paint away from the applied paint, and you end up with a series of pocks and valleys from the pulls.
It works the same with using high-gloss enamel indoor paint on trim... Always pull the paint back toward the wet rather than into the dry.

My interest was whether someone found a particular brand and shade that matched the two-tone Oday 272 deck really well. I see interlux and pettit colors, but which white and tan match Oday? There are several tones of each, white and tan!

Thanks,

Andrew

Sunbird made some very good comments. He is right Gelcoat is a very different bird to work with. I too suggest you leave it to the pros.
I have two items to add.
Epoxy can not be used as a topcoat. It is NOT UV resistant.

Unless you remove the oxidized layer, (very difficult to do on no-skid) your gelcoat will not match the original color. Your best bet is to remove something with the gelcoat finish you want to match a take it into a marine paint dealer that has tinting capabilities. They will match it the best they can.

Sunbird22358 · Mar 30, 2015

Actually, I thought you wanted to touch up (or repaint?) the Topsides (Hull surface between gunwale and waterline), deck is different.... I did wonder why you wanted to flatten your topside color.... I like my hull shinY, but on a wooden boat or older fiberglass hull that is ...well, less than smooth... semi-gloss is often used.

Deck paint, especially on the non-skid may be better with less gloss, first it should be less glare from the sun (eaier on the eyes) and maybe less slippery. Most pros will sand off the molded non-skid on hte deck and use a special non-skid paint (usually contains grit). I don't clean and wax the non-skid areas..... but have been told it does help? As long as you don't fill-in hte texture with the wax I guess. (I'll still avoid waxing those areas.)

I agree about taking a hatch cover or such with you to get paint tinted, the problem with gel-coat touch ups is that the new gelcoat matches hte pre-faded color, not what my 36 year-old gelcoat will look like (rudder still looks good! Has always been kept inside!)