Is Dulux going to be my option? and has anyone actually done it that can help? (Rather than I knew a guy!)

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jackleggett

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Hey guys,
So I'm the proud owner of a Westerly Centaur but she's had a few years of neglect and a good few scrapes, so this year she's getting the topsides done. I'm determined to do it myself as I do love a learn etc but I'm stuck on finding a paint. The issue I have is colour, I don't want any of the available marine colours! She's currently in internationals 'Norfolk Green', which is sadly discontinued, and between me and the Mrs there's no marine paint we can find that comes in the same sort of shade, which we like! I'm getting more and more tempted to use Dulux as frankly, anything is better than what's currently on there.
So..I've read several stories of people using dulux trade weathershield on wooden boats, and a few on GRP, has anyone here actually done it? Did you just use the weathershield masonry paint? Or the wood and metal? and what did you use primer wise for it, Dulux, or otherwise?

I realise this will bring up some controversy, but I'm asking for advice and help, not unhelpful bashing please! We all do boats our own way :)
 
I used Weathershied Masonry ( not the Smooth) as non slip deck paint on Colvic Watson 35 about 20 years ago. The advantage is that you can paint over the dings and scrapes very quickly and easily.

The undercoat was the same paint and it can be made up in almost any colour you need.

I would not hesitate to use it again but present boat has a moulded in non slip.
 
Years ago, when I was doing up a property and buying quite a bit of paint from a decorators shop, they tinted some white international topside ? paint for me, as like you there wasn't a colour / shade I liked.

If you know a decorators place it might pay to have a chat with them.
 
Because I had it in the shed, I used Dulux Weathershield gloss to paint my dinghy launching trolley. It looked fine, but I felt it was rather soft for painting metal. Good for wood - but I would prefer a harder finish for painting GRP. This is a problem I'll have to address shortly, too!
 
Rum Run said:
These people, Topcoats | Quality Single and 2-Pack Finishes | SML Paints mix paints to many different colour standards and that paint will do the job. Marine paint, not yacht prices.
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Excellent company. The two pot paint for my boat was not much over £100. Just give them a RAL number or anything from one of the well know paint manufacturers colour charts and they will mix it up for you. I ended up with one from a Farrow and Ball colour chart.
The real work is in the preparation and if you have spent a lot of time and care filling and rubbibg down you don't want to be doing it again in a few years so you might as well spend a little more on the paint and do it properly.
 
andsarkit said:
Excellent company. The two pot paint for my boat was not much over £100. Just give them a RAL number or anything from one of the well know paint manufacturers colour charts and they will mix it up for you. I ended up with one from a Farrow and Ball colour chart.
The real work is in the preparation and if you have spent a lot of time and care filling and rubbibg down you don't want to be doing it again in a few years so you might as well spend a little more on the paint and do it properly.
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Loved the 2 pack Jotun range, though I did not get on particularly well with the other stuff via à vis Hempel or Imron or international etc, but I note that the website say they’ve modified it’s paintability characteristics since then.

Great value ranges and all the sundries too
 
We have an XOD ‘rat boat’ on the books. She is painted with Dulux exterior gloss. The topsides are fine, she was last completely redone in 2016, with a brush. It’s a bet. Can she win with no money spent? Yes she can.
 
TA Paints are also worth a look, primarily industrial paint suppliers but their marine paint is excellent, goes on beautifully and reasonably priced for the quality. They might have some different options in their colour range.
 
For painting fibreglass boat hull, no question two part polyurethane gives the best long lasting hard surface - never has chipped or flaked over many years - have several coats now without problem on 50 year old boat - Epifanes have a good colour range, and can mix any colour from a wide range of RAL colours with a couple of week delivery time. . Seemed to have best finish at 15-20 degrees temperature - not too hot and not too cold. Other makes available. Use red with caution as International red lost colour after a few years

Not expensive overall as you shouldn't need to re-coat it for several years, and then it's just prepare, make good and a single coat.
 
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I used Wickes equivalent of Dulux weather shield to paint topsides and hull of a battered Leisure 17. Hull , looked fantastic and easy roller job. Topsides was pretty good, and touch-upable of course. Significant price difference to yacht paints, but single pack are all alkyds anyway? You have an easier time with single pack. My attitude was, it’s my old boat. It is the prep that makes the difference, use good primer/undercoat. Thin with a splash of white spirit and choose your day carefully. Once you start……
 
Egret said:
For painting fibreglass boat hull, no question two part polyurethane gives the best long lasting hard surface - never has chipped or flaked over many years - have several coats now without problem on 50 year old boat - Epifanes have a good colour range, and can mix any colour from a wide range of RAL colours with a couple of week delivery time. . Seemed to have best finish at 15-20 degrees temperature - not too hot and not too cold. Other makes available. Use red with caution as International red lost colour after a few years

Not expensive overall as you shouldn't need to re-coat it for several years, and then it's just prepare, make good and a single coat.
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All perfectly true. The question appears to be ‘how cheap can I be, and will Dulux do the job?’. The answer is ‘£20, and yes’.
 
I've been using Dulux Weathershield Exterior Gloss over an oil based undercoat on a 36' wooden hull for 20+ years and think it is excellent.
Both paints can be mixed to the colour of your choice which helps if you need to build layers or get a one coat match when patching.
Roll on and brush tip finish works wonders every time.
Holds its colour well, stands up to the tough environment and is easy to repair if needed.
 
Cheap paint won't look as good as a "proper! paint job today, but in five year's time, it'll look better, because you'll have done it again, while the "proper" job will be waiting until it really needs doing again.

OTOH, a good few years ago, I was looking at getting a canal boat, but didn't have the budget for a good one. I saw a few B&Q* gloss jobs where it looked as though it had been applied with a ladle. Please don't do that!

*I hope it was B&Q paint, I'd hate to think someone wasted decent paint on such abominations
 
Teamac also have a wide range of colours for marine enamel, Epifanes don't have an extraordinarily wide range but some are different to Internationals colours and the paints are very highly regarded
 
PCUK said:
The make of paint is less important than the preparation. I've used Dulux and it looked superb and lasted several years.
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X66 isn’t going to win prizes for her looks, but the 9 year old paint is still on there. She came with about a litre left in the tin, for touch ups. That is nearly used up, what to do after that?
 
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