Painting over gelcoat - any one have regrets?

[StoneCrab]

[QUOTE=

One other option has cross my mind though. I've seen other boats use wraps for the hulls and faux teak over the non-skid and deck areas. [/QUOTE]

Wraps like cars get which can be printed with a design?

Who makes wraps big enough for a boat?

[Nicholson58]

Originally Posted by Snowgoose35

Provided you prepare the surface correctly and use a good quality paint there is no down side. A two pack paint will be as hard as gelcoat and can be polish the same. Single pack isn't quite as tough but is easy to repair if scuffed and both should last a decade happily.

I agree. Two component Awlgrip is our preferred.

In Trinidad at Power Boat in 2018, we paid $4500 US exclusive of materials for topsides of our 1984 Camper & Nicholson ketch using the new form Awlgrip. This is repairable unlike old Awlgrip. With ours, we were told do not wax or polish.

[Mauruuru]

I had a 30' Oday years ago that had some decking delamination which I fixed by drilling about a thousand holes and epoxying it back together. Afterward, the deck was painted with a 2 part paint-don't remember which one but it worked great, covered the repairs and allowed me to keep the non-skid non-skid.

[Noahr]

Originally Posted by Geoff54

I have to be a dissenting voice

One part paint, like awlcraft or perfection, just isn’t as hard and durable.

I know some people paint but not me!

Both Alcraft and Perfection ARE TWO PART PAINTS.

[Mickeyrouse]

Originally Posted by StoneCrab

Wraps like cars get which can be printed with a design?

Who makes wraps big enough for a boat?

I’ve seen lots of big hi-speed power boats with wraps…. not meaning the “passengers.”

[JohnHolland]

My gelcoat came back nicely aftrr removing cracked and scratched awlgrip, with 180, then 320 grit on my orbital sander, then final polish with a buffer. I did end up painting with one part Brightside over 2 coats of primer, roll and tip method, as the un-painted gel coat appeared dirty and uneven fairly quickly, even after waxing. The paint looks great, now 3 years old.

[zachduckworth]

Originally Posted by valhalla360

If you let it go for 6-12months on an otherwise relatively new boat, I agree. Very good chance you can recover the gel coat.

On a 20-30yr old boat or one that has not been kept buffed & waxed for a long period, you may get great results initially but because the gelcoat is so degraded it won't last long.

We did the topsides on a prior boat with 1 part enamel and loved the results. 3yrs later when we sold, it was still shiny (with nothing but occasional washing) and if there was a chip or scratch, it was very easy to touch up...Not so with 2 part paints, so while they will resist chips and scratches better, if you actually use the boat, you can expect them to happen.

Paint or gelcoat, you results will like any other painting project be mostly a product of prep work. That was probably 90% of the work when we did the topsides.

My gel coat is so buffered out on the hull that in one or two patches I can see the fiberglass color through it.

[zachduckworth]

Originally Posted by Nicholson58

I agree. Two component Awlgrip is our preferred.

In Trinidad at Power Boat in 2018, we paid $4500 US exclusive of materials for topsides of our 1984 Camper & Nicholson ketch using the new form Awlgrip. This is repairable unlike old Awlgrip. With ours, we were told do not wax or polish.

That is gorgeous.

[Sailing August]

It was a disaster for me on my old Columbia. Tried it years ago. Today I would purchase a cheap Harbor Freight 100 psi compressor for $100 and a Harbor Freight spray gun for $30 and spray gel coat. I've seen others do it. Low cost and a much nicer finished product. Its not hard. The people I witnessed had zero experience and it tuned out very nice. May have to adjust the size of the spray gun oriface (Brass) by drilling it out only slightly bigger.....but that's it. The rest is just spray like you would with a rattle can. Wipe it down between coats....two coats should do it. Very affordable and much better finish.
I intend to spray my own gel coat on the hull sides below the hull stripe on my old Irwin 46. For less that $500 will have it looking very good again.