Repainting Decks in a different colour - Looking for advice not done it before!

[Wilko999999]

Hi,

I have a Seamaster 27 and the decks have been painted in a not so lovely blue colour! I'd like to repaint all these in a white or cream. Not ever having done this before I've previously owned Bow Riders on the sea rather than a cruiser on the river does anyone have any tips on prep and any particular brands of paint they would recommend? Attached pic isn't my boat I realised I don't have one showing the areas but this is kind of 90% similar.

 

[RupertW]

I did this on a boat with similar colour paint of about the same age.

Looked far far better in white I thought. I just used Sandtex to get a decent grip and as it’s ok with slight flexing ( and im stingy).

My decks has a more complicated pattern of blue and shiny white and far far more fittings being a sailing boat. But masking tape was easy and preserved all the patterns, albeit in a less obvious way as both were white. The lengthy bit was getting at all the blue bits hidden just under bits of fittings.

It did show green mould more easily but was also easy to wash away.

 

[Wilko999999]

I did this on a boat with similar colour paint of about the same age.

Looked far far better in white I thought. I just used Sandtex to get a decent grip and as it’s ok with slight flexing ( and im stingy).

My decks has a more complicated pattern of blue and shiny white and far far more fittings being a sailing boat. But masking tape was easy and preserved all the patterns, albeit in a less obvious way as both were white. The lengthy bit was getting at all the blue bits hidden just under bits of fittings.

It did show green mould more easily but was also easy to wash away.

Thanks Rupert,

Did you do anything to remove what was there already at all or just go straight over the top?

 

[neil_s]

You might find white a bit glary in the sun. Cream is a good choice, though. I opted to continue with the blue - not fashionable, I know, but it matched my canvas work. I rubbed down the old deck paint with fairly coarse sandpaper and then re-painted with gloss of my choice with added sand. Lasts well and good non-slip.

 

[RupertW]

Thanks Rupert,

Did you do anything to remove what was there already at all or just go straight over the top?

Sanded it down, filled the holes and scratches with the new paint and sanded again where I’d patched it. But didn’t spend any time making it perfect as I’d chosen the paint to cover small flaws.

 

[Keith-i]

Depends on the finish you want but I sanded mine down and then used a light grey Kiwi-grip. Easy to apply and non-slip.

 

[Paul HD]

International Interdeck is a good non slip to use.

I used white which actually had a slight grey/blue when compared to the white gelcoat, they do other colours.

Old deck paint looking tired.



After.


It is worth taking your time masking off the patterns.

 

[ashtead]

I was moored alongside an old Hallberg 352 who told me he had lifted his teak decks ,filled and painted with kiwi grip I recall and it looked fine. I believe on westerly you used to use a special westerly blue paint on decks I seem to recall but I think cream might be better than white which might glare in sun should we have any.

 

[William_H]

I painnted the decks of my trailer sailer which were beige gel coat with a urethane brilliant white. Matches top sides but was a mistake in that one must wear sun glasses if sailing in the sun. I always do anyway but yes great glare. I suggest paint the same color. Of course you may lose non slip surface with apint and have top resort to grip typoe paint. ol'will

 

[Daydream believer]

Do not do what some wally did at our sailing club. He wanted to paint the decks so used the rest of his erodable blue antifoul paint. Plastered it just about everywhere. He then sold the boat without ever sailing it. The next unsuspecting owner took his young kids sailing & was shocked when they suddenly turned blue. It took him ages to get the stuff off the boat-- & the kids

 

[wallacebob]

Successful use of Toolstation garage paint (LEYLAND) plus air grit from machine mart. Grey paint looks pretty smart, and has lasted well over this season with one coat. You need to mix a trial pot to get grit right, roller evenly, light brushing. Masking takes the time, plus clean decks with white spirit and get rid of loose flakes. I’ve enough grit and paint for several re-coats.! Only do it in warm weather, as paint is relatively slow drying.

 

[typhoonNige]

Another vote for Sandtex. I painted over blue interdeck with cream sandtex. Sanded with coarse paper to remove any loose paint then two coats covered the blue. A third coat would have looked better though. That was 4 years ago and it’s still fine, but not as easy to keep clean as the Interdeck was.

 

[srm]

A steel boat I had came with white none slip painted decks, but they were cold to bare feet and had an uncomfortable glare in the sun. After a couple of seasons I painted them a mid grey as used on local fishing boats. This became uncomfortably hot in the sun, even in the north of Scotland and Norway. The next spring they got a coat of Intenational deck paint in cream and this was just right, comfortable in the sun on both eyes and feet. Each coat was applied over the previous and the cream paint was given a new thin coat ever two or three years to keep it looking fresh.

Currently, I am stripping an old cork type none slip off my GRP boat and will then sand and paint with epoxy primer and International deck paint - again cream colour.

 

[Plum]

another vote for Sandtex fine textured masonry paint such as this (other colours are available) https://www.travisperkins.co.uk/ext...extured-masonry-paint-5l-ivory-stone/p/873239

Good durability, very non-slip, water based and you can walk on it an hour after applying.

Assuming you currently have a painted surface, remove any textured/grit surface you currently have with a carbide scraper (only to remove the roughness not the complete paint layer), hose it down, abrade with course abrasive, hose off again and when dry apply two coats of the Sandtex. When it needs refreshing, after, say, 5 years, repeat: scrape with carbide scraper to remove grit, hose it down, abrade with course abrasive (not very effective unless you scrape the grit off first) then apply one coat of the Sandtex.

Apply the sandtex in thin coats. A 5litre pot will last 10 or 15 years.

I use one of these scrapers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bahco-Carb...ocphy=1006621&hvtargid=pla-349273119019&psc=1

www.solocoastalsailing.co.uk

 

[BobnLesley]

Our Vega was exactly that colour which we soon discovered was too hot for standing on when we sailed to the Med. Simply washed it thoroughly with soap and water then overpainted a creamy colour; as I recall it took two coats to stop the blue ghosting through.

 

[bluerm166]

Used Interdeck to change colour of previous interdeck .Pale blue to light grey.Coverage by one coat was excellent,durability excellent .Provided your existing base paint doen't present special circumstances why mess about with anything else.

 

[Andrew_Trayfoot]

did the cabin top of my Westerly Griffon last year and am doing the deck this year.
Old paint was coming off in random places so have taken the whole lot back to gelcoat with an orbital sander (40 grit) primed and repainted with Hempal Non slip deck coating in grey. cabin top is fine after 1 season...

 

[mattonthesea]

Slight thread drift: we have a deck with non-slip texture built in. I'm wondering how to paint without the paint gathering in the hollows; and how to prep?

 

[srm]

Slight thread drift: we have a deck with non-slip texture built in. I'm wondering how to paint without the paint gathering in the hollows; and how to prep?

Have not done it, but am in the process of removing old none slip cork like material. If your texture is not too deep I would suggest:
1 Sand smooth, which will reduce gel coat thickness.
2 One or two coats of epoxy primer to protect lay up.
3 None slip paint to choice.

Or, for much less effort, just apply a none slip paint and accept that it will fill in some of the original texture. Have you got a small and inconspicuous area you can paint as a trial?

 

[Alfredmylne]

Sandtex or Dulux Masonry paint. Get the one with the granules if you want non slip. Dulux used to be around £27 for 5L but like everything else it’s gone up mega bucks. If you buy anything from a chandlery specifically for marine use multiply by three!