painting my boat ?

[BigStickFishing]

ok everyone i tried to restore my boats gel coat and it does look better but i am down to the flake and some of it is turning silver. I have decided to paint the boat. I am going to buy all the paint and primer and stuff I just need to know what I need to buy. The boat is red now so I am going to paint it just a solid red or black color that way I can leave the bottom the gel that is already there. I am going to have the decals done with vinyl so the paint will just be all one solid color. I have access to a paint booth and a painter I just need a the type of paint and primers to buy. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am open to either single stage or base coat clear coat. Boat is stored in a barn under a boat cover so sun is not a problem. Boat is a 1999 Gambler 2200.

[willwork4fish]

You'll need to seal and prime it. Just texted my buddy who did mine about the brands. He does it for a living.

[Imavol]

Awlgrip is very good boat paint

[BigStickFishing]

thank you Willwork let me know what he says. Imavol ive heard the awlgrip is good stuff.

[paulrodbender]

If your painter is use to cars, you can paint a boat just like any corvette or other fiberglass car.... I actually did my trailer fenders with paint and Ranger metal flake to match the original and they have held up fine and it's been over 10 years. the only thing that I've found is in the end, gelcoat and paint is about the same work with paint possibly being more expensive depending on which way you go.

[rojoguio]

I always spray boats with Automotive 2K Urethane if painting. Prep, Primer, & PPG Refinish Product is the big three I stick to. PPG has a tintable 2K Primer, it's pricey but fantastic adhesion & sealing if you get the proper millage. Usually if you do not let the primer fully cure, I go at least a week, the topcoat shine will sink in 30 days or so. I spray with a long flash time between coats. This also helps prevent too much solvent buildup helping the finish to sink. Another thing I do is I spray 2 coats of topcoat, let it cure a week, cut it with 400 wet to level then shoot 2 more coats of topcoat. The gloss will stay on top. An example plastic is never cured. I just gelcoated a boat built in 1995. After a week the cured gelcoat had print through showing. I've found the high grade PPG primer helps a lot to prevent sinking & print through.

[crank68]

I always spray boats with Automotive 2K Urethane if painting. Prep, Primer, & PPG Refinish Product is the big three I stick to. PPG has a tintable 2K Primer, it's pricey but fantastic adhesion & sealing if you get the proper millage. Usually if you do not let the primer fully cure, I go at least a week, the topcoat shine will sink in 30 days or so. I spray with a long flash time between coats. This also helps prevent too much solvent buildup helping the finish to sink. Another thing I do is I spray 2 coats of topcoat, let it cure a week, cut it with 400 wet to level then shoot 2 more coats of topcoat. The gloss will stay on top. An example plastic is never cured. I just gelcoated a boat built in 1995. After a week the cured gelcoat had print through showing. I've found the high grade PPG primer helps a lot to prevent sinking & print through.

Can’t beat this knowledge !!!

[willwork4fish]

thank you Willwork let me know what he says. Imavol ive heard the awlgrip is good stuff.

My buddy got back to me. He used Axalta epoxy sealer, 2k transtar primer and the paint for the topcap and sides was u-tech base coat clear, it's Wimbledon White with some really fine flake added. I had mentioned Awlgrip to him and he had said that he'd get that if I wanted but felt that what he was going to use was better. I figured he's the pro so I left it up to him. He also did the bottom, didn't ask what brand he used but I know it was a single stage. He has a shop up by the Fox Chain here in northern IL and does both cars and boats. Most of the boats he does are bigger go-fast Donzi types. He ended up charging me $1800 for it all which included fixing/fairing some of my glass work and taping off the original silver BCB bolt, he had it for like 3 weeks. He graded me a C on what I did. I actually felt alright about that since it was my first time messing with glass.

[rojoguio]

Crank, thank you for the kind words. My hope is to help any DIY member. Most of my experience is more old school but old school seems easier than the mad scientist you have to be today. It can be painful to get a good paint job using the VOC compliant refinish products today.

[APS]

no automotive paint is going to hold up or compare to alumagrip/awlgrip . I've sprayed hundreds of gallons of just about every paint on the market.

[Bassnailer]

Rojoguio is leading you down the right path. I used 2k Urethane on my boat when I painted the sides of the hull. The bottom of the hull is still gel coat, and the top cap is still gel coat, but the sides were trashed so I decided to paint them after I sanded through the gel coat in a few places trying to get it level. I used black 2k sealer and used a single stage black 2k Urethane for the top coat. I did two coats of sealer and 3 coats of top coat. The brand I used was Nason by DuPont, but PPG is a great brand as well (I've used Nason a lot in the past so had confidence in it). I got new vinyl decals and applied them after the paint had cured for a couple weeks. The finished product looks great and has held up well over the last couple of years since I painted it. I get compliments on this 26 year old boat all the time.

[BigStickFishing]

Thank you bassnailer I have always loved your all black boat. Cant wait to see what mine turns out like.