shanemax
N/A
Same problem with Toplac one coat. If left in a can for sometime the touch ups come out a different colour or shade of colour or at least that's what happened to me.
Best paint for topside
- Thread starter kevsbox
- Start date
Concerto
Well-Known Member
As vyv cox stated, paint will never be as hard as gel coat. As to removing paint from gel coat, when I bought Concerto she had a red painted transom. It took me 4 days to sand through 5 different colours of red paint and then compound the gel coat back to a high shine. Strange that everyone told me just to paint it white, but when they saw the results everyone agreed I was right and they were wrong.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
That would be environmental effects on the paintwork ? Its same when you have a car acident repaired ... the repair guys have to match the paint due to the car's paint having been subject to environment.
Minerva
Well-Known Member
About 3/4 years ago I went to see a boat for sale in the later summer or early autumn. The broker proudly told me that in the spring of the same year, the owner had the boat professionally sprays in the marinas yard at considerable cost. By the time I saw the boat, the hull was already badly scratched by the fenders. Ouch! I walked away.
The only time I’d have a painted boat is if it was / when I satisfy the urge to own a steel boat. Then it will be a work boat painting applied every other year and embrace it though painting a different color scheme each time.
The only time I’d have a painted boat is if it was / when I satisfy the urge to own a steel boat. Then it will be a work boat painting applied every other year and embrace it though painting a different color scheme each time.
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Pal of mine decided to0 sort his faded dull white Gel .... talked to me about and I recc'd a good light sanding - then a polishing to bring back the gloss .... but that is hard work.
Next I heard - he had got hold of Industrial grade paint through the Fishing Harbour Yard ..... and had painted the boat.
I asked what Brand .. he didn't know ! They just gave him a container of it.
I went down to see it and she looked good. 2yrs on and its still reasonably good - better than I expected actually. Remains to be seen how long before its up for recoat.
Next I heard - he had got hold of Industrial grade paint through the Fishing Harbour Yard ..... and had painted the boat.
I asked what Brand .. he didn't know ! They just gave him a container of it.
I went down to see it and she looked good. 2yrs on and its still reasonably good - better than I expected actually. Remains to be seen how long before its up for recoat.
rib
Well-Known Member
Few years ago (4 ish ) I had my teak decks replaced here in Turkey..after which the tracks ,cleats,fairlead, etc looked a bit sorry for them selves ,so I aventually found some one in izmir to re anodised them ,was sent pictures as he went thru each stage ,unfortunately they did not turn out very well .in my hurry to get back cruising I applied one coat of twopack poly silver metallic.no under coat (did a test piece first hitting it with a hammer after it had harden and trying to scratch it with a screw driver )it had before painting a rough ish finish to it from the anodising. It still looks great ..I'm a liveaboard cruiser sailing at least 9 months a year .(I'm currently out now cruising near kas )on my last attempt to bring the bloomed dark green gell back to life I rubbed my 41 footer down by my self with 240 grit.320 .400.600.800.1000.1200.course compound.fine compound. And then the polishing ..took a lot of effort and time .looked great ....for 6 months .. since painting I have so far washed and polished ...I do use a fender blanket when needed.painting by roller and doing all the work my self was so much easier .my boat had been re gelled by guys from pendenis ship yard 12/14 years before ..med sun is cruel..I must add I had a specialist paint company 30 odd years ago ..but now so out of date on modern paints ..all my paint used was from Turkey own brand
lustyd
Well-Known Member
Before you start, get some "Grunt" from Force4/Marinesuperstore/Amazon and a 4" paintbrush. Paint it on liberally to the whole lot and wait 20 minutes before washing off. It should get most of the stains out with no work at all.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
To be fair, you put considerably more effort in that most people would be willing to. I doubt many of us would have persevered to such a finish so while you were right about it being a better finish, I don't agree most would achieve that result so I don't consider the advice "wrong".
greeny
Well-Known Member
Have you thought of a vinyl wrap system. Never done it but have seen a couple done and didn't look half bad. Price wise I have no idea.
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
Once your fenders rub through, a vinyl wrap looks pretty bad.
Concerto
Well-Known Member
A lot of charter boats are vinyl wrapped to minimise the surface damage to the hull by charterers. The vinyl is removed before leaving the charter fleet and is easier than trying to remove lots of vinyl lettering, which can change the gel coat surface.
seeSimon
Well-Known Member
International Perfection part B hardner.
Despite taping the tin lid, and double plastic bags, it still goes off. Perhaps more to it than being hygroscopic?
This is a very inconvenient and expensive problem.
I've adequate supplies of colour (two on mine, painted by yard at build), but now no hardner!
Q. Perhaps try keeping it in the fridge? Perhaps a squirt of some sort of inert gas, or solvent into the (small) tin immediately before sealing?
Q. Has anyone found a supply of a substitute compatible hardner?
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
It's very annoying. My SML Lustre hardener appears to still be liquid after nearly five years.
I bought some Jotun two pack a year or so ago, next time I need to do a touch up I'll see if that's still liquid.
I was never able to find out what the composition of Perfection part B was, nor could I ever buy it on its own. I've ended up throwing away several part used tins of part A. Very annoying!
mogmog2
Well-Known Member
As a Centaur owner facing the same, I was going to have a go at recovering the gelcoat. I've seen examples where this has been successful - a chap on the FB group was doing a cracking job on his, and a club member has done a less intensive job on his Westerly, which looks ok (both bronze green, if yours was white, you're in with a better chance too)
mogmog2
Well-Known Member
This...
syTaika
Member
Is De IJssel Double Coat available in the UK?
I painted the topsides of my boat with it last spring using a felt roller, without a brush. The boat had been painted 25 years ago with a car paint, so removing the old, cracking paint and preparing the surface for the new coat took quite a few hours. I did it outdoors, so the conditions weren’t perfect, but I’m happy with the result.
I painted the topsides of my boat with it last spring using a felt roller, without a brush. The boat had been painted 25 years ago with a car paint, so removing the old, cracking paint and preparing the surface for the new coat took quite a few hours. I did it outdoors, so the conditions weren’t perfect, but I’m happy with the result.
lustyd
Well-Known Member
The problem with people on boat forums posting pictures of painted topsides is that they always post the just painted version, never the 3-5 years later version.
Edit: with the exception of Concerto, who often posts the "old paint" picture before showing how good the gelcoat was underneath it!
Edit: with the exception of Concerto, who often posts the "old paint" picture before showing how good the gelcoat was underneath it!
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Concerto
Well-Known Member
Paint on the transom, but not paint on the top sides, only tired UV discoloured gel coat.
oldharry
Well-Known Member
One big caveat in the debate between one and two part paints: two part will not adhere over one part paint for long. So if the original is a one part, two part is out of the question even witha barrier coat. The other issue that cannot be emphasised strongly enough is that painting gelcoat commits you to a major maintenance task every 2-3 years, and leaves you with a finish nothing like as durable as the original. If you can tidy up the gelcoat, its well worth the effort, and as someone above said, Centaurs have a good thick gel coat, so there is plenty of leeway for polishing it without wearing right through.
If its already painted then you are committed anyway, and its simply a question of whether to go for frighteningly expensive 'marine' paint, or the less expensive commercial 'Trade' paint. Forget completely the rubbish DIY stores sell, specially the cut price stuff, even if it is marketed by a major manufacturer like Dulux. Cheap paint is just that, and false economy.
I once painted an old boat with Dulux Trade Weathershield. I saw the boat 8 years later and apart from a few scuffs, it looked as good as new. Equally I have seen a hull done with DIY store grade Weathershield looking a mess after the seocnd season.
If going down the domestic paint route go to the Trade Stores where pro painter decorators buy their paints. Costs a bit more but well worth it, and can give as good if not better results than the 'marine' stuff.
If its already painted then you are committed anyway, and its simply a question of whether to go for frighteningly expensive 'marine' paint, or the less expensive commercial 'Trade' paint. Forget completely the rubbish DIY stores sell, specially the cut price stuff, even if it is marketed by a major manufacturer like Dulux. Cheap paint is just that, and false economy.
I once painted an old boat with Dulux Trade Weathershield. I saw the boat 8 years later and apart from a few scuffs, it looked as good as new. Equally I have seen a hull done with DIY store grade Weathershield looking a mess after the seocnd season.
If going down the domestic paint route go to the Trade Stores where pro painter decorators buy their paints. Costs a bit more but well worth it, and can give as good if not better results than the 'marine' stuff.
Sea Change
Well-Known Member
These two statements appear contradictory?
I knew someone who painted his Westerly with two pack paint and it was holding up pretty well 18 years later. He did keep that boat in a shed every winter which likely helped. But it was a dark blue gloss which is generally quite unforgiving compared to white.
I think the quality of the paint is hugely important.