Painting over gelcoat.

[Ceirwan]

The Gelcoat on my boat is very badly faded and also in some parts quite badly stained, wax and polishing seems not to work very well and is very temporary.
As the boat is in undercover storage i intend to paint the hull this year, can anyone advise me on the preperation work required for painting over gelcoat?

Special primers, etc.
And does anyone know a good hardwearing (single pack) paint, i was considering Toplac, but am open to suggestions!

Thanks!
Rich

 

[Evadne]

Toplac is good for about 5 years, and scruffy for the 5 years after that.
Preparation is everything, especially firing, abrading, cleaning and degreasing.
It's easy to apply, no harder than any other enamel and is a good compromise between hardwearing-ness and cheapness/ease of application. Looks great in the first two years, after 5 it yellows along the waterline on our swinging mooring. You may fare better.


I try and rub back and put on one or two new coats every 3-6 years, depending on the accumulated wear, discolouration and damage. More expensive 2-packs like Awlgrip probably look better for longer, but gawd help you if you scratch it.

 

[john_morris_uk]

We had our (very) scruffy gel-coat ground off and a new gel-coat applied. Proper job and the boat looks very smart as a result.

 

[Ceirwan]

Thanks for the help, does anyone know the preperation you need to do to virgin gelcoat before applying...?

 

[oldsaltoz]

G'day Ceirwan,

Are we talking deck, hull, or both?

What is your location, nothing in your Bio?

Avagoodweekend......

 

[ValleyForge]

Consult with paint makers literature ? - International give lots of advice for example. Guess it depends how big your boat is - I once painted an 18' Sailfish hull - primer / one pack (a change of colour blue to grey) easy - looked great for years. Simple to paint again too. An expensive / big boat might need a bit more thought though, & also how much of a perfectionist you are. Usage too - if you get a lot of knocks alongside then a 2 pack might be more appropriate - but there a dog to put on without leaving brush / roller marks etc.
(or at least I did on a lovely black & white FF15)

As above - preparation takes 90% of the time - you just have to get all that old wax / grease off - & it aint easy !
(degreaser / fine sanding - then, eventually primer etc.)

Oh, just to add - topsides - Don't. It won't last. get a new gelcoat (or a new boat).

Well worth the effort though, seeing the final result.

 

[Ceirwan]

Location is hull.
Planning to paint the hull, and probably the parts of the dec that aren't non-slip. The nonslip stuff seems to be ok...

 

[Lakesailor]

I painted this with a brush using Blakes Yacht Enamel
In these pics it is 2 years old. Hard and clean.

Then I painted my mobo using Blakes Brilliant Enamel (you don't seem to be able to get Yacht Enamel now) and I have to say it was not much cop. Lovely finish with a small foam roller, but bruises really easily.

 

[Ceirwan]

Those are impressive results!
Which primer did you use, and what sort of the finish did you go for when rubbing back the gelcoat? Courser for more grip to the paint, or super smooth...?

 

[pappaecho]

With regard to the yellowing on the waterline reported in this thread, I have a 28 year Evasion 32, which is polished to a shine each spring and has the same yellowing by autumn. This film is easily removed with "Cillit Bang" and makes me think it is some sort of electrostatic attraction to the (paint) or gelcoat, and which in this case seems peculiar to Portsmouth harbour. I am pretty sure that waste diesel is one of the components

 

[Lakesailor]

I used 120 grit on the topcoat and Blakes primer. I flatted the primer lightly with 240 wet'n'dry (used wet), just to get rid of any dust or peaks.
Do not "tip off" the paint as recommended. It always leaves brush strokes. Just run the exhausted roller very lightly down the paint film, before reloading it for the next bit.

 

[Slow_boat]

I painted my white gelcoat with three coats of dark grey primer (weathershield) and three of dark blue International. The only place I used yacht paint was the white boot-topping.

The deck is textured masonary paint, which is better, IMHO, than any other deck paint I've seen, costs a fifth of the price and you can wash the brushes in water. The cabin sides cockpit etc, which were white, were just rubbed down well with fine wet-and-dry (240, I think) then got two coats of weathershield outdoor gloss. All painted with a good quality 3'' brush.

The secret is all in the preparation, not rushing and choosing the right day to do it. Not to damp, not to hot, not to cold, little or no wind.

Marine paint two pack or spraying may or may not give a better finish, but mine looks fine from a foot away and who's going to get closer than that?

Total cost of paint; £64 plus white spirit, masking tape etc.

 

[Tranona]

Can endorse Toplac. My hull (Cascover over ply) is dark blue and changed to Toplac the year it came out (at least 10 years ago). Have completely recoated only once. Flat it down with a power sander then 400W/D. Good quality 3 inch brush, straight round in one go. (Others advocate rollers, but never tried as my expensive brush still has years in it!) Apart from looking great, it does not fade so the annual touch ups don't show.

Also endorse others on preparation. Put your time and effort into that and the painting bits easy

 

[VARNE]

I did my Varne 27 2 years ago with International 2 Pack. Their website www.yachtpaint.com tells you all you need to know, with some good video clips------chandlery's sometimes have CD's.
Basically,as already said, it's 90% preparation----get it like the proverbial baby's bottom.
You say you have cover,so,IMHO go for 2 Pack and the extra life. I did mine out in the yard and the result is pretty OK. The main problems I had were to do with sun & damp & cold mornings/short days in March/April. You wont have these.
It IS a TWO PERSON job though.....I wouldn't think of single handed.......one rollering & one finishing off.
Anyway, you have cover & 90% of job is same whatever you use.....use the best.

 

[billgray]

I would not recommend painting at all until you have tried POLIGLOW, which is a clear coating applied to a well cleaned gelcoat. Brings the gelcoat up like new and you need never wax again, just a wash down in the spring and a reapplication of one more coat.

For preparation I used an oxalic acid based cleaner. For coloured hulls which have oxydised, POLYGLOW makers recommend a fine rub down with wet or dry until the true colour has been restored. Whatever you do, once the POLIGLOW is on any dirt or stains or oxydisation will be sealed in, so preparation is the key.

During the sailing season a wash down with plain water or a light boat shampoo keeps it like new.

This is a much easier option. I did my Moody 30 over about 3 days for the first application (of thorough preparation as described then 4 coats). Since then a good wash down and a wipe over with one coat of POLIGLOW takes less than a day. And I am a 51 year old girlie, so just think how easy it would be for you blokes!

N.B. I have no connection with the makers. I just think it is a great product. I have painted gelcoat on previous boat and this is a much better finish, cheaper and less work.

Margaret Gray

 

[Ceirwan]

Will it be able to sort out the parts of the gelcoat in the cockpit where its gone sort of rough with black dots?
Obviously i want rid of that particular effect!

 

[chrishelen]

They look great have they ever been in the water? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifwe are renovating a wilson flyer at the moment and the owner wants the white hull dark blue,the boat does 30knts and i was wondering if the paint will last at those speeds.

 

[Lakesailor]

Look at the pics. Do the topsides first and bring the antifoul up over the topcoat so there isn't an edge available to start lifting, it also helps stop water creeping up behind the paint film if its on a mooring..

Antifoul primer

Hard antifoul

I used it at over 30 knots now and then. Paint still stuck on. Warden not amused.

 

[billgray]

It's all in the preperation, POLYGLOW just seals whats there and gives it a wet and shiny look. So if you leave black marks they will just stay beautifully sealed!
Margaret

 

[Bodach na mara]

"sort of rough with dots" sounds like the gel coal has worn to the point of exposing the glass fibres and small bubbles that were there when it was new. Mine is a bit like that and I thought that painting was the only way to deal with it until another owner told me the secret: "learn to live with it. A paint job in the cockpit area will never look good." /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif