Really - Automotive or Marine Paint

[Griff]

I am finally going to make that Blue stripe down the side of my 210 Wellcraft look as new as the rest of my boat looks. My wife says fix it, sell the boat or just stop talking about it. I figure a new boat is too expensive and I'm the kind of guy that looses sleep over minute things like this. After years of use, the blue stripe has some inperfections(scratches), and the small area that is submerged in water at the back of the boat is faded which just drives me crazy to look at. The stripe is actually about two foot wide and goes the entire length of the boat, so its not really a small stripe. It is the orginal gelcoat. I am not a professional, but I live to tinker with this boat and other toys and have done my share of back yard paint jobs that honestly turned out very nice. Now, I am not a boat builder and I can't claim to understand some of the terminology used when it comes to paint on this website, but what I lack in experience and knowledge I make up for in determination and patience. While scannining through the threads I have found many different people that have somewhat similar situations, but nothing that gives me that warm fuzzy feeling or the confidence to jump into a weeks worth of preporation in the shop. Could someone take a few moments and give some advice. Please take into account that this is not a new boat, but I want my work to look like it is. I don't want to mess with Gelcoat, so that is out. The million dollar question is, can I use automotive basecoat/clearcoat paint with an expoxy primer in this area and get away with it. Understand that I live on the east coast and the boat only sits in the water(fresh) about three months of the year. If I can, does anyone have a paint brand that they personally have used on this type of application. I like PPG. I would like to hear any tricks. If Automotive paint can't be used, what paint does everyone recommend? I would appreciate anyones comments.

Thanks,
Griff

[fiberglass jack]

before you paint try and sand the gelcoat with some 320 and step up to 600 and 1000 and buff the gel u may not need to paint

[mastcolin]

The problem is the bit immersed I'm afraid. No paint (topcoat) likes being immersed for long periods. A 'long' period being more than about a week.

I'm with previous. Buff the original gel colour. It may have faded permanently - in fact I'd almost guarantee it will have but it will be better option than painting it.

2 pack polyurethanes will blister (little pinhead size) over time if immersed. They then break and you'll see little undercoat spots.

You could always repaint the topside area and leave the in-water area. Yep, you'll have a line but it may be best option for least long term heartbreak.

Auto vs yacht? 'yacht' is harder but more expensive. Whether you need extra durability is your decision. I'd suggest you go with auto. PPG is good brand.

[Griff]

Well I should have said up front that I already tried to sand and buff the faded area with no success. The blue Gel seems to be very thin and gets lighter the deeper it is sanded. I also have a couple scratches that go through the blue gel into the white which I would like to cover up. I am afraid that Sanding and buffing will not work in my situation. Does anyone make a paint that will hold up to being immersed or am I just out of luck here?

[fiberglass jack]

regelcoat the strip mask off the line and sand with some 80 grit and spray on the gel sand and buff , a little more work but it will last in the water, just serch gel coat spraying lots of threads on the subject

[snow 57]

I've used Stirling "Navithane" to do this type of repair and found it to be as long lasting as any. It's a purpose made paint and I guess they did the research.
Snow

[ondarvr]

Colored gel coats are not recommended for use below the water because they do fade and blush when the boat sits in the water for long periods of time. Resprayed colors will normally fade sooner than the original finish, so redoing it may not make you happy for very long. I would try to change the lines of the stripe so would you be able to sand off all of the discolored blue area and buff the underlying white gel coat.

[waikikin]

Griff, if was mine, I'd color in the scatches with a blue felt tip pen & put a groovy vynle graphic(to suit the size & personal taste) over the fading & just drive & enjoy it. Regards from Jeff.

[snow 57]

Yesterday I painted a strip plank dinghy with epoxy enammel,
The Australian brand is"kill rust" and yes it is designed for metal. It came up very glossy and the price was right. My neighbour recommended it so I thought I'd give it a go.
Snow

[Poida]

G'day Snow

Kill Rust I believe is a Wattyl product.

And it's lasted a whole day. Sorry couldn't help that.

Poida

[hartley]

I do not understand your post re Wattyl paints ......hartley

[waikikin]

Hartley, I think Poida Is just joking over Snow's opening of "yesterday".A mate of mine uses that paint on running repairs to tug & line boats for the like of bollard replacement & sponsons etc & it goes ok in that regard,but he doesn't use it sub waterline though. Regards from Jeff

[Griff]

I thank everyone for their help. Looks like my only choice is to get real familiar with spraying gel coat and then tackle the area with a color and design that will look decent.

Thanks,
Griff

[jimslade]

Tape off and sand with 220. Spray a hard cure epoxy primer coat.(ask you local body shop supplier) I use GLASS SHEILD. Wait about 2 weeks, make sure the surface does not get wet during this time. Spray a linear polyurethane(Awlgrip). Good for 20 years. Gelcoat is a nightmare to deal with without experiance and have you ever heard of blistering gelcoat, very common.

[Griff]

Well, I am about to embark on this project and I am still confused. Most everyone says stay clear of the automotive base/clear paint in this situation. I accepted this advice and was looking for other alternatives when low and behold I run across the owners of the two fastest/best looking boats on the local lake only to find that one was clearcoated two years a go and the other was painted and cleared. Both using automotive paint with marine clear. Both boats set in the water all summer long, which I can attest to. Then my local marine dealer pointed me to his body shop and the technician stated that he can Gel or paint. He stated that he has never had any problem with paint as long as he clears the base with quality marine clear.To add to insult, I found that my neighbors 24ft. chaperal was a salvage boat and required work when he first bought it. The boat had some impact damage to the hull and needed to be repaired. Turns out that he personally ground off all the gel coat on the hull and repainted with epoxy base and marine clear. This was done five years ago and it still looks like new to me.

So what gives? How can there be so many people against using base/clear paint, yet there are so many sucessful stories out there?