*WARNING* stupid question (maybe)

[denby]

Originally Posted by camaraderie

The only thing I've heard is that it is bad luck to paint sharks on your keel. It apprently leads to boom breakage.

And coming in third in the race.

[denby]

My 1988 O'day and the O'day boats of that aera had light gray hulls with a white strip of about a foot at the top. From a distance it looks like a poor kept hull.

[US27inKS]

As an owner of a freshly painted (1 1/2 years ago) blue boat, I can say that I'm still loving the dark blue color. I haven't noticed a big difference in the temp in the cabin, but then I have an a/c unit.

There's a few things you need to be aware of with dark colors. Just like with a black car, every speck of dirt shows. The rain streaks down the hull bringing dirt with it in big stripes down the hull. The slightest bump against the old oxidized rub rail on the dock leaves a big white streak on the boat. They come off but are a PITA. Then the big one, prep time before you paint.

Expect to spend 2-3 times prepping your boat for paint than you would for white. You have to fix EVERYTHING. Nicks, scratches, dings, print through, the whole ball of wax. I'm not talking about smearing a little filler in the nicks and calling it good, I'm talking about hours, and hours, and HOURS of sanding, then sand it again. Then find the best auto body guy you can (pay him if you have to) and have him point out the flaws, then fix it again. When the body man can no longer find any flaws, then you can paint and only find 5 or 6 bad spots.

I think the results are worth it.

[artbyjody]

Personally, I like the Coast Guard Orange, which is Interluxe's "Red"... its spotable and red just gets one fired up. That was the color I painted "Amante" but I think if I paint "Hello Gorgeous", I am going to go with a slight metallic gold (looks like brushed nickel with gold as being the highlight instead of the nickel color...)... but that will be a long time away..

But I will confirm - darker colors - show every flaw in the hull and paint job if you do it yourself. Begin to use the "15 feet rule" to judge the paint job...

I also hate just having a a "white" boat - we buy cars in different colors, furniture etc... and I think the color of a boat represents a persons individualism...

[wind_magic]

"There are only two colors to paint a boat, black or white, and only a fool would paint a boat black" - Nathaniel G. Herreshoff

[Iflyka200s]

Does it matter that the boat is trailer sailed? (Color wise?) Which is to say would you be MORE likely to paint a dark color if the boat isn't in the water all the time?

[Boasun]

Personal tastes & personal preferences.
As long as the paint manufacture continues to make the color paint you desire for the life of the ownership of that boat. As long as the color isn't Passion Pink you should be okay. But if it is your Wife's boat it just may end up that color. And there you are; sailing a Pink boat. That should may good conversations with your friends at the bar.

[Sapperwhite]

Originally Posted by Iflyka200s

Does it matter that the boat is trailer sailed? (Color wise?) Which is to say would you be MORE likely to paint a dark color if the boat isn't in the water all the time?

Washing and waxing in your driveway sounds about 500 times easier.

[eryka]

Originally Posted by Boasun

Personal tastes & personal preferences.
As long as the paint manufacture continues to make the color paint you desire for the life of the ownership of that boat. As long as the color isn't Passion Pink you should be okay. But if it is your Wife's boat it just may end up that color. And there you are; sailing a Pink boat. That should may good conversations with your friends at the bar.

There was an incredibly ugly Pepto-Bismol Pink, almost lavendar, boat in Annapolis harbor last year - no kidding! Whew!

The "don't paint it blue or Neptune will reclaim his own" superstition was still influencing choices in the Great Lakes when we were there. Oddly, the second-unluckiest color was supposed to be yellow. Whazzup with that?

The other weird superstition there in th G.L. that too many letter "A"s in the name is bad luck. So we buy this great little Ericson named "Bassackwards." 3 "A"s. So what do you do? Changing the name is bad luck unless you do the ceremony exactly right, and too many "A"s is bad luck. Between the proverbial rock and a hard place? [we sailed the boat for 4 years and loved every minute of it, then passed her on to another starry-eyed young couple]

[US27inKS]

Originally Posted by Iflyka200s

Does it matter that the boat is trailer sailed? (Color wise?) Which is to say would you be MORE likely to paint a dark color if the boat isn't in the water all the time?

Yes it does matter. While it's easier to clean and wax, it will also absorb heat from the parking lot. A dark blue boat parked on an asphalt parking lot in august can absorb enough heat to blister the gel coat right off the boat.