Sun Damaged Gel Coat

[PowerYachtBlog]

We have a black colored 75 Venere in Malta which is an 08 year. Still no fading.
A friend of myn has a beige (champagne) colored Rio 44 Art new in 2006, and still no fading. The color is paint, and to be fair the aft corners are made white gel (similar to Atlantis or Fairline 40 Targa).
That is the worst part for any colored boat as that is seeing a cycle here in the med of salt dew water every morning which is then dryed by very hot sun beams.

Now we have a bronze colored Sunseeker 48 Portofino which arrived fall last year looks still new. I think this is painted.
Guess I have to tell you in a couple more years to know.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

anyone know if awlgrip contains any water repellents ?

I am not 100% sure as I was told this by a salesman a couple years ago but Awlgrip Marine paint is epoxy based and is much less water absorbing then gelcoat.
Gelcoat is in its nature not much a water resistant paint and absorbs water. Altough modern Iso gels tend to do less of this, or so they tell us.

Many times heard the new is better to look back at the past and see how much did they fool us....

I would try to use the polish system I advised, and if this continues will ask someone to paint the garage area of your Absolute. If you like it would do it in White color.

 

[Marine Reflections]

we need someone to do a big X in the middle of a panel with rain X and wait for 6 months.

Tried it along with 20 or so other possibles, it failed, but the principle of it's chemical make-up is found in many other more compatible marine sealants.

A fully working 'Superhydrophobic' sealant coating is where it is at, application for marine purposes are a little tricky though.

Not talking normal sealants and water beading apps here, it's serious contact angles, higher beads than ever before.

Normal hydrophobes can be achieved with good content Carnauba waxes, but not give the same high contact angle.

Awlgrip (it's complicated) have a different set of rules to gel & other paints.

They seem to work on the 'sheeting effect' hydrophilic, with polymers to rid water from the hull, as this is different to the water beading above the topsides.
The benefit to no water beading on the hull is....... no water spots!

Could it just be for this reason they seem to fair better than gel?
Probably quite a few different inhibitors in.
They certainly are harder than gel surfaces and would be broken down at a much slower rate.

With addition of more polymer (as a replacement for waxes and polishing)
to continue that interaction, maintenance on an Awlgrip hull (subject to correct application) would be easier on the whole, as dealing with water on the hull from the pontoon can be a pain and 'overlooked' on occasion.

I'm sure nano-technology will provide the correct surface for interaction directly from a mould one day, to provide hydrophilic on the hulls and hydrophobic on the superstructure. Still early days.


Will the pearlescent brown & beige gelcoats fade?

Yes, if you let them.