new member....question about clearcoat?

Hello all! Thank you for letting me join your group. May I please ask a question about what to use for a topcoat(clear epoxy?) of my little boat. (I am not a boat guy!!)I have a old (late 70s early 80s) Funjet jet boat. The red metal flake gets chalky every year and I use boat polish to clean it up a bit. Can I buy something and just brush 2 coats of it on and call it a day? I have gone back and read the past 15 pages worth of threads to find some info but it is confusing......Thank you very much......Dean

http://www.neufellmachining.com

 

In short, no. Clear coating anything decreases the amount of UV inhibitors that you can have, before the coating becomes cloudy. As a result, all clear coats degrade to some degree from UV exposure.

Paint is a better choice, which can have a much high UV absorber level without affecting the finish or color. Of course this means painting the whole boat. The paint will oxidize too, but at a slower rate.

You old jet boat is doing what all gelcoated boats do with prolonged sun exsposure. This oxidation can be buffed out as long as you have gelcoat thickness to permit it. Eventually you'll wear through the coating and "thin" spots will begin to appear.

You could try a LPU clear coat or an automotive version, but again, it's just a matter of time, before the issue returns.

 

Thank you PAR.....I ordered the stuff from the mono-coat epoxy thread started by Jazzman 1978 a few posts down. I will send some before and after pics next week..............Dean