Another steel boat paint thread

[Juanvaldez]

I've just joined the steel boat club with the purchase of a 34.5 Bruce Roberts designed Sloop. The boat was originally blasted then epoxy primed and painted. That's likely the most info I will get it seems. This was done 20 years ago when it was built. I am in Canada. Still looks ok ther then some touchups that don't really color match.

On the end of season haul out i'd like to repaint the topsides to start. Being in good shape with no rust I want to put on a paint system that I can easily maintain afterward and that obviously serves the intended purposes of rust protection and beautification.

A quick search of the main online marine suppliers in my province shows interprotect 2000e readily available along with single part poly paints and other single part primers. Did not see much in the way of 2 pak paints.

I'm hoping I can avoid blasting, and use the existing coating as a solid base for the repaint. Not knowing what is on the boat now, should I prime the entire topsides? What product should/can I use? I prefer international paints for availability. 1 part or 2 part poly paints? I'd ideally like to be able do quality touch ups by spraying with a preval or similar. I am considering an airless system for initial application and future work as well as major maintenance.

Will interprotect 2000e go over any old coating? The data sheet shows both 1 and 2 parts paint options as viable top coats.

What is an easy system to do quality repairs that also look good?

2 many choices making my head explode lol.

[psk125]

We found that 1-part paints did not last well on our fiberglass boat. They faded and wore off easily - some in just one season. 2-part polys took about a dozen years to erode in places like cabin trunk corners, where the jibsheets chafed on them when we tacked. Since prep for the two types is essentially the same, it makes much more sense to use the 2-part paints. Even if they cost a little more and are a bit trickier to apply, you won't have to do it over again every two years.

[tkeithlu]

Choose a paint you can live with, single or two-part. Do everything in it, because two different white paints are not the same white. Unless you are overtaken by rust, as I was a few years ago, do not go back to sandblasting. Sand the surface of the existing paint, so that you get good adhesion with the new layer. If you tackle a rust spot with your trusty wire brush on a grinder, sand the bare spot lightly, because a wire brush leaves too smooth a surface for good adhesion. Prime, and paint again with the same paint.

We use Rustoleum for the superstructure, with Corroseal as the primer. Our boat is not as pretty as yours.

It'll be a long time before you get too many layers. Steel boats are fine with lots of paint.