[tager]

Hi,

I have just acquired a new boat, it's a 1968 Islander Bahama. Named Gusto. She is a nice little boat with a few minor issues. The gelcoat on the decks is old, thin, flaking in places, and generally looks a bit crappy. I am planning on filling the cracks with epoxy putty, and painting with an alkyd enamel porch/patio paint. The upsides to this being simplicity and low cost in both dollars and hours.

I know someone will say "Use 2 part polyurethane." Well it's not gonna happen, it's expensive, complicated to apply etc.

My question is this: Have any of you used porch paint to paint boat decks? How did it turn out? I also plan on doing this in the slip, a little bit at a time, as I live aboard.

Am I crazy? (No need to answer.)

Also, I have heard of using fantastik to clean off old wax...

There shouldn't be a lot of wax left on the old oxidized gelcoat, but does anyone have ideas on how best to prep the surface?

 

[AllThumbs]

I am using poly garage floor paint. It's too soon to know how good an idea it is. It does look good, but I don't know how long it will look good. Have a look at the last post in the "My project boat" thread.

 

[sailcapt2]

Dont do it. I painted the decks of my boat with an oil based porch paint three years ago and it is almost all gone. It chipped and peeled just about everywhere. I am currently removing the paint and getting it ready for some Kiwigrip. I hope it lasts longer.
Steve

 

[okawbow]

Try the Interlux Interdeck non slip deck paint. I painted my deck with it 3 years ago, and it still looks new. It's a 1 part paint and not too expensive. Just lightly sand after filling the bad spots and clean with a little mineral spirits before painting.

 

[NOLAsailing]

This is a huge project. To do it right, you need to remove all of the deck hardware and properly prep the surfaces. There is a reason the LPU systems are pricey - they are durable and the shine lasts.

Given the scope of work, if you choose to do it right, the cost and effort of the paint is negligible. Two part paint is not hard to use. You just mix it and a converter in a set ration and thin it so it flows smoothly. Can you make pancakes? If so, you can definitely do an AwlGrip job that looks - and will continue to look - infinitely than...porch paint.

Also, I'll second okawbow recommendation for Interlux Interdeck. That is a great paint. Be sure to use two coats, even if it doesn't look like it needs it. Also, have a much larger container to pour the pints into so you can properly distribute the pre-mixed aggregate.

 

[paulk]

Have to agree with Nola. Tried a mono poly paint on our deck: it lasted about a week. The two-part poly called for essentially the same prep, and has lasted seven years (we'll need to touch it up this year in spots.) Be sure to spend all the time you need masking what you don't want painted. Then come back again the next day and mask the things you missed the first day. Otherwise, you'll paint things you don't want painted, and have to live with it.

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I swear some people post topics like this just to get people to respond "NOOOO" quickly.

 

[poopdeckpappy]

I had a 69 Islander Excaliber, when I redid the deck I used Brightside and the Interlux non skid additive. after prep'n and preKote I first coated the entire area I was working on, second & third coated only the non skid area with the same paint but with the additive and then final coated the entire area with just paint.

I ended up with 2 layers on the smooth areas and four on the no-skid, came out looking really good.

 

[Pub911]

I had very good results with Interlux Brightside (1 part) paint as well. Roll and tip method with four people working the equipment went very well allowing for no dry edge to form. Not too expensive either, but you have to rough everything and clean with Interlux's prescribed prep solvent - don't recall the number of the solvent, but very important to use their stuff.

5th season now shows need for touch up, but not rediculously bad. Will redo with same product this year if I can find crew.

Plan to spend as much on alcohol as you do on supplies. :laugher

 

[NOLAsailing]

I've painted a boat with Brightsides also. It looked great for a year, good for another, and OK for another. Given all the prep, I should have just used AwlGrip.

Rob - I think you're on to something there.

 

[tager]

So one part poly is the way to go? I am not about to spend a bunch of money on making the deck shiny. THE BOAT WAS $1250 !!! I would rather spend money on new sails than a shiny deck.

 

[NOLAsailing]

Better than porch paint, at least.

2 part is the way to go. It's a boat, not a work truck. Do it right.

 

[tager]

The upshot of all of this discussion: The decks are left ugly. I have decided my money is better spent on proper seacocks, a new mainsail, etc.

I think people take "Do it right or do it over." A little too far. If oil paint works for commercial vessels, why not for yachts? I feel like people are obsessed with shine. I don't need high gloss, I just want something that is not full of chips, exposing the fiberglass to the elements.

If it worked for 50 years before, why doesn't it work now?

 

[NOLAsailing]

I don't think porch paint will have the durability for a sailboat. It isn't all that good on my porch, now that I think about it. I don't think I meant to say "Do it right or do it over." Maybe: "do it right or do it later."

I like your thinking to address other pressing items first. Tager, I don't know if you've ever painted a boat before. I've done a couple and my first shot at it was circumstances just like yours: in the water paintjob and I was confused about which of the many paint systems I should use. Frankly, I was intimidated by 2-part paints. I pulled all of the hardware off, recored some sections of the deck, refaired the deck, and painted the deck with Interlux Brightsides and, on the non-skid, Interlux Interdeck.

It took MONTHS working weekends and evenings after work. A HUGE project and it was very expensive. I spent several hundred dollars on sandpaper, believe it or not. The cost of the sundries - quality brushes and rollers, sandpaper, specialized tools, epoxy, etc was way, way beyond my expectations and limited budget.

I can't imagine doing all that work though, and then having to redo it because the paint failed or did not hold up.

One thing you may want to consider is to repaint just the non-skid with Interlux Interdeck. It's great paint and it's pretty bulletproof. You probably won't even have to prime (though you will need to thoroughly sand and clean the deck). You'll need about 2 quarts to do your boat. On a 28' Triton, 1 quart did one good coat.

 

[scottyt]

hey NOLA, i have a ? for ya? i love the look of a flag blue hull, how is it for being hot? my weather is a bit cooler than yours but not much, i am wondering how bad is it?

 

[NOLAsailing]

The blue in the photo is actually lighter than it looks. It wasn't flag blue, unfortunately. However, flag blue is my favorite boat color. In fact, I had purchased Flag Blue AwlGrip for the hull, but never got around to repainting it before I sold the boat.

I did not sleep on the boat in hot weather, but the darker color wasn't outrageously hot. I have a white hull now and even that gets very, very hot in the summer.

I would not hesitate to paint a boat flag blue, even at the risk of higher interior temps. If I lived aboard, I may need to rethink that...or not. It is such a gorgeous color.

 

[scottyt]

NOLA my plan right now is to paint the top sides white with the exception of the non skid which i will do very light gray. my hunter has a a liner and all ports open so they should help with some heat. i still really want to do a flag blue hull, but i am worried about the heat issue.

my temps run in the 90's in the summer with a week or so of 100 plus days. humidity can easily get to the 90 % range.

oh more decisions

 

[TSOJOURNER]

I used a local paint stores single part polyurathane and added another product as an accelerator to equal the two part poly at a total of less than 20/quart. Really a tough paint combination, good resistanace to chaulking, but a bit brittle - it chips every once in a while. Don't do the porch paint - it will not wear well.

 

[Maine Sail]

Hi,
My question is this: Have any of you used porch paint to paint boat decks? How did it turn out? I also plan on doing this in the slip, a little bit at a time, as I live aboard.

Am I crazy? (No need to answer.)

Just saw this post on SBO from a guy we gave advice to about why not to use a porch & floor paint.

I recently finished painting my boat with Glidden's Poly Floor and Porch paint and it's been about 4 or 5 days and it is scratching really easily. Is there anything I can do to protect it (besides re-painting or being really careful)? Maybe a sealer or top coat or something I don't know... Thanks...

Go ahead use the cheap stuff...but it will bite you in the butt

 

[DrB]

Missing the big picture here?

The OP spent $1250 for his 24' boat. While I don't advocate painting with porch paint, let's not forget it is a 40 year old plastic boat. Instead of spending a ton of money on top quality marine deck paint and hours upon hours prepping the surface with sanding, primers/solvent washes, rolling and tipping, just wash it down, rough it up a bit, and paint it with a decent, but inexpensive marine deck paint, and be done with it. Sail the boat, sail it hard, sail it often. When the deck gets to a point where you think it looks bad, repeat the process.

I often get a kick out of folks that buy boats and spend all day polishing, fixing, cleaning, painting, whatever to make them look beautiful, but never sail them. I spend the bare minimum time and $ to keep my boat in sailing condition. Even so, it's a well maintained.

Last summer, I went out on the launch early on a Saturday with one of my mooring neighbors. Wind was great and I was looking forward to a fun sail. 8 h later I rode the launch back with the same guy. I asked him if he got out and enjoyed the consistent 15 kt breeze. We had a blast. He said no, he polished wood and brass in his cabin all day. He then asked me if that was blue tape on one of my portlights. I said yes. I told him that I had a small leak and was using the tape to keep the water out and would eventually would get to it. Tape is still on the portlight, almost 10 months later. I will get to it in the next two weeks, but I also managed to get 50 full day sails in in the meantime, and not worry about it.

DrB