Paint on GRP

[Greg2]

Looked at a very nice Broom 35 Sedan (flybridge boat, circa 1978) today - looked immaculate but on closer inspection it looked as though the upper works had been painted, albiet professionally (excellent job with only one unfortunate 'run' giving the game away). Confirmed by the Broker, who said that if painted properly with the correct paint it is like applying a new gelcoat as a chemical bond is formed (he believed this was the case with the boat I was looking at) and it will last for a very long time.

My rule of thumb has always been to avoid boats with painted gelcoat but this boat does look good.

Anyone know anything about this? Is paint OK on gelcoat (if done properly)? How long will it last?

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[robind]

I Thought the 78 Broom topsides were marine ply not GRP?
Regards
Rob

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[gonfishing]

Hi
I would have thought the question would have been Why has it been painted???has it been done to hide something??
If there is good reason for it having been painted fine, only drawback it is an added maintenance task as it will req repainting every 3yrs or so to keep it looking good.All that rubbing down and preparing etc etc Yuk!!!!!


rgds
julian

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[Greg2]

Definetely GRP. I think Broom dropped the timber topsides long before 1978

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[oldsaltoz]

G'day Greg,

Many GRP hulls / decks are painted, the old gel-coat fades and looks dull, painting is a good way to brighten them up.

Provided a good quality product has been correctly applied you should have few problems for at least 5 or so years, many last longer.

We applied a good quality polyurethane with long chain polymers about 6 years ago the hull and deck of a 17 year old 28 footer, came up a treat and still looks great today.

Best if left for about a month, then cleaned and polished, then a protective coat of wax about 3 times a year and one good clean up annually.

It is more work than gel-coat, but it looks it looks a lot better than the old dull and faded look.

Hope this helps...



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[Kevin]

Hi

Dont know a great deal about this but I know that a well applied polyurethene
(thats spelt wrong) 2 pack paint lasts very well over grp if its keyed in properly. its chemical reaction makes for a hard finish like that of the gelcoat.

It even works well on the hulls where most of the battering happens.

This, if done properly, is sprayed on so if there was signs of run then it possibly isnt 2 pack or very badly applied.

Kevin

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[Greg2]

Thanks.
The finish is excellent and I had to look very hard to determine that it was paint. The run is in one place only and I guess that even good spayers have the odd mishap.

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[rlw]

One of my mates had a painted GRP boat some years ago. Sporty number.
The finish was so good I would consider it myself. There seems to be an added bonus that is is easier to clean. In the 3 or 4 seasons he had the boat it definately dit not deteriorate.

I discussed this with a company that does painting and gelcoat repairs. They told me the the current generations of paints is actually tougher than GRP if applied correctly.

Rob

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[theguvnor]

I bought a Fairline Sunfury some 4 years back and did`nt notice that the hull was painted. I asked some paint people at the Boat Show about how to remove it - the consencus was don`t bother.
Since using it regularly on the Thames (with all those nice locks and hire boats) I`m glad the hull is so easy to "touch in". I give a quick coat every 2 years (only takes a day - did it yesterday) and it looks like brand new again - I wouldn`t have it any other way

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[kingfisher]

"My rule of thumb has always been to avoid boats with painted gelcoat but this boat does look good."

I can't imagine that a 1978 boat will have an immaculate hull. A five year old boat with a painted hull should make warning bells go off, but a 25 year old boat? It only shows that the previous owner cared enough about his boat to pay planty of money for a professional job.

But do make sure that is a twin-compound paint job and not a single pack paint, as these won't last as long. But again, if it is clear that it has been spray-painted professionaly, than go for it.

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