What is the best paint.

My boat is ready for paint after installing new marine plywood and fiberglass on the bottom and I would like to get some opinions on paint. My boat is usually put in the water on Friday morning and then taken out either Sunday afternoon or the following Monday morning most weekends during Summer and then usually left in the water about 7 days a couple of times during vacations. I'm not concerned about anti-fouling as cleaning the boat after it is taken out of the water is not a problem. What I would really like would be a paint that barring minor scrapes and dings that could be touched up that would last 5 years without repainting of cause the longer the better. If you have a suggestion I would also like info on where it could be obtained and if you know the cost that would also be helpful. Thanks in advance.

Dave T :?:

 

Any quality porch/deck enamel will work well for you. I prefer oil-based polyethylene (alkyd) paint as opposed to water-based for many reasons.
A lot depends on the underlying surface. If everything has been sealed with epoxy, paint will last longer. Two-part paints are available in brushable formulations and this allows you to get a very hard surface. You can probably get three times the longevity out of a two-part paint. If you're scrubbing the bottom frequently two-part might be the better deal. Obviously, two-part is a lot more expensive so the choice is a personal one.

 

If the surface is stable, LPU's are the toughest and most costly, not to mention also difficult to apply. They're harder, stiffer, have more abrasion resistance, etc., etc., etc. Next up are the modified polyurethanes, which are also two part paints, usually sold as an acrylic urethane. These are nearly as good as the LPU's, have better color retention and selection and are easier to work with, but still cost an arm or two. The reasonable price route is single part paints, the polyurethanes, straight alkyds and acrylics (latex). These tend to be more flexible, haven't as good of gloss retention, fade resistance, general durability, etc., but you can get it without pimping out your daughter for a weekend.

 

I think you should go for Norglass paints. You can also go for some high quality deck enamel. Things are purely depends on your budget.