Painting my boat

BigBird271 · #1 08-13-2009

I am going to paint my Tanzer 16 day sailer this winter and am trying to figure out what type of paint to get. The color scheme I have in mind calls for matching strips in the sides just above the water line and on the deck. I have painted cars, aircraft and motorcycles before and have all the necessary equipment and skills for air brushing. My questions are am I going to need a different type of paint on the hull than the deck? What type of paint should I use? I keep my boat on her trailer when not in use and I do take her out in salt water quite a bit if that makes a difference. I apologize if this has already been posted somewhere else I did try the search function but did not find anything. Any advise any can give me is greatly appreciated.

mikehoyt · #2 08-13-2009

You will note a lot of threads on this topic.

The basic paints are two part polyurethanes, one part polyurethanes and enamel.

The two part paints provide the hardest and most durable surfaces but are the most difficult to work with. Ideally a sprayed application is used and produces the best results. As someone who has worked with paints you will realize that spraying 2 part (and probably one part) paints requires a forced air respirator. These paints can also be applied with the roll and tip method (roll with foam brush and knock the heads off the bubbles by lightly dragging a foam brush over the surface). Typical brands of this type are Interlux Perfection (formerly Interthane), US Paints Awlgrip, Imron, etc...

One part paints such as Interluc Brightsides are slightly less durable than two part paints but produce a nice finish and are more easily applied - usually with roll an tip method. These tend to have very good flow characteristics.

Enamel paints I have not used but are the least abrasion resistent of the three types and are the least costly.

For painting decks typically a less shiny paint is desired and you can use any of the above paints but with a non skid additive mixed in. Typically silica or sand. I have used Brightsiodes and the Two Part paints with non skid additive and a flattening agent. Interlux now sells a product called Interdeck which is basically Brightsides with the non skid additive and flattening agent already mixed in. Non skid paints such as this are typically rolled on with a foam roller.

Check out the web site below my signature and look at the LASER RESTORATION link to see this painting done on a very very old Laser.

Hope this helps.

Mike
J27 #150

tommays · #3 08-13-2009

Awgrip and Perfection are the two big marine names and owned by the same parent company

The big difference IMHP is that the marine paints use a bit of magic and dry with there own clear coat which cant really ever be buffed or blended for repair BUT there tough as nails and have killer UV durability there are some new paints in the family that are supposed to be more repair friendly BUT i have not used them yet

I paint bicycles frames with two part PPG paint base/clear coat and found the marine paint far harder to work with and felt like i had never sprayed a thing in my life until i got through the learning curve

NONE of the paint is good below the waterline so you will have to plan for that also

mikehoyt · #4 08-13-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by tommays

NONE of the paint is good below the waterline so you will have to plan for that also

I basically agree with everything Tommays has stated but wish to expand on his comment about below the waterline.

The one and two part paints are not designed to be immersed for long periods. However if you are launching and hauling your Tanzer 16 each time you use it you can paint the hull below the waterline as we have done with our laser using Brightsides. We put the boat in the water and leave it moored at our beach for up to 5 hours with no ill effects. Extended immersion (longer than a few hours) will cause blistering of the paint. If the boat is to be left at a mooring you might consider antifouling paint

Mike

imagine2frolic · #5 08-13-2009

Awl-Grip is also a easily applied paint with roll, and brush tipping.....i2f

speciald · #6 08-13-2009

As with painting a car, preparation is more important than painting. All defects need to be filled and faired, a primer is also needed before applying the Awl-grip. If you have spraying experience, that's probably the best wway to go. Do you have a dust free painting room big enough for the boat?

BigBird271 · #7 08-13-2009

Thank you for all the input everyone! I am not planning on keeping my boat in the water but I am planing on taking her camping in puget sound and other areas once and a while so it sounds like a good bottom paint is in order. How much of the hull should I cover, just the part that is under water 24/7 or should I go a bit higher up the side?

Siamese · #8 08-13-2009

You've gotten some good advice here regarding deck and topsides paint. You might also consider Imron, provided you have the repirators needed to handle the stuff.

Unless you're leaving the boat in the water for extended periods of time, avoid bottom paint. It'll only be an additional maintenance item for you. A trailerable boat doesn't need it and is better off without it. I don't have the definitive answer on how long you can stay in the water without antifouling bottom paint, but think in terms of many days to a couple weeks. You can always add it later, but it would be advantagous to see if you can avoid it, first.

BigBird271 · #9 08-13-2009

Cool thanks! Do I have to worry about the paint bubbling or pealing at all or is bottom paint just about keeping things clean?