[dieselboy]

Ok, i have searched and searched this forum. I have seen so many opinions on what to use and how to do it that i am even more unsure about how to treat my 39 year old deck than ever..

My Boat is 39 years old and someone panted the deck before me and it looks like crap! It looks more like cracked glass than paint because it has dried out and looks like a house out of the 30's.

So, i need to sand down to the fiberglass/gel coat that i know. Then what??
What should i prep with?
What should i paint with? Gun, roller, brush, Bucket and mop, lol???
What type/ name brand paint,epoxy,??
how should i then seal it??


Now, the boat is in the water. Do i need to pull it out???

These are the questions that keep me up at night !
all of the windows are out right now so i would like to move on this soon..

 

[paulk]

I'd go with 2 part polyurethane. I did our deck about 8 years ago, and now it needs some attention again. If we had used anything but the 2-part, I'd have had to paint it three times by now. It is a lot of work - you don't want to do it more than you have to. Follow the instructions diligently and use the tech hotline and email helpdesks. It will take longer than you think because the weather will not be ideal. Take a day to mask everything you don't want paint to get on. Then take another day to mask the spots you missed the first time. We still have paint spots where I missed the masking, and the stuff is too expensive to have it go where you don't want it. I used a roller & brush. Spray guns clog in my inexpert hands. You may have trouble leaving it in the water while you sand: State DEP types don't like that kind of stuff blowing directly into the water.

 

[mitiempo]

paulk is right. 2 part polyurethane with brush and roller. The labor is in the prep of the surface, removing hardware and masking etc. It takes just as much prep for cheap paint that needs redoing in 3 years as for a 2 part poly that will last 8 years or longer. Here's the link to Interlux for Perfection, their 2 part poly that is highly recommended.http://www.yachtpaint.com/USA/hotlinks/perfection_bulletin.pdf
Brian

 

[clarity36]

poly paint

Hey Dieselboy - I'm repainting Clarity, using Sterling linear aliphatic polyurethane aircraft grade 2 pack from your country. It seems we don't make top line paints here in oz, and Sterling paints are highly recommended. The finish coat goes on with roller and brush, and is "self-levelling", meaning after a few minutes the brush marks just disappear, and it looks like a sprayed finish. Start with 2 pack epoxy primer, rub it back with 180 grit. Next coat is 2 pack polyurethane primer. Rub that back with 240 grit. Boy, it's smooth by this stage. Then topcoat. Clarity is out of the water for a total refit, on top of a mountain here in Queensland, and we get breeze 9 days out of 10, so a sprayed finish is out of the question. Lots of work, but the paint is expensive, so that kind of balances out the equation. i think

 

[dieselboy]

Sounds like a plan... So Interlux?
Welcome to GCM Distributor

Snow white is $89.11 per gal which is not bad at all.. Hell, my hot rod paint was $480 per gal.. I was quite relieved to see that price tag after you guys scared me.

 

[dieselboy]

So, is this the primer? did you guys use primer?
Welcome to GCM Distributor

 

[dieselboy]

Also how much did you guys use? 1qt, 4 gal?
Also thanks for your help in this matter..

 

[dieselboy]

Hey Dieselboy - I'm repainting Clarity, using Sterling linear aliphatic polyurethane aircraft grade 2 pack from your country. It seems we don't make top line paints here in oz, and Sterling paints are highly recommended. The finish coat goes on with roller and brush, and is "self-levelling", meaning after a few minutes the brush marks just disappear, and it looks like a sprayed finish. Start with 2 pack epoxy primer, rub it back with 180 grit. Next coat is 2 pack polyurethane primer. Rub that back with 240 grit. Boy, it's smooth by this stage. Then topcoat. Clarity is out of the water for a total refit, on top of a mountain here in Queensland, and we get breeze 9 days out of 10, so a sprayed finish is out of the question. Lots of work, but the paint is expensive, so that kind of balances out the equation. i think

I shot them an e mail but i still have not heard a word back from them on quantity vrs price.. So i have opted to go with the interlux and i just saw a boat with the top side redone via roll on and it looks great..

 

[tommays]

http://www.yachtpaint.com/USA/hotlinks/perfection_bulletin.pdf

http://www.yachtpaint.com/USA/hotlinks/perfection_manual.pdf

You only have a 2 hour pot life to work with the paint and it takes 15 minutes to mix-up each batch to ensure its not full of air bubbles

You will be very affected by the temp down there and pot life will be much less in 90 deg weather compared to 70

 

[dieselboy]

""You will be very affected by the temp down there and pot life will be much less in 90 deg weather compared to 70 ""

True but at 300% humidity i get a bit more time.. lol.

 

[georgefmys]

Are you handy [very handy] with a paint brush? or a spray gun? If not please consider prepping and priming [any 2 part epoxy will work] yourself, then get a specialist for topcoating. Unless your standards are not very high, a deck and cabin house paint job is no place for beginners. A roll and tip job can approach spray quality especially if done under cover-should not require haulout ,which certainly spray work would at most marinas.

 

[dieselboy]

Me and a gun go waaayyy back.. But a brush , well not so much.
But, my wife is an art teacher and has done murals the size of a building so i think she can cover the brush part...lol
Besides , it sounds like fun..

 

[dieselboy]

Ok, so i am about to put in an order and i am being recommend to go not with the Interlux perfection but with another brand.
This is what i am being recommended to use?
Any feed back from any one here? Its twice the price?

ALEXSEAL® Premium Topcoat 501 is a two component, polyurethane-based coating, designed for exterior and interior applications. ALEXSEAL® Premium Topcoat 501 has a high gloss wet look which provides superior distinction of image. This product has been specifically developed for the yacht industry.

Welcome to GCM Distributor

In a word ...help?

They say" its a 8 year life span vrs the interlux which is 3.. How true that is i have no clue any one here have some in site to it?

 

[mitiempo]

I believe the 8 year lifespan which you should also get from Interlux Perfection but not from Interlux Brightside which is a one part poly and will probably last 3-4 years.
Brian

 

[dieselboy]

Down here sun is the killer.. We have 10 months of intense sun and 100 degrees for at least 3 months out of the year. Hence why my gell coat looks so bad. Neglect and lots of sun.

 

[ezatsea]

I'd stay away from the one-part. My experience with it was in the tropics and it just doesn't hold up to the sun. Not familiar with the ALEXSEAL products but I've had a lot of experience with Awlgrip, Sterling and Imron in commercial settings. According to the link above the ALEXSEAL product seems to be quite similar.

 

[Artz]

Hi Thought I would chime in here. I had a yacht restoration and refinishing bussiness for more then 15 years. I have worked on boats from 8 foot dinghies to meg Yachts of 120 foot.
Are you planning on painting the cabin ad The Deck? or just your non skid? Brushing any good quality LP takes time. The Sterling paint website has some good information Painting. They relate to any 2 part LP paint.
If you plan to use a brush here are some useful tips One thing I recommend is Take your project in sections. Plan out an area that you can tape off. Such as rear of cabin and do that section. Then Port side and Starboard side. The best method is to use a foam roller and have a 2nd Pearson follow and tip out the pant with a quality brush. When brushing you will most likely have to do 2 or 3 coats. Make sure this is done with in the limits of what the Paint manufacturer recommends. Other wise you will have to lightly sand between coat with 220 sand paper. Plan your tape lines so that they are not too visible when you are finished. Now if you plan to spray you should be able to do all the cabin and decks at once. Prep is the key to successful application. after the main area is cured back tape with a high quality fine line tape for your nonskid make sure the edge of the tape is pressed down tight. paint creep really makes a job look amateurish. The nonstop is best done with a roller and brush. ad some nonskid beads to your paint. Mix the paint often so beads stay suspended. They will layout in a nice even pattern as the paint cures. Good luck and even when doing this outside wear a good respirator. On a side note bugs seem to be attracted to the smell of LP paints. Try and find someplace that is as bug free as possible.
I once did the finish work on a 45 foot sloop that was being built inland. All around the area where Farms, pastures and cows ! I waited untill I had a calm day with little wind and shot the hull. Well as luck would have it, a slight breeze picked up and shifter from the nearest pasture. Before the paint cured there were millions of flies all over the port side. It looked like the port side hull had grown a living beard. I can laugh about it now. At the time It wasn't so funny.

 

[Artz]

Painting

Hi Thought I would chime in here. I had a yacht restoration and refinishing bussiness for more then 15 years. I have worked on boats from 8 foot dinghies to meg Yachts of 120 foot.
Are you planning on painting the cabin ad The Deck? or just your non skid? Brushing any good quality LP takes time. The Sterling paint website has some good information Painting. They relate to any 2 part LP paint.
If you plan to use a brush here are some useful tips One thing I recommend is Take your project in sections. Plan out an area that you can tape off. Such as rear of cabin and do that section. Then Port side and Starboard side. The best method is to use a foam roller and have a 2nd Pearson follow and tip out the pant with a quality brush. When brushing you will most likely have to do 2 or 3 coats. Make sure this is done with in the limits of what the Paint manufacturer recommends. Other wise you will have to lightly sand between coat with 220 sand paper. Plan your tape lines so that they are not too visible when you are finished. Now if you plan to spray you should be able to do all the cabin and decks at once. Prep is the key to successful application. after the main area is cured back tape with a high quality fine line tape for your nonskid make sure the edge of the tape is pressed down tight. paint creep really makes a job look amateurish. The nonstop is best done with a roller and brush. ad some nonskid beads to your paint. Mix the paint often so beads stay suspended. They will layout in a nice even pattern as the paint cures. Good luck and even when doing this outside wear a good respirator. On a side note bugs seem to be attracted to the smell of LP paints. Try and find someplace that is as bug free as possible.
I once did the finish work on a 45 foot sloop that was being built inland. All around the area where Farms, pastures and cows ! I waited untill I had a calm day with little wind and shot the hull. Well as luck would have it, a slight breeze picked up and shifter from the nearest pasture. Before the paint cured there were millions of flies all over the port side. It looked like the port side hull had grown a living beard. I can laugh about it now. At the time It wasn't so funny.

 

[dieselboy]

I bet that was not funny. But, i still would like to of seen it.

 

[dieselboy]

I bet that was not funny. But, i still would like to of seen it.. the beard boat.