Hull Paint Costs

[Foswick]

I'm making an offer on a Fuji 32. She's going to need a hull repaint (topside and bottom paint). I'm trying to get a sense of how much this is going to cost to have this done. Estimates I'm seeing online go pretty wide from $1000 - $6000 and even up to $10k - $12k.

I know that it isn't really so much about the paint as the prep, and that can vary with the condition of the hull. I'm just trying to figure out what I should ballpark budget, give or take a thousand dollars or so.

Any recent experience with this?

[coopec43]

Whereabouts you located?

Why don't you do it yourself? (Boatyards will break the bank)

You need to sand the hull, fill any gouges/scratches with epoxy bog, paint the underwater part of the hull with X3 coats of high build epoxy barrier coat, then give it the (X3?) coats of anti fouling before the barrier coat cures (i.e. within 1-2 hours).


All the painting can be done with paint roller

[Foswick]

Pacific Northwest, US.

I (very briefly) considered doing it myself. We have historically done bottom paint ourselves. But, I am looking for a flawless finish and frankly, I suck at such things. I could do an "OK" job, but I would always be looking at all my flaws.

We'll repaint the deck at some point, and I'll do that myself.

[S/V Illusion]

It cost me around $10,000 about 10 years ago to have a 40 ft hull sprayed professionally. Looked great! And we’ll worth it.

The so-called DIY paint and tip jobs I’ve seen all passed the 20 ft test but up close, the difference was obvious.

[Orion Jim]

Easily a $10,000 dollar job in the northeast. Doubt price would vary much in these economic times. Mc Donalds now offers financing for a happy meal.

[Tsuru]

We're a bigger boat but I'm getting estimates of $25 to 35K for topsides (just hull no deck) painting. In the PNW area. Most yards in Washington are not set up to spray due to state restuctions. I've got estimates from a top yard in BC and Portland.

[rls8r]

I have a 40' boat and I got a 'boatshow special' offer to paint the hull above the waterline from Hinckley for $12,000 about three years ago. The regular price now would be close to $15,000. The hull was in pretty good shape - it didn't require any repairs.

I painted it myself with Awlgrip using the roll-and-tip method. It took about a week to fair it (with a longboard), apply three coats of 545 primer (sanding between coats - ending with 400-grit and using a Dykem wash as a guide coat) and apply a top coat of Flag Blue. It cost just under $1,000 for paint, converter, reducer, solvents, rollers, brushes, tack rags, etc.). As you say, prep is everything - but if you do it right the results can be (almost) as good as having a professional spray paint it. You can always save some money by prepping it yourself and then hiring someone to spray paint it. I think that if I did it again I'd look at Alexseal paint - but I'd expect the costs to be about the same.

I painted the bottom of my boat - applying two barrier coats (Pettit Protect), two coats of hard copper (Pettit Copperguard) and two coats of ablative copper (Pettit Hydrocoat ECO). I was disappointed in the Hydrocoat so I've switched to Sea Hawk (a brand of AkzoNobel - the company that also makes Awlgrip and Interlux paints) Biocop TF. I'm very pleased with that paint. I've never asked for a quote to paint the bottom since it is a straightforward, simple job. I painted the bottom of my boat for just over $1,000. Again, as you say, prep is everything. I had the bottom of my boat sodablasted to remove years of buildup by the previous owner. I had to address some blistering - but that was not a big deal.

I haven't had the topsides on my boat painted, but a friend with a B40 sloop had the topsides painted on his boat last year for (I believe) around $20,000. Again - everything is in the prep. He had all the hardware, deck fittings, and trim (grabrails, hatch coamings, etc.) removed rather than simply taping around them. I'd expect to have to pay about $8,000 to have somebody do it for me (taping around the deck hardware and fittings) - or about $800 to do it myself.

If you have the time to do it and if you are even moderately handy with prep and paint - I'd encourage you to do it yourself. That way, you'll really get to know your boat and you can find and address other nuances (like repairing small cracks in the gel coat, re-setting deck fastenings, etc.) on the fly. Be bold!

[massnspace]

Normally this would cost $10-$15K. In Seattle area $30-$40K. Not worth it for a 32 foot boat that’s doesn’t sail well…

[MicHughV]

It's a pricey project, no matter how you cut it.
Doing the hull takes a lot of work, best done by a pro inside a tented structure.
Time to prep and paint is an easy two week project, hence the cost.

Applying bottom paint is easier, but bottom paint these days costs and arm and a leg.
As above, some prep required.

I've done it myself, and it really requires two people as you must go non-stop.

At the end of the day, figures shown above are all in the ball park.

[Foswick]

Originally Posted by massnspace

Normally this would cost $10-$15K. In Seattle area $30-$40K. Not worth it for a 32 foot boat that’s doesn’t sail well…

Well, whether it's worth it, depends on how much it's worth to me. Whether she sails "well" depends on what I am looking for in sailing performance. I have no idea what the relationship is between how a boat sails and whether she warrants an expensive paint job. Those are two unrelated things.

[Foswick]

As has been pointed out, regulations here are fairly restrictive. It even limits or makes it more difficult to DIY. In fact, whereas we used to do our own bottom paint, this was disallowed (at least at our preferred boatyard) a few years ago.

[Tsuru]

I spoke to a company that works out of Port Angeles. He does mosly power boats but his work looked good. He does not spray, but rolls and tips then wet sands and polishes. I don't recall the company name but it was a Marine something next to the marina and haul out yard. You could probably call the marina # and they'd point you in the right direction.

[Foswick]

Just got my first estimates. My boatyard is actually just finishing up this exact same job for another Fuji 32. They told me it would be about $20k - $25k. My second estimate was $10k - $12k. I've seen work from both painters close up, and I couldn't see any difference. A few other calls around reveal similar numbers.

[massnspace]

I stand corrected and apologize for my previous comment. The boat is a personal choice and as long as one is happy with it, it is the right boat.

I wish you well and good luck.

David
Seattle

[Foswick]

Originally Posted by massnspace

I stand corrected ...

But, you weren't far off on your estimate. It's almost cheaper to sail her to Oregon, stay in a hotel for a few weeks while she's painted, and sail her back. (Only partially kidding.)

I think I'm going to take her to a guy in Port Townsend. He seems to do good work and I got a good vibe from him on the phone. Plus, I don't mind an excuse to go to Port Townsend - such a cool town for sailors.