What type of paint should I use on my boat?

[earlytime]

I have a 1978 Hydra-Sport that I'm repairing and I'm getting ready to paint it. Someone told me that I could use 2 part polyurethane auto paint. Has anyone else heard of using this type of paint or should I us regular boat paint?

Thanks Mike

[Rollo331]

If you want it correct use gelcoat

[calfish1]

dupont imron ( spelling?) auto paint

[DOUGMCGEEFTD]

Imron +1

[TOddLahey]

yachtpaint.com is Interlux website lots of good info there and options for doing it you self either spraying on rolling and tiping. I just did my top cap and inside the boat with Imiron but lots I have heard lots of good stories of people using interlux perfection two part on there boats.

[North Texas Fiberglass]

Imron, Concept, or Chroma are all good paints. But listen carefully to this.

By the time you do the body work, sand the hull with 240 or 320, and use a self etching epoxy primer, then block the primer with 320 or 400, spray the urethane, then color sand and buff it, you could have done the job with gelcote.

Imron will run between $350-$450 for a sprayable gallon. A little less for the other single stage paints.

But, by the time you do all the prep work, spray primer, block primer, spray paint, color sand and buff, you could have done the gelcote in virtually the same time. Plus gelcote is about $125-150/gallon. Even less if you buy it by 5 gallons.

If you can spray urethane, gelcote isn't a problem. You can even spray gelcote on 80 grit! So if you're going to go through all the trouble, you might as well do it the best way you can.

Plus, there is also no chemical bond between urathane and the underlying polyester gelcote. Even the primer may lift since it isn't the same chemical base as the gelcote. The only bonding you get is from an abrasion bond, created by the sandpaper alone.

If you put gelcote on gelcote, then not only do you get an abrasion bond, but the two gelcotes will also get a chemical bond.