Paint Suggestions

[sagamoron]

Hey Guys,

I've got a 30 year old fiberglass row boat/tender that has spent the last 15 years sitting under a deck. It was our first boat we got as kids and I want to sand and paint it so my nephews can use it now. I want to paint it fighting lady yellow and am looking for suggestions on which paint to use. It will sit on the beach all summer and be used when the kids are around. I can't imagine it will take more than a couple of quarts.

Thanks, and I'll post some pictures when I get started.

[paulmv17]

I've never used it before but I am going to use Supermarine paint to paint my skiff this spring, from there website it seems like decent stuff. I'll post my results when I finish.

[blackwell50]

It's expensive,but well worth it. Awlgrip.

[mikehalseyjr]

It's expensive,but well worth it. Awlgrip.

I 2nd that.

[sagamoron]

It's expensive,but well worth it. Awlgrip.

Yeah, just not sure its worth it for two kids under 5 years old who will mostly float and eat popsicles in it.

[Nauti Natured]

You will obviously get no shortage of opinions here so I will just add to the mix. I know a lot of the old school Awl Grip guys are now turning to Alexseal. Seems easy to work with and really turns out nice. Not sure about the price differential between the two.

[blackwell50]

Yeah, just not sure its worth it for two kids under 5 years old who will mostly float and eat popsicles in it.

In that case,I would interlux brightside polyurethane.Its a one part,easy to work with and about 40 bucks a quart.

[blackwell50]

You will obviously get no shortage of opinions here so I will just add to the mix. I know a lot of the old school Awl Grip guys are now turning to Alexseal. Seems easy to work with and really turns out nice. Not sure about the price differential between the two.

Alexseal blends so much better than awlgrip,it takes a lil getting used to shooting it.I have'nt tried to brush it yet though.

[Capt.Troy Crane]

In that case,I would interlux brightside polyurethane.Its a one part,easy to work with and about 40 bucks a quart.

I second the brightside, you can roll and tip it and it will look like you sprayed it. Tough stuff too, should be fine for what you are trying to accomplish. Make sure you get the one for below the water line, I am pretty sure there are two formulas.

Good luck,
Troy

[Storm]

I prefer Interlux two-part polyurethane over fiberglass. It's not much different than Awlgrip. It's a bit tricky to use. Weather conditions have to be perfect. Horizontal planes work much better than vertical because you don't get sags. It's a heavy paint so you need to use several light coats. Lighter colors are easier to use than darker colors - so yellow would be a good choice. If applied directly over fiberglass you probably won't need a primer. I usually use primer anyway. Primer helps to find and fill voids.

I've used two-part for several different projects. It has better gloss retention than gelcoat. It won't crack and peel in a year like softer one-part paints.

The downside is the expense and extra prep work. If you go with a one-part such as Easypoxy your project will look good for about six months and then lose its luster. After a year you'll have to repaint. In the long term, the two-part will be cheaper and look better.

If you do decide to use two-part, don't mix more than you need. A little goes a long way. The stuff cures hard as a rock after 8-12 hours. I usually apply with a foam roller and gently tip off air bubbles with a good brush. I like to brush vertically.

I think bright yellow would be kick-ass with two-part paint because of the high gloss factor. I used two-part for a blue dory last spring. I've also painted several live-well tanks and a fiberglass panel for my documentation numbers. I'm considering painting the deck of my boat with it. The deck is currently top coated with Rhinoliner. The Rhino is finally wearing out. I can't use gelcoat because the deck is epoxy underneath the Rhino. Gelcoat doesn't adhere to epoxy.

That's my opinion. I also like the Epifanes two-part for about the same price. Interlux has a great application video.