Painting my first boat

[Venomgrass]

Hi
Finally decided to buy my first boat, it needs some elbow grease put in.
It's a 25-28ft and a colvic hull, twin bilge keel. Made from fibreglass.

How do I paint the following? Pictures attached.
Please also tell me what type of paint to use, and how it should b prepped and any tips
Please note I'm from the UK so don't have access to some american brands of paint.

I want to paint:
The deck
The deck hard grippy parts,
The hull
The interior walls
The exterior wood








Thank you all!

 

[yachtorion]

Lovely boat!

You are likely to get two types of advice. The expensive marine paints from the likes of Kiwi-Grip (non-slip), Hempel and International. And then cheaper non-marine paints like Sandtex masonry (for non-slip) and Dulux Weathershield etc (for everything else). What you choose will depend a lot on how much you want to spend but many people have reported success with both.

The more expensive marine paints come in 1 part or 2 part formulations. The latter are more expensive and harder to use but longer lasting.

I suspect most people in this forum go the Dulux Sandtex route. Preparation is no different to painting anything else.... strip loose paint with a wire brush, sand lightly for a key, prime/undercoat as per the instructions on the tin. If you are doing aluminium that needs special treatment. If surfaces have been painted before you may need to consider compatibility... some paints can't be used over some others and you may end up having to strip all the old paint first. Paint won't cover cracks etc, if you have those you have to fix them first.

I've used water based acrylic paint from B&Q happily in the interior of my boat.

But.. especially for exterior fibreglass... once you paint you are stuck with maintaining it? Are you sure a good polish isn't an option?

I can happily recommend http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sailboat-Re...43439966&sr=8-2&keywords=refinishing+sailboat

 

[pcatterall]

Don't attempt too much all in one go, just enjoy and sail the boat.
I would not paint the hull unless it has already been painted, can you not make the gell coat look decent.
Many people use exterior cement based masonry paint ( like weathershield) on their GRP decks I do and it lasts well, just clean the old stuff and remove flaky bits first

 

[Tranona]

Difficult to tell from the photos - but avoid painting the hull if you possible can. You will be surprised at the transformation a bit of elbow grease, a hand held polisher and appropriate compounds can make to a dull gel coat. Same for the plain bits of the deck and coachroof. The non slip bits if moulded pattern will also respond well to a good clean. If they are already painted then rub down and paint with a non slip paint - some people use Sandtex but personally I think it is worth using the proper International Interdeck or the Hempel equivalent. For woodwork you need to get it back to bare wood and either spend the hours applying several coats of gloss varnish, or if you are happy with a less shiny finish use Woodskin which is easier and quicker to apply and longer lasting.

There is plenty of information on finishes on the websites of the major paint manufacturers, but you may find it useful to order the back numbers from the PBO series of articles on painting their project boat. These go into detail on the choices and then talk through the process with good illustrations and DIY tips. There are also youtube videos of painting boats, but be aware that there are many approaches and these tend to reflect the authors' personal views.

 

[Tam Lin]

Another one for don't paint the hull unless you really have to. Try rubbing it down first. Fine wet and dry paper will take almost anything off, including the gel coat if you do too much, then rubbing compound and polish. Should give a lovely surface.

 

[Venomgrass]

Another one for don't paint the hull unless you really have to. Try rubbing it down first. Fine wet and dry paper will take almost anything off, including the gel coat if you do too much, then rubbing compound and polish. Should give a lovely surface.

Thank you so much for the replies! I picked the boat up for £2,000 so a bargain if I can sort the engine issue out. It does run for ten minutes then cuts out so maybe not too bad!

Unfortunately the hull has already been painted! Do I just use wet/dry paper the hull then paint again in dulux weather shield?. I need to decide on an order to tackle the project, as it'll cost me to lift it out to paint the hull and anti foul.

Thank you

 

[Tranona]

Good finish depends mainly on quality of preparation. Suggest you use International Toplac. One pack, easy to apply, long lasting and easy to touch up. Flat everything down, fill and fair if necessary Two coats of undercoat and two coats of top coat. Best done in either weather like now or wait until the spring. Remember it is only cosmetic on a GRP hull, so don't attempt it in poor conditions. Also the cost of materials is low in relation to the amount of hard work involved so don't skimp on the quality of the paint.

 

[Seajet]

Venomgrass,

not wanting to divert into a long engine discussion right now ( I agree with all the above re paint & polish ) - if the engine runs for 10 minutes then conks, might well be worth checking the air breather into the fuel tank isn't clogged up.

Top Tip;

just remember it's all supposed to be fun - especially with your first boat, not a test of personal endurance or concours d'elegance refurb skills.