Hi Professor , and welcome to Sailnet . On our boat I painted the overhead ( made from ash ply ) with Interlux Brightsides , because ms.westi caught it on fire . Actually not her fault the propane stove blew up . Don't worry the boat turned out ok , but it took me a year to fix . The Interlux Brightsides is a single part paint , but you do need to thin a little bit . It has excellent gloss . Else where in the interior I use varnish and oil .

 

Hi

Thank you for the quick reply. I appreciate the advice. I am excited for the adventure, and am actually kind of geeked to face the day-to-day problems that will surely arise.

On that note--any insider hints, tricks, or must-do's?

I will be living aboard, albeit dockside.

I plan on making a boom tent, and utilizing the cockpit for additional living space--both me, and the dog.

Thanks in advance,

Eric

 

I like the Zinsser line of primers, paints and sealers.

 

Hi

Thanks for that--I will be painting in the next two weeks or so, after launch. We shall see how steady my hands are among the waves.

Eric

 

There's an old saying that 90% of any paint job is the prep.
That's pretty much true.

I suggest talking to a sharp person at a PPG or SW retail store. There are bunches of them.
Ask for the manager if you don't feel good about the help you get.

 

If the application was the exterior I would recommend a marine paint. Since this is an interior application way not a house paint? There is no UV to be concerned about, no weather. I used a polyurethane paint with good results and instead of a marine varnish I use polyurethane satin for the wood. If you are going to paint/varnish on teak just wipe the wood down with acetone prior to the application. The acetone will remove the teak oil allowing better adhesion.
A visit to the big box store just might save you a few boat bucks.

 

......
A visit to the big box store just might save you a few boat bucks.

I'd avoid the big box stores unless you are very certain of what you want.
The 'associates' there usually know very little and do not receive good training.
The big box stores are really no cheaper than the Pro PPG and SW stores that deal with just painting application jobs.

My biz related experiences....
No need for 'marine' on interior, imo.

 

I used a quality oil based household gloss on the flor and it is holding up well

 

The interior of a boat is not the same as the interior of a house (unless it is on--not just next to--the water. The humidity level will promote mildew, so you want to be prepared to keep that in check on interior surfaces. Marine paint for interior surfaces is not that expensive compared to so many other things on your boat. I use the advice of a local Benjamin Moore dealer who has personal painting experience, but generally do not use house paint in my boat. Get an Interlux of Pettit paint guide from your local West Marine or other chandler and read it before going cheap.

One piece of advice for the OP or anyone else who might think about refinishing teak and holly plywood on the cabin sole: strip it if you have to, but do not sand it aggressively or you will quickly go through the veneer.

 

What surfaces would be painted? Are they already painted? Prep is more important than the paint itself, but boats can present unique issues. Mildew and moisture has been mentioned. Adhesion to typically harder, oilier woods on boats can be a challenge. I've known folks to seal their bare wood, with penetrating epoxy, before painting. I can't say from personal experience, but it makes some sense. I would want a paint pro to tell me what paint to use.

Painting other surfaces, such as gelcoat, is very tricky. Proper surface prep and primers are absolutely mandatory.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of paint on a boat. Once painted, always painted. It will scratch, peel or fail in some fashion and you'll have to do it over, prep and all. I do have our topsides painted, but that's it. No mast, nothing down below. I love the look of a painted mast, but I just won't go there and have one more routine (and expensive) maintenance item. I suppose varnish is just paint by any other name, but applied thinly down below and kept dry, it seems to last forever. I think varnish might have better UV protection than paint. Above deck, I keep the varnish to a minimum for the exact same reasons as paint. More work.