Black or White?

[sww914]

Help me decide! What color should I paint the hull?
I know black will have it's problems, it's harder to care for and hotter and it may be harder to see from a distance if I need a rescue, but it looks so great. Will it be worth it? I plan to get to the tropics in the next year or two.
I included an interior photo as well so you can get a feel for the boat.

[Strait Shooter]

"There are only 2 colors for a sail boat. White and black, and only a fool paints his sailboat black".

I don't remember who said that, but I thought it was pretty cool!

[cabo_sailor]

It's a personal decision. For myself, I would choose white for the following reasons:

1. It will be a bit cooler in the tropics
2. It will be easier to maintain. All those little "oops" that happen will show up more on a black hull.
3. I believe you will find the resale value of a white hull, or at least the ease of selling, higher than a black hull.

As I said, its a personal choice but I wouldn't do it, particularly if you are planning on the tropics. Florida is considered sub-tropical and I've been on boats with a light grey non-skid paint. In mid-summer you do not dare go on deck without foot protection, it is just too dang painful. My 2 cents worth.

Rich

[Strait Shooter]

"There are only two colors to paint a boat, black or white; and only a fool would paint a boat black." ~ Nathanael G. Herreshoff

Found it.
Thanks Gord

[skipmac]

Bought a boat with a beautiful, new black awlgrip paint job. It was gorgeous for several years until a $#!@#$!!!! tied his dinghy under my stern at a marina and gouged it. Painted it white but left a black trim stripe on the topsides. On a sunny day inside you could feel the heat radiating from the black stripe like holding your hand up to an electric space heater. Forget black unless you live in Vancouver.

[Wand]

Black is easier to spot in the spume of a hurricane. Maybe hedge your bets and go grey?

[boatman61]

I like black......

[clifford sloan]

While I am proud of my vessel, I have no desire to attract unwanted attention as I visit foreign soil often. White allows anonimity as well as the practical side of being cooler than anything else in the tropics.
All the best,
Clif

[Unicorn Dreams]

I prefer white for all the above reasons.

[delmarrey]

I'm going yellow, because I'm going to the tropics. Had a dark blue for a long while and had no trouble keeping the hull nice. Sea scum looks just as bad on white as it does on black/blue.

On the dark paints, touch up is just as EZ as long as you have the same brand of paint and it's not sun bleached, just rub it out with a compound after it cures good. White will lose its sheen too, so touch up is just as much trouble.

And besides yellow looks natural in the tropics.

[sww914]

If I had a sleek modern looking boat I would paint it orange & white like a creamsicle, but it's not right for this boat.

[zeehag]

spindrifts,vagabonds, and formosas look GREAT in any color.......

[Lancerbye]

Paint it Camo. They can't rob you if they can't see you. lol

[Whimsy]

Originally Posted by Strait Shooter

"There are only two colors to paint a boat, black or white; and only a fool would paint a boat black." ~ Nathanael G. Herreshoff

While I agree with Herreshoff for my own boats, you should do whatever you want. And I'll not call you a fool, either way.

Function seems much more important than appearance to me. Its not as if white is dog-ugly and black a far better choice... Go with white unless you place much more value on the appearance of black than on the obvious and stated functional advantages of white...

I believe 'Cosmetic Correctness' is vastly over-rated, but I understand many folks live and die by appearances and take as much pleasure from that as I do from living my life the way I do.

[Roaring Girl]

Light blue (massively sunfaded) does us pretty well! We have a red stripe too.