gel coat vs awlgrip which one should I use?

sjclewes

sjclewes

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due to a hard life with a previous owner i need to either re gel or paint the whole of the hull of my 36 footer, but when asking various boat yards it is difficult to get an unbiased opinion as they obviously lean toward the product they use. so please can you let me know of good or bad experiences you may have had and also durability of each product. all help would be greatly appreciated. Simon
 
Not gel coat I would think.

It rather depends upon what you mean by "Awlgrip" there seems to be a wide range of products.

An epoxy coating below the waterline ceratinly be that an Awlgrip product or one of International's Gelsheild products or another.

(Awlgrip and International are both Akzo Nobel companies anyway)

Above the waterline you can use the same or opt for something less "high tech" and perhaps easier to apply
 
imho Awlgrip will out last any other product my boat was sprayed in 2000 & is still as good as new.
make sure you DONT use their 2000 series paints its too soft.
if you want white use (Off White - G8010 F8020) it isnt all bright white as that wouldnt look right on an older boat /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
G'day Sjclewes, and welcome aboard.

Gel coat would be very expensive and could add weight, but it has better durability than paint.

Painting on the other hand can be made a lot cheaper by doing a lot of the preparation yourself, then hire a spray painter for an hour or so.

I'm too sure about Awgrip paints, though many report good results and good durability. I have always used International Polyurethane based paints, like Interspray 900; the ones with long chain polymers have excellent self levelling qualities and will last 10 years or more.

I hope this helps.

Avagoodweekend......
 
Done this year, Awlcraft. Was previously very tired Awlgrip.

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Not aware of any process that re-gelcoats above the waterline, although it is common to strip and replace it below the water line as part of treatment for osmosis.

If you are talking topsides because they are marked and faded, then it is possible to do repairs to the gel coat and it is possible to get gel coat mixed to match. However, if you want a finish to look good all over, then painting is the answer. At the top end is a professional respray and Awlgrip is a common brand to use. Many high class boats are finished like this from new. At the other end you can do the job yourself using a brush applied coating. International Toplac is commonly used, but other manufacturers have equivalents. In between are all sorts of comnbinaations of products and application methods.

The major part of the cost (and determinant of final finish quality) is preparation, so doing this yourself can cut costs.

At the end of the day, how much you spend is determined by how much you think the boat is worth. An old £20k boat does not justify a top of the range finish costing several thousands. A good hand applied coating costing a few hundred and a lot of graft will transform a tired looking boat.

From personal experience I use Toplac and it is excellent. Easy to apply, looks good, does not fade (dark blue) and easy to touch up.

Hope this helps.
 
I am going thro the same process at the moment.

I wouldnt think that gel coat is really an option, I have heard of it being done but I can't imagine how one could get a finish on it, also gel coats are usualy made to 'go off' in the absence of air ie on the inside of a mould.

My boat painter said that he wouldn't be using Awl Grip and would use Int Perfection...Who knows ?? As you say its difficult to get objective info .. I know some paints are very hard on the surface but if the surface is damaged the substrate is less hard, and some paints are hard the whole way through ..

BTW My painter will be doing my boat by hand ! He says he can get a better finish applying with a roller and then tipping off with a brush.. I hope he is right ! He has a very good reputation, but i wasn't convinced until I saw an elderly GRP boat in the slings up at Bucklers Hard. I spoke with the owner and when complimented him on the finish he said it had been done by hand (brush).

I'm not actually using the people at B/Hard as they evidently couldnt be bothered to quote me or return my calls even when I took the boat up there for them, to look over. Sod 'em I'd rather give the considerable amount of money to the chap at my regular yard who uses the same technique.

Regards Nick
 
thanks for all of the replies the bejases pictures look stunning Ive had two quotes back for re geling both around £3000 one used a roller applying three coats then sanding back his work looked superb the other sprayed gel coat stunning finish also but has anyone experienced in how long it will last or will it peel ?
 
Friends have just had their topsides re gelcoated and the finish is superb, and seems pretty tough, how well it will last, who knows? I understand it is only possible to do white.
My Awlgrip topsides (Awlgrip Prmium Urethane Topcoat) were also superb but the finsh is very soft. Luckily I live on a swinging mooring for even a couple of days alongside rubs the finish. Paint finishes are only microns thick and the scope for polishing is very limited. Four days alongside were enough to go right through the finish, though I must admit that was a gritty wall. The use of a fender skirt is vital. The paint can be repaired by spraying in but you will need to go back to the specialist and face all those yard bills.
The cost of your respray is about the same as putting in a new engine - every 5 years!
You are lucky if your topsides are white, dont even consider paint. My boat is dark blue and I am stuck with it.
 
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thanks for all of the replies the bejases pictures look stunning ?

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here's one we prepared earlier. Prekote primer, 3 coats, Toplac top coat, 3 coats. Rolled and tipped and rubbed down between coats.
1963 Seamaster Cadet Mk.1. Our first boat.

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After
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I don't know where people get the idea that you can't put a new gel coat on, or if you did you couldn't get it smooth, or that it would be too heavy?

We had all our topsides ground off and regelled five years ago. I know of several other boats in the Plymouth area that have had the same job. The finish is superb and much more durable than any paint system (two pack or not). Its an entirely new surface that is smooth and polished like new GRP. As the old gel coat was almost entirely ground off, I don't believe that is has made any significant difference to the weight of the boat.

We used a man called Spencer Fleet - he's a bit hard to pin down as his work is very popular and it won't be cheap, but our topsides were appaling when we bought the boat, and we factored in his work into the purchase price.

Spencer has a long list of people who love his work - but don't always enjoy the hassle of getting him to actually come and get on with it.
 
thanks Doug Ive seen Simon's work it looked brilliant and it was a big boat 46 foot the other people work Ive seen has been done by gel coat spraying has anybody experienced this
 
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