SailNet Community banner
  • SailNet is a forum community dedicated to Sailing enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about sailing, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, repairs, reviews, maintenance, and more!

Hull & Deck Painting

5K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  tommays 
#1 ·
On my boat the previous owner had the hull and deck painted. Paint is in poor condition and plan to repaint with a 2 part epoxy.

If I take a rag with acetone on it the deck paint will immediately come off easily onto the rag. The non skid on the deck is imprinted into the glass and is deep (sanding would not be practical). What should I do to prep the deck for two part epoxy?

When the acetone rag is wiped on the painted hull- no paint comes off. The hull was probably painted with a two part epoxy, but not sure. How should the hull be prepped.
Regards
 
#2 ·
I would think you'll want to use a solvent wash to try to get rid of the deck paint.. something nasty and more powerful that acetone (Interlux has several, wear the proper respirators)

As for the hull paint, I'd get a small sample of the paint you intend to use, and apply a small amount (somewhere less visible.. under the counter maybe?) and let it set up to see if the underlying paint is attacked.. if it seems stable and the surface is otherwise smooth then a scuff sand might be all you need. You may still want to consider primer first, but I'd consult the paint supplier about that.
 
#4 ·
One other thought.. the more powerful solvent(s) may indeed attack the hull coating.. watch for that if it runs off the deck...
 
#5 ·
Most good paints are polyurethanes like Interlux Perfection, Awlgrip, and Alexseal. Epoxy paint isn't very common for good reason - it chalks quickly and colors fade faster than other types of paint in my experience.
 
#10 ·
Thanks for information- bookmarked your site. Like you I am not looking for somthing perfect, just look a little better and protect the boat. Your job looks great.
Regards
Nice job Beersmith. I'm undertaking this project this year, found your site very helpful!
Thanks guys, glad you enjoy the write-ups!
 
#13 ·
Re: removing handpainting from gelcoat

The previous owner handpainted his name on the stern over the gelcoat. Anyone know of a safe way to remove this?

Thanks! Alex
Easy Off oven cleaner - if he used sign paint. Spritz it on and wipe the lettering off.
 
#12 ·
#17 ·
A word of warning before using Perfection. I painted my boat (deck and topsides) with Perfection 5 years ago. I also failed to properly prep the surface. I now have some areas where the paint has lifted off. To be specific, when I taped around my handrails before sanding (to avoid sanding the deck paint) a majority of the paint came off with the tape. I used Frog Tape, which holds better than the regular blue stuff. Now since the boat is out of the water to fix the large hole I put in the hull, I decided to repaint the deck.

Unfortunately since this is a paint adhesion problem, I can't just scuff it and repaint it. I have to strip it off. Interlux says no stripper will touch it that won't also eat the gel coat, so I'm told it will have to be sanded off. There is a lot of deck to sand on a 27 foot boat, especially when you have to remove ALL of the Perfection. Way too many nooks and crannies to have to hand sand.

Proper surface prep is key. Make sure you sand the whole deck with 80 grit, especially the smooth areas. The paint seems to have adhered fine to the non-skid areas. I spent a lot of time with Interlux 202 and bronze wool getting the non-skid clean. I didn't spend much time at all prepping the smooth areas. Now I'm paying for it.

I'm calling a blasting company tomorrow to see how much to soda blast it.
 
#18 ·
I'll be curious to hear what that will run you. Do you remove all the hardware before they do that? What about the teak?. I'll eventually be facing the prospect of dealing with my 1 part deck paint as well. It's holding ok in most areas but the deck hardware wasn't removed when the PO painted it so it's peeling back especially in those areas. One of the biggest problems is that its pure white. I wouldn't chose that myself, it shows everything. Off white would be preferable.
 
#19 ·
My deck hardware and teak got removed yesterday.

You could be in luck because you may be able to strip your 1 part paint with chemical stripper. Most auto parts stores can get you paint stripper for use with fiberglass that will remove a 1 part paint without eating the gel coat.
 
#20 ·
I had so MUCH BAD paint over gelcoat to deal with i had to use the NOT-SAFE STRIPPER

I brushed on a section and as SOON as it bubbled a bit i scraped and brushed it off and it was very effective as the gelcoat withstands it for a little bit









 
#21 ·
Hey there everyone, what a great resource.
As of this past week I'm the proud owner of a 1974 Cal 29 that is very much in need of a deck painting. How would you go about prepping a deck that has decent paint in some areas and worn down to bare black in others? Also, any recommendations for the textured, non-skid areas (which actually look halfway decent still)?
Thanks!
 
#22 ·
I used interdeck on my non-skid as at 20 months into the refit i was NOT gonna LOSE another season :)

While it requires some sanding and cleaning it is very easy to use and very forgiving

Any of the better two-part paints would require bad and out removal of all the deck hardware and a massive prep effort as the increase in quality makes the paint VERY FUSSY

You have to plan your goals for the boat as there is a limit to how much money it makes sense to spend on it due the limit of what it can be insured for

For example it was important to me to have good looking topside paint and it got the full epoxy primer and two tone Awlgrip and the huge amount of time and money that job required
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top