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Marine Paint vs Automotive

9K views 14 replies 9 participants last post by  SailingV17 
#1 ·
This may be a dumb question... I am restoring a 17ft MacGregor Venture. It needs to be repainted. Marine paint is much more expensive than automotive paint. Any thoughts? I don't leave the boat in the water if that makes a diference.

Thanks for your help!

Clint
 
#3 ·
Thank you, that is great news. I have been spending way more $$ on this "little" project than I had intended. Thought this may be a way to save a few bucks. However, after all the sanding and repairing I sure don't want to be doing this again in a couple years because I went cheap.

Best,
C
 
#4 ·
in reality, above the waterline it is all about prep. I do find that automotive paints are thinner than boat paint, but if you are spraying, you can do many many coats to give your hull a good bit of paint to protect her.

long term use.. I do not know.
 
#5 ·
In 1999 we refinished our former, 1976 era, yacht with Dupont Imron paints, obtained from an autobody supplies distributor. It has held up well and we understand the boat still looks good today. Not much difference between a fiberglass boat or fiberglass autobody, eh? And, some might argue that a vehicle is subject to even more demanding environmental conditions then is a yacht, No?
 
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#12 · (Edited)
a V 17 shouldn't take more than a couple of quarts of paint, and if you're doing it yourself, unless you are going to spray it, you might as well use single stage paint like brightside. economical, forgiving, tough. painting, filling fairing, priming the hull and deck of our 23' boat (about twice the total surface are as the venture 17) cost us less than $500 all in , including tape, sandpaper, thinner, brushes, rollers, paint, primer,
 
#14 ·
By really good he means a supplied air respirator - basically scuba gear. Two part poly paints have cyanide in them - the gas used in gas chambers - amongst other major nasties.

Think Bhopal.

For your first attempt I agree with using Brightside or another one-part paint.
 
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