AB 11 AL Dink scratches

[Hobiehobie]

Hey team. Have a white Aluminum AB dingy in white powder coated finish. She is doing great but we have a couple of scratches on the bottom that has scraped through the powder coating creating some bubbles. I don’t want to leave it as is and my instinct is to sand down the local areas and coat with an enamel paint like Rustoleum. But are there other thoughts or suggestions from the wise forum?

[Simi 60]

And that's why you don't get painted or powder coated aluminium anything.


Try what you propose, flog it off and get one in plain alloy.

[Hobiehobie]

Originally Posted by Simi 60

And that's why you don't get painted or powder coated aluminium anything.


Try what you propose, flog it off and get one in plain alloy.

Thanks. But I don’t want to do that. I like my white dinghy

[Simi 60]

Originally Posted by Hobiehobie

Thanks. But I don’t want to do that. I like my white dinghy

Get ready for a lifetime of continuing touch up
Or, you'll give up and let it flake off.

This from someone who used to build aluminium boats for a living and made the mistake (once) of getting a major component powder coated because it looked pretty.
That decision haunted me through ten years of ownership.
Raw aluminium looks great - zero maintenance

[tarian]

A whole lifetime of pain to keep a dink bottom pretty , powder coat and ocean water, rocks infestation of marine life and the occasional bump just does not go , unless you are loaded with a nice super yatch tender

[Sailmonkey]

I’ll echo the others here. Powder coated aluminum doesn’t belong near saltwater. Paint on the bottom of the dinghy, even when painstakingly prepped with all the correct primers will lift and bubble as well.

Then comes the logical use of a dinghy when cruising....how do you keep the scratched away?

[s/v Jedi]

Or... you just go ahead, ignore the naysayers and fix the scratches.

Google Alumaprep and Alodine.

[Hobiehobie]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Or... you just go ahead, ignore the naysayers and fix the scratches.

Google Alumaprep and Alodine.

Thanks will research. The whole lifetime of pain that is promised does seem a little histrionic! Have two scratches in Five years of Caribbean corally beach cruising so I think I am willing to dedicate some of my life to touch ups.

[thruska]

Well you got the advice you were looking for but you actually appear not to like the majority of thathe wies forum tripe . Actually you answered your own query .
Go get the Walmart rustoleum and have at it . Or head over to the local recycling ceter and grab some white house paint for the same effect and similar result.