boat colour big mistake?

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silverdawn

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Hi all , I have wooden clinker boat and have spent two days preparing and painting it one undercoat, one top coat one, final finish coat on friday used toplac and was very pleased with the result, just as I was putting my tools away today a chap came up and said ( you have made a big mistake with that colour ( dark blue) all your planks will split when they absorbe the heat ) is he right have I made a big mistake or can I leave it this colour. your comments would be very welcome, do I need to repaint?
 
Old wooden trawlers were often painted black!! they didn't seem to find it a problem.

Whilst the darker colour will absorb more radiant energy than a lighter colour I would not anticipate any significant effect given cooling factors such a proximity to water.
 
I had a clinker built boat for years. She was painted Britannia blue when i got her (almost black) and i changed it to a navy blue, never had any problems.
I have seen a carvel boat repainted Black from her original white and she opened up so bad it all had to be redone white again!
 
When working, Trawlers were always on the move. When laid up or decommisioned, they soon dry out if dark colours.
Some work boats when laid up out of season were painted white (lime) to reduce damage.
The only reason they were black was because tar was cheaper than paint-not any more!

The Victorys' at Portsmouth are clinker and black. They leak like baskets when heeled.
Your choice.
I would paint it a light pastel colour.
 
<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre> ...a chap came up and said you have made a big mistake... </pre><hr />

People like that are one of the more useless items of boatyard equipment. The type who finishes his own jobs undisturbed [because everyone avoids him like the plague] then wanders around impeding other people.

Best ignored and, if that doesn't work, - start up your angle grinder.
 
Hi all, thanks for your replies, I was aware of the date today (oakum) but this chap watch me for two days preparing the hull, dark grey undercoat goes on no comment, dark blue goes on no comment until the last brushstroke then hey presto he enlightens me with his wisdom that Ive made a big mistake a right pita ! on reflection he may be right but I need to do other jobs and get the boat back in the water so a season of dark blue it is, see how I get on and perhaps a repaint next year.
 
I reckon that if it's the usual British summer, she will be just fine. I may be wrong, (and there's plenty on here will tell me if I am)......but I think that sometimes how certain timbers behave under the circumstances being discussed, could be down to the species and the condition of them, also, the method of construction? Carvel boats do SEEM to suffer more than clinker boats, but that could just be my conception, due to the seams on carvel boats being very visible?

As for your boatyard pundit, well you said it really didn't you? /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I changed the hull colour from dark green, a sort of BRG, to off-white because heat absorption had opened up the (carvel) planks on the starboard side which had been facing South on a pontoon.
That said, the boat had been semi-abandoned for three years.
I would put the boat in the water and enjoy her with her new colour. If the planks do open in a season or three there will be no loss. By then you will want to freshen anyway.
 
I don't think you've made a mistake. I recently did an article for the mag on paint, and spoke to many people who know a lot about paint and wooden boats. The consensus seemed to be that blue (or even black) was OK for British waters and not OK in the Med. It seems it depends on how you moor your boat too. If you're on a swinging mooring this is better, as different parts of your boat are exposed to the sun at its hottest. If you're on a mud berth / marina berth, the boat gets burned in the same way every day. Don't listen to yard know-it-alls. Find a few people you can trust on various different aspects of boat ownership, and listen to them. And then, if you're anything like me - ignore them anyway! At least you'd only have yourself to blame...
 
Have a look at the Victory Class. Clinker dayboats based in Portsmouth. It's a class rule that they are black. Since 1934.
But the fleet in Gibraltar paint them other colours.
It can be a problem if the boat is ashore facing E-W.
 
Ditto the consensus here. Mine's dark green, and as long as she's on a swinging mooring, no problem. If one of a hull continually gets exposed in a marina, this can lead to problems with cracking and some slight shrinkage, but apart from the cosmetic annoyance, this usually takes up when sailing in the first couple of days. An old mate of mine has a very old boat in black, and he drapes a cut tarpaulin over the sunny side of his hull in a marina- problem sorted.
 
In the ADLS book theres a photo of Lazy Days painted black or dark blue, when I bought her in 1995 she was painted off white. I later darkened her down a bit to cream and every good english summer she opens up, but hey see if I care cos england doesnt get the many. so I just keep slapping Sikaflex in to keep those huge F3 waves out !!!!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
 
There is a sliver of truth in his comments.
I had a dark blue Stella which did leak through the topsides when well heeled after a long hot spell. But we had a bilge pump and expected a few leaks, so not much to worry about really, unless we get a really long hot summer!
I think it looked really smart, so who cares ?
Dan
 
Every yard has one..... sometimes two.

If you are pleased with the work well done, if you do have leaks, and with our summers.. well!

Great advice from all but be fair, every boat is different and so is the environment it is kept in. The old adage of "suck it and see" comes to mind and if you have problems slap some Dulux on it!

Tom /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif
 
Dunno... Eider Duck has been Oxford blue since the mid 70's. She leaks noticeably when sailed hard, especially after dry weather and not being used, but then again she takes up quite quickly.

I think the topsides would dry out anyway if she's left a while. It's likely she dries out more quickly due to her dark colour. But I'd not worry about it too much.
 
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