# sailboat paint question



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I have a Siren 17, and the pervious owner painted her hull a light blue bottom paint. He thought it would hold up to the elements better. I know it was a bad idea to paint the whole hull in bottom paint, thank god not the deck. It is now fading away with blotchy blues, and looks weird when half is wet and half is dry. its chulky, you get paint on you if you rub on it. What would be a good recomend paint to paint over this?? Im on a time frame now, so it cant really be done right. I just want it to look good for a spring break trip. 

-corey


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## artbyjody (Jan 4, 2008)

Above the waterline you'll need to sand - coat with primer - and then paint ....the reason it is coming off in blotches is that ablative paint (your bottom paint) - doesn't do well unless in water so I have been told by the yard...at any rate yep - you'll have some work in front of you unfortunately...


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

wkboarder,
I spoke to this in the 'chalky boot stripe thread' but didn't realize you had bottom paint on your topsides.
Don't sand - chemically strip it using paint remover, then sand. 

I do not recommend a dark color on a home project boat. Dark paint shows every single imperfection - stay light in color, white is better. Dark will also make you boat look smaller, and heat up the insides (a problem already in florida).
Use a good grade marine paint - but if your boat is trailered and not in the water all the time you should feel free to use any paint that gives you the results you want and will adhere to fiberglass and work with the primer you use.
Speaking of primer, yours is not a young boat - don't pinch pennies on getting a good primer, and go for a high build primer - 2 part is best. The time you spend on preparation and priming should be about three times the time you spend on sailing per year  seriously - figure on many weekends not a day or so.
Seriously, take off all the hardware, polish it, or replace it while you are at the project - a self tailing winch on a small boat like a siren is worth it's weight in gold and can be gotten second hand, cleaned up and installed. It will be worth it.


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## max-on (Mar 30, 2004)

I agree with Chuck, do it right and be done with it, then go sailing.


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## Fstbttms (Feb 25, 2003)

Wkboarder222 said:


> the pervious owner painted her hull a light blue bottom paint. He thought it would hold up to the elements better


Bwahahahahahaha! Is there no end to the stupidity to which boat owners will stoop?


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

I agree with Chuck on most of it. Chemically strip, then sand. Spend a HUGE amount of time making sure the prep work is PERFECT. Even after you think it's perfect, go over it at least twice more. Use epoxy based fillers to take care of the dock rash, with a long board to make it smooth. If you need instruction on how to make a good long board, let me know.

If you plan on keeping the boat, use a 2 part paint system such as Interlux Perfection. Decide now what paint you're going to use, and stick with the recommended products for that paint from the same manufacturer. There may be other products that work well with whatever paint you choose, but I'm not a chemist so I do what the paint co says.

Choose whatever color makes you happy. I have a dark blue boat, and it gets hotter in Kansas than it does in Florida. It's hot in my boat but no hotter than everyone elses. Your deck color will have more to do with the heat inside than the topsides. If you paint a dark color, you will have to make sure that any filler work is PERFECT. If you get the dock rash to the point that you can't find it anymore, even though you know where it is, then find someone else to look for it (and show them where it is) preferably someone who does auto body work for a living and they can't find it, then you might be ready for dark paint. After you paint you'll still find some places you missed. Dark paint can be done with a roller and brush, but it's not easy and it's very time consuming.

Here are the steps I took to paint my topsides:
Degrease
Sand with 120 on an orbital
Degrease
Identify chips, nicks, scratches or cracks.
Grind out chips, nicks, scratches and cracks.
Fill with epoxy filler.
Sand filler with long board and sanding block with 80 grit. (never by hand)
Identify problem areas.
Add filler to any areas that need additional filler.
Grind out and fill additional areas found.
Sand with long board and sanding block.
Repeat as needed (at least twice more)
Degrease.
Get a friend to help paint. Roll and tip can be done but it's almost impossible alone. You have get exactly the right amount of paint on and tip it before it gets sticky. Don't let your brush load up with paint or you'll get runs at the rub rail. Use the primer coats to perfect your application technique.
Apply first coat of primer.
Wet sand with 240 and sanding block. Use a rubber squeege made for this to show you when it's smooth.
Identify and repair problem areas.
Apply 2nd coat of primer.
Wet sand with 240.
Identify and repair problem areas.
Primer / sand / primer / sand.
If you can no longer find any evidence of your repaired areas, you can now paint. If you can see your repairs now, after you paint (especially dark) you might as well hang a sign on it.
Degrease.
Paint. Let dry.
Wet sand with 400 on a sanding block and squeege. I add a little dish soap to the water. It helps the squeege glide.
Paint / wet sand 600 3 more times.
Paint.
Enjoy.

If this sounds like a lot of work, It is. It took me months of weekends to get it done.

The results.
http://groups.msn.com/baylinerbuccaneersloops/us27inkansas.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=3870

http://groups.msn.com/baylinerbuccaneersloops/us27inkansas.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=3905


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## chucklesR (Sep 17, 2007)

US27- that's a nice job, and pretty boat. 
Wkboarder thought sanding the old paint would a "hell of a job" I doubted he would want to do the work REQUIRED on a dark hull.

On the other hand, he could camoflage it, or do a partridge family bus paint job (those of you that are too young to know what that is missed Susan Dey when she was good).


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

chucklesR said:


> US27- that's a nice job, and pretty boat.
> Wkboarder thought sanding the old paint would a "hell of a job" I doubted he would want to do the work REQUIRED on a dark hull.
> 
> On the other hand, he could camoflage it, or do a partridge family bus paint job (those of you that are too young to know what that is missed Susan Dey when she was good).


I think you're right. If he thought sanding once was a big job, then I'll bet he goes no further than stip / sand / polyglow if even that.

There's a guy at our club who's been working up to a paint job. He wants a dark blue hull. The more he works the lighter he thinks he'll paint it. Especially when I can point out his filler work from across the parking lot.


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## capt.stu (Oct 5, 2004)

*painting boat*

I've redone two Thistles [ 17ft ] Used interlux. One blue one white. White two part self leveled from foam roller and looked better than spray job. Blue was more work, had to be tipped off with brush to get bubbles out.
The prep for both was grueling. sanding filling, sanding primer, and multiple coats. never again


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks for all the quick replies. I guess ill just go white if that is the easier route. I forgot to mention how chulky my boat is, when you rub your hand on the side, you get a blue chulk on your hands. The paint on the top deck is fine, ill just wax it. I'm trailin her down to the keys for spring break in a couple of weeks.. mar 10. and i wanted to get her in the best shape for the trip. i go to school at UF and was plannin on trailin her back to tampa for the paint job this weekend. I guess ill have to go back both weekends before the trip to get her in tip top shape. but What brand white paint and primer should i go with? cheaper better, but quility is more important thanks again!


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## capt.stu (Oct 5, 2004)

*interlux*

I was very happy with the Interlux line. It worked as advertised and had very good instructions for use.
Very important to follow the instructions.
Stu


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

Wkboarder222 said:


> Thanks for all the quick replies. I guess ill just go white if that is the easier route. I forgot to mention how chulky my boat is, when you rub your hand on the side, you get a blue chulk on your hands. The paint on the top deck is fine, ill just wax it. I'm trailin her down to the keys for spring break in a couple of weeks.. mar 10. and i wanted to get her in the best shape for the trip. i go to school at UF and was plannin on trailin her back to tampa for the paint job this weekend. I guess ill have to go back both weekends before the trip to get her in tip top shape. but What brand white paint and primer should i go with? cheaper better, but quility is more important thanks again!


The blue chalk you get on your hands is normal for bottom paint. It's made to melt away slowly in the water.

If you want to be sailing the keys for spring break, throw a coat of gloss latex house paint on it. I wouldn't strip it, and I would have to think long and hard about sanding it. You can get the stripper out and do it right later on.

You just don't have enough time to do this project right, so anything that you do will either look bad, fall off the boat, or more likely both. So you might as well go as cheap as possible (home depot), make it look good from 100 feet away, and go have fun. BTW don't get alkyd oil base paint. It takes a week or more to dry and is harder to remove.


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## jaschrumpf (Jun 22, 2002)

I need to touch up a few scratches on my navy blue hull. I in no way want to repaint the entire topsides, just cover a place that got scratched when a really high wind-driven tide lifted the boat up so high it pushed the dock fender aside and scratched up an area about 8" X 6". It didn't go all the way down to fibreglass even, just down to the next coat. I got lucky there.

My problem is, how do you match a paint for touchup in a case like this?


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

Find out who made the paint, and call their tech line.

Wish I could be more help. I went all last season without a scratch but I know that my turn is coming.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Thanks US27, Some else mentioned I could get some Shermin Williams marine paint which is decent. I could just paint over it in that? i mean its a light blue, but chulky ****ty bottom paint. and then do it right later. or just sell it in a couple of years, on plans of getting a bigger boat.


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

No paint is going to stick properly to your old bottom paint. It will never look good. Go cheap for now and plan on stripping it and doing it right. I don't think that a couple of years is even realistic without stripping and doing it right.

Go party it up on spring break, then plan on spending 5-6 weekends hard at it getting the bottom paint off, and good paint on.

Given that your boat is covered in fading blue bottom paint, you'll likely increase the value of the boat by much more than the cost of a good DIY paint job. Plus you get to have a little pride in a job well done.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

That's a good point. Your boat looks stunning, and with a paint job like that, well the ladies would be waitin in line to get on my boat. I just know stipping is going to be so much work. I had a sunfish, and painted the whole boat. took me 3 trys before I got good solid paint on the boat. That is when I finally did it right. Spent 50 bucks on a 1 quart of paint. that wasnt even enough. That is what it takes, your right. me and my buddies spent hours sanding that *****. Much more time then painting. I need beer money for the trip, so cheap paint goes on for now.


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## jaschrumpf (Jun 22, 2002)

US27inKS said:


> Find out who made the paint, and call their tech line.
> 
> Wish I could be more help. I went all last season without a scratch but I know that my turn is coming.


No way to do that. I have no clue, nor does the PO of my boat, where that paint came from.

I guess I pick up some generic "navy blue" boat paint; it'll look better than the light blue where the scratches are.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

jaschrumpf said:


> No way to do that. I have no clue, nor does the PO of my boat, where that paint came from.
> 
> I guess I pick up some generic "navy blue" boat paint; it'll look better than the light blue where the scratches are.


Go the disguised route and paint an 8" circle in a very different shade of blue or black and put a number or motif in it. To blend dark colours is an art.


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## Classic30 (Aug 29, 2007)

Actually, I've found it really important to ask the PO of the boat what kind of pints he's used (or if he can give you the half-empty tins he's been using to touch-up) when you buy the boat.

I only takes a second: "oh, by the way, do you mind if I keep those tins of paint in the locker?" - and saves much grief later on. 

Example: Our Hartley is painted & varnished using only Norglass products. I'd never even heard of them before buying the boat, but I'd swear by them now... heaps cheaper than Interlux and a better finish too!


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## jaschrumpf (Jun 22, 2002)

SimonV said:


> Go the disguised route and paint an 8" circle in a very different shade of blue or black and put a number or motif in it. To blend dark colours is an art.


Ah, the perfect spot for my "flying WV":










Great idea!


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## jaschrumpf (Jun 22, 2002)

Hartley18 said:


> Actually, I've found it really important to ask the PO of the boat what kind of pints he's used (or if he can give you the half-empty tins he's been using to touch-up) when you buy the boat.
> 
> I only takes a second: "oh, by the way, do you mind if I keep those tins of paint in the locker?" - and saves much grief later on.
> 
> Example: Our Hartley is painted & varnished using only Norglass products. I'd never even heard of them before buying the boat, but I'd swear by them now... heaps cheaper than Interlux and a better finish too!


That might have worked if he'd been the one to paint the boat. He was a real nice guy, but was not a sailor when he bought her; he still had his "Learning to Sail" book in the cabin. He was also the guy who didn't know what the two switches were that he was told to turn on when he started the engine... and they turned out to be for the fuel pumps (!).

I've been on my own figuring out this boat. Not that I mind so much, but yes, it would be nice to be able to ask someone about what paint color was used and get a knowledgeable answer instead of a "I don't know."


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## US27inKS (Feb 6, 2005)

You could go pick up a couple of color charts from Interlux and Awlgrip. Pick a good match and have at it. It might not be perfect, but better than a big scratch.


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

*sailboat paint first coat*

My project over the weekend was intense. I sanded the blue bottom paint till my arms were soar. My dad bought some white gloss emanel paint from West Marine. Which is quality paint. I got the first coat on, i am planning on sanding the white a little bit, and putting on the final coat. Hopefully it will stick. There are some roller hairs that need to be sanded out. I will use a sponge roller for the final, learning from my mistakes. Here are some before a after pictures.


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## Faster (Sep 13, 2005)

That's looking a lot better, Wkboarder... well done.


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## sailaway21 (Sep 4, 2006)

Wkboarder,
That's a major improvement! It must feel nice to be able to open the curtains and look out in the yard now without having to stiffle a gag reflex! (g)


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

a change is better than a holiday, lookin good.


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