Paint & antifoul for plywood

[Pacofan]

Hello,
this is my first post here.

I have been looking at a 24ft plywood boat, but it needs a re-paint. The topsides especially, and the bottom is bare ply where the anti foul has worn through. What would people reccomend? An epoxy perhaps, even on the bottom before antifouling? and how much roughly would this cost?

Thanks in advance

 

[Smartie]

that's a huuuuge question you just asked there! how long is a piece of string?!

on your topsides and your hull, the primer you choose will depend on the finish/antifouling you choose, and these will depend on the type of performance you want from your boat, where you keep it, how you use it, your budget for paint, how long you want to spend on the work etc etc...

i would start by having a look at some of the paint manufacturers websites and seeing whether you want, for example, a one or two pack topside paint. that's going to be a balance between how easy it is to apply, and lower cost (choose a 1 pack) and how long lasting the results are (choose a 2 pack)... talk to people who keep their boats in the same area as you to find out which antifoulings are popular and work well there... and most of the paint companies have a helpline if the sheer volume of info is totally baffling...

Good luck!
Sx

 

[oldsaltoz]

Hello,
this is my first post here.

I have been looking at a 24ft plywood boat, but it needs a re-paint. The topsides especially, and the bottom is bare ply where the anti foul has worn through. What would people reccomend? An epoxy perhaps, even on the bottom before antifouling? and how much roughly would this cost?

Thanks in advance

G'day Pacofan and welcome aboard the YBW forums,

Ply boats are easy to repair but must be looked after to avoid rot, so first thing is to check if it has been sealed and if so with what.

It's mostly the later one that had an epoxy coat applied, but easy to check as the epoxy is a lot harder to sand.

If you think it needs to be re-coated your up for a lot of work to do it properly. All the old paint has to be removed and the clean ply coated with epoxy, then an epoxy primer and finally a top coat.

First check the condition of the internal frames, the hard chine frame especially.

.

 

[VicS]

i would start by having a look at some of the paint manufacturers websites

International Yachtpaints website http://www.yachtpaint.com/uk/ is good on advice and has all the product data sheets available too .

Likewise the Hempel website http://www.hempel.co.uk/ for what were Blakes paints

 

[Pacofan]

Thanks people, I'm beginning to see why fibreglass became so popular

 

[sarabande]

I'm in the process of restoring a 24ft plywood sloop.

Not because I am a cheapskate (that's a subsidiary motive ) but I believe in using B7Q or Homebase paints for all non-antifouling needs. The range of colours is much larger, and technically they are fine for the sailing environment if you use the ones designated for exterior wood.

For non-slip deck paint, use Weathershield textured.

If you are taking any parts of the hull back to basic wood, use a primer to key properly to the outer ply layer.

Just make sure that any panels with the end ply exposed are fully sealed (an epoxy might be a good idea.

Best of luck with the fun !

 

[oldharry]

Forget about epoxy for an older plywood boat. Waste of money, as the ply is already too damp to take any 2 pot paint. Dry it out enough for the paint to take, and shrinkage will cause other major problems - Dont ask me how I know, I just do, and how much it costs!

Conventional paints, properly applied will do the job just as well, and will last almost as long. Many of us have used Dulux Weathershield to considerable effect - I have seen it survive as long as 5 years without needing re-coating. Even 2 pot on old ply is unlikely to beat that. In fact last time I used it it was all lifting within 12 months and had to be stripped back off.

And yes I know Lake sailor did his plywood dinghy with epoxy, and got away with it! It can be done.... but!

But if the boat is that neglected, I would be very wary of taking it on at all: if the paint is lifting, why? Plywood doesnt take kindly to being left exposed even for a relatively short time, as rain water gets in to the end grains of the individual laminates, seeps in and rots it from the inside out. Rain water has much the same effect as battery acid on plywood if allowed to soak it!