Painting Plywood on a boat

I am looking for durable waterproof paint, preferably with a light grey colour, not clear, for plywood on my boat. Please advise.

 

Welcome.
Before paint you should seal it with epoxy. Sand it.
I have had very good results with Pettit paint.

 

All paints need a primer.

you can use an epoxy primer

my favorite is interlux 2000e

 

Ahoy Cap'n Hoy,

We have a product in the UK, which I think will be excellent for the interior of my putative skiff. Sticks like the proverbial to a blanket & slip resistant to boot. Good range of colours as well, so ship shape & Bristol fashion will be the order of the day.
PROTECTAKOTE UVR - Protectakote https://www.protectakote.co.uk/product/protectakote-uvr/

It's thicker than the marine SAFEKOTE - Protectakote https://www.protectakote.co.uk/product/safekote/, so should satisfactorily disguise blemishes & blotches, inherent in poxing up skiff soles.

I'd be interested to know if these coating are available in your neck of the woods. Oiling plywood, 2 or 3 times a season with Stockholm tar, turpentine & boiled linseed oil seems too much like herd labour. Yes, herd labour, because I usually demand the surly, recalcitrant, lower orders to do the mucky stuff on my behalf.

 

Nothing is waterproof, there are just varying degrees of water resistance.

Paints are typically at the lower end of water resistance compared to waterproof coatings (epoxy and the like).

What is it you want this paint to do?

 

Epoxy is the best sealer but it must be covered to protect it from ultraviolet light.
Rot is the enemy of wood.

 

I have not seen Protectakote here in Florida but maybe Nicholas will find it in Portugal as it is a much closer market to the British supplier.
Maybe one of these estaleiros will have it.
Estaleiro em Portugal. Lista do empresas de Estaleiro em Portugal https://empresite.jornaldenegocios.pt/Actividade/ESTALEIRO/

 

Thanks for the information, H.

The smooth version is used on deep water vessels & the coarser version is applied to lorry (truck) beds. The products do not permit water to pass except where mechanical damage has occurred. It is then up to the operator to make good the damage with a dash & a splash.

Here is a vessel that I covet. The lines to my eye, are exquisite. It would require much more than daubing with
epoxy. To bring this back, I'd willingly caress the hull with gallons of Stockholm tar, turpentine & boiled linseed oil.

That prow would part heavy, pounding surf, breaking onto a vast windswept strand, whilst those firm, smooth, rounded buttocks would lift with joyous abandon to greet the oncoming ocean, her crew feeling the thump, thump, thump of a faithful diesel, united with a massive revolving screw, churning ocean to spume, as she thrusts onward towards the distant horizon.



Well, it works for me.

 

That is the key point, horses for courses. What is being painted, and where on the boat ? AS for "light grey", well, tinting white paint is easy enough to get a light grey, though with 2-pack paints, which are factory-tinted, you might have to add a small amount of another pre-mixed colour, to get the desired shade.

 

A few more questions to the OP

What are your esthetic requirements?
How much abuse does the paint need to withstand?
What is your experience with the various paint application techniques?
Which application tools are available to you?