coating under water steel

I am sure this has been done to death here but could not quite find what I wanted with the search function. I am looking at a steel hull coated on the topsides with Awlgrip. Below the waterline there is "paint".

What are thoughts and feelings on Awlgrip and what is recomeded for prep and coating for below the waterline.

How about bildges while we are on the topic. I suspect the answer is epoxy epoxy and epoxy but interested to hear views.

 

Awlgrip is fine, as are its rivals. Remember that Awlgrip, International and Sikkens are all the same company owned by the Dutch (?) firm Akzo Nobel. So don't get into any pissing contests about 'mines better than yours', etc.

Having said that there are some general observations about these paints on steel cruising boats. None of these LP top coats are waterproof. If you read the small print in the Awlgrip catalogue it even warns about leaving damp cushions on painted surfaces as it will bubble the paint with time. So never use these below the water and finish any topside painting well clear of your eventual (cruising) waterline, using a more traditional enamel for the boot striping.

Spraying the topsides is not the only way to go. More and more super yacht yards are now hand painting these multimillion dollar boats, so the manufactures are forever improving the brushing reducers, etc they sell with their paints. Becoming a good hand painter can save you a fortune in the long run of owning a painted boat.

Although the life of an LP top coat is impressively long, the rough and tumble of a cruising life can guarantee that there is regular touching up to be done. This, together with general wear and tear from fender abrading and mooring lines etc, means that even with care, most well used cruising boats could do with a 'respray' somewhere between 5 and 10 years to keep them looking their best. So what's the point of using a 20 year life coating if you cover it over in 7? Using a cheaper, easier to use single pack coating will easily cope with this sort of life cycle.

All these LP and other shiny coatings on the topsides and deck houses are not really doing the real work protecting your steel. It's what's underneath that really matters. Make sure your boat doesn't go out in a 'fur coat but no knickers' as they say round here. The quality of the steel preparation (ideally SA 2.5 sandblasting), the weather conditions and time until first coating, and the thickness of epoxy coatings (millage) will actually determine the effectiveness of your coating system. Don't spend a single cent on expensive topcoats if you are uncertain about the quality of the base layers.

This epoxy coating has to be extended on a steel boat to every part of the structure, above and below the waterline, inside and out. Although all the paint companies sell something suitable, it's also worth checking out the more commercial 'Devoe Coatings' in the US, and get some of their epoxy Bar Rust 235. You will need to use two alternating colours for any paint job so you can check that each layer has perfect coverage. This coating alone will be okay in the interior, bilge and underneath your anti fouling. Only sunny places need topcoating, and then it's mainly cosmetic.

 

Even though the paint manufacutrers like awlgrip and international etc are owned by the parent company asko Nobel it does not mean that all the paints are the same. Awlgrip is still awlgrip, international is still international. With that said I have used international and devoe now ameron and think awlgrip is superior second only to sterling. I think the the finish looks deeper with awlgrip and sterling than the others.
I used on my vessel Spirit Of Balto Awlgrip on all areas above the waterline. I used awlgrip crimson red for the boot stripe but below that went with Sea Hawk for the bottom paint. To date after almost two years since I painted the vessel the finish is still stunning. Awlgrip is expensive but not as expensive as Sterling. For the price difference between the two awlgrip is the way to go. International at least at the price I am able to buy it for is cheaper but just does not compare. If you want to save a buck a settle for less go with the others IMHO.

Dan