Using Interlux Brightside

[Ajay73]

The preparation instructions for Brightside call for using their Prekote primer. Pettit's Easypoxy does not call for any primer step for painting a good gelcoat surface. My question is has anyone used Brightside on their boat without using the Prekote primer and if so how did it work out?

[Faster]

Yes... I repainted stripes on the hull with brightsides, over gelcoat without primer, it's still there. I've also used Interdeck (essentially Brightsides with grit added) on the cockpit floor sans primer and it seems OK 4 years later too.

That said, proper use of a recommended primer is seldom a bad move.

[DonScribner]

Ajay,

I used Easypoxy and I was pleased with the result. I would have sprayed rather than roll & tip. It left brush strokes matter how I thinned it. But, it was probably me. I hate paint and I'm pretty sure it knows that. But, let me throw this out there. A fellow, pretty knowledgeable in the art of boating up he-ah in Maine, yessuh, recommends buffing the gelcoat to repair, rather than painting. He says that 20 hours of buffing will make the gelcoat like new. If you look at taping, scrapping sanding and priming, that's about 20 hours to apply a finish that will need to be redone in 5 years. Another option might be to reapply gelcoat. It goes on like paint, sort of. You'll need to spray on mold release but I've heard that it's no more of a pain than painting and no more expensive.

Don

Biddeford Maine

[Gary M]

Gel coat needs to be under a wax coating to set up properly, avoiding O2 I believe. You can get gelcoat that has wax in it so that you do not have to coat it with wax after spraying.

Originally Posted by DonScribner

Ajay,

I used Easypoxy and I was pleased with the result. I would have sprayed rather than roll & tip. It left brush strokes matter how I thinned it. But, it was probably me. I hate paint and I'm pretty sure it knows that. But, let me throw this out there. A fellow, pretty knowledgeable in the art of boating up he-ah in Maine, yessuh, recommends buffing the gelcoat to repair, rather than painting. He says that 20 hours of buffing will make the gelcoat like new. If you look at taping, scrapping sanding and priming, that's about 20 hours to apply a finish that will need to be redone in 5 years. Another option might be to reapply gelcoat. It goes on like paint, sort of. You'll need to spray on mold release but I've heard that it's no more of a pain than painting and no more expensive.

Don

Biddeford Maine

[aeventyr60]

Used it on my bowsprit and some other wood trims for years. works great, hard wearing, good UV, have done both with and without primer. On a larger project I would use the primer....cheap insurance.

[Ajay73]

Originally Posted by DonScribner

Ajay,

I used Easypoxy and I was pleased with the result. I would have sprayed rather than roll & tip. It left brush strokes matter how I thinned it. But, it was probably me. I hate paint and I'm pretty sure it knows that. But, let me throw this out there. A fellow, pretty knowledgeable in the art of boating up he-ah in Maine, yessuh, recommends buffing the gelcoat to repair, rather than painting. He says that 20 hours of buffing will make the gelcoat like new. If you look at taping, scrapping sanding and priming, that's about 20 hours to apply a finish that will need to be redone in 5 years. Another option might be to reapply gelcoat. It goes on like paint, sort of. You'll need to spray on mold release but I've heard that it's no more of a pain than painting and no more expensive.

Don

Biddeford Maine

Thanks for the reply Don. I have a 1980 Catalina 27 that I just bought last fall. The gelcoat is not too bad but I really don't relish the thought of buffing out the sides of the boat. Been there done that on other boats I've owned and your arms really ache after going through the process. Just not very much fun. The painting process doesn't take as much hard rubbing and doing a re-coat every few years isn't that labor intensive. I don't know, I'm on the fence right now. I will definitely be painting the deck though.

[Ajay73]

Originally Posted by Faster

Yes... I repainted stripes on the hull with brightsides, over gelcoat without primer, it's still there. I've also used Interdeck (essentially Brightsides with grit added) on the cockpit floor sans primer and it seems OK 4 years later too.

That said, proper use of a recommended primer is seldom a bad move.

Thanks for your comments. Yeah, I know the primer can't hurt but I'm wondering what's the benefit if the gelcoat is good. Just don't want to have to sand and paint a couple more times. I'll be putting on two finish coats and going over the hull a couple times is enough work. As I read the prep instructions for Brightside they say the benefit is better color depth. Doesn't say that primer will make the paint hold up longer. And I'm not changing color.

[garyguss]

I had to sand my old boat a 74 San Juan 21 to get the gelcoat back in shape but it looks great now and with a little wax maintained on it, should be fine. I used a palm sander for the rough stuff and then wetsanded by hand with 1000 grit automotive wet/dry. Repainted my cove stripe with good old gloss enamel and its still on the sides and the rudder looking good after 2 years so far. This boat sat out of the water in the sun for 7 years when I got it and it was pretty chalky.

[Barquito]

I used Brightside on the topsides and deck. The topsides looked OK. Up close there are mild brush strokes. But, you really can't see those from a distance, especially when the hull is white. The deck, however, should be done in something more durable than Brightside. For the boat I now have, I am going to use a two part paint on the deck. BTW, you have got a choice in painting the deck: 1. spend a lot of time removing all the deck hardware and a lot of time prepping the deck, or 2. do a really crappy job.