Reflective Paint on Topsides??

[SuzySailor]

Hello all-- my first post so please bear with me! We're hauling out our 44' Kelly-Peterson next week with the plan of painting bottom and topsides. I'm the artist so I'm in charge of the topsides decisions. The boat is now white gelcoat, and I really really don't like white--I like color. So I was considering a kind of blue-gray-green color (Kirby Paints C Green). My first concern is that, safety-wise, our boat may end up blending too well with the ocean, and therefore not be as safe in a rescue situation or even in a marina with lots of power boats whizzing around. We have considered adding glass reflective beads to the paint-- has anyone done this? Also considering painting the boat a much lighter blue (Kirby Paints #19 Blue --(anyone used Kirby Paints before??)), thinking that would be safer and not involve the reflective bead thing, which could get complicated, in some as yet unforseen way. And I guess the third option is to get over my aversion/boredom with white, and just leave it the way it is. I should add that high polish and shine are not what I'm going for-- I like the dull finish of an old rowboat, really. So safety and a (to me) cool color are what I'd go for, over all. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

[PBzeer]

Unless you're primarily sailing in the higher latitudes, I would stick with white, as colors absorb heat. Perhaps you could paint the vertical sides of the cabintop in some light color, thereby breaking up the all white look.

[SuzySailor]

Not an idea I'd thought of--thanks~

[sailingdog]

Anything but a nearly white deck is going to heat up alot... darker colors can heat up enough to cause problems with the laminate in some cases. If you want to have some color... then painting the topsides and the hull a color may make much more sense. If you paint the bottom of the boat safety orange or bright red... in the case of a capsize, you'll be far more easily seen.

Reflective paint can back fire... as it can cause glare at night and make it harder for you to see things. It can also confuse other boaters as to exactly what they're seeing... so might not be such a good idea.

[Bristol324DD]

Hey SusySailor--I've used Kirby Paints for over 50 years--good stuff cheap! But, no offense, I've used their stuff when I was a kid and couldn't afford yacht paint (Woosley) or needed a cheap copper paint on the bottom of my quahoag skiff. If you're repainting a $100k boat, why not spring for Awlgrip or Interlux's Perfection? At $50 a gallon, Kriby's cheaper than a quart of the good stuff--and you get what you pay for! If I had a old wooden hull that had to be redone yearly--sure,why not--but if I want a refinishing that will last ten years--go for the good stuff!!

Why not buff up the gelcoat, add a second line to the boot-top and then add a cove stripe or paint what would be the walestrake in a bright color?

bill

[SuzySailor]

ummm... boot top, cove stripe, walestrake? We've only been sailing a few years-- guess I've been too busy practicing knots to learn these words. I know the general area (where the single stripe is now?) and I googled them, but no luck. Can you draw me a picture? (kidding, but in a serious way- no smiley for that)

[PBzeer]

Stripe at/near the waterline, stripe beneath the rub rail. Not sure what he means by walestrake, but would guess that is about halfway between the other two.

[SuzySailor]

~~~Thanks!

[Bristol324DD]

Strakes are planks on wooden boats; and the walestrake is a thicker plank running as John mentioned below the rubrail to which the chain plates were attached....OK, so I'm the ancient mariner--point being, you could buff up the gelcoat if it is in good condition and add color at the waterline and the rail!

Just painting over a good, intact, non-scratched or oxidized gelcoat for the color of it with really cheap paint may make more work and effort in the long run. If the white doesn't work, use Awlgrip or Perfection (spray or brush--the lighter the color the easier it is to brush). Or use an eyecatching trim.....where did you find the Kirby's--New Bedford??

bill

[SuzySailor]

I found Kirby's online-- I like their variety of color choices. They're great with customer service as well. Am I allowed to use their paint for the stripes?