Ok I am sure this is covered in here somewhere but I can't find it.

What is the paint of choice for everything above the waterline? (Not color of course just type). And who is a good supplier?

Epoxy paint sticks well to any prepped surface, but tends to chalk eventually. Polyurethane paints need careful prep, but the shine lasts. Awlgrip and other catalyzed polyurethanes require a lot of skill to apply, one-part topside paints such as Easypoxy or Brightside are very easy to apply.

I used to put premium paint (Imron) on aircraft, because they are not subject to wear: you want the best sun resistance. On a boat, the decks and cabin sides (even hull, if you are me) get banged up with dinghys, the wrong shoes, and me lumbering around, so I use something I can fix with my poor skills. I use a high-build sandable epoxy primer over original paint (sanded) or over metal etch and zinc chromate, and then roll Easypoxy over the sanded epoxy primer. This is easiest: the epoxy primer sticks to anything, and the sandable means that it is easy to prep. Unlike classier coatings, Easypoxy rolls right on in three thin coats and looks pretty good for an amateur like me.

Some guys on this forum do gorgeous paint work. Some of the boats are just wonderful looking. I have neither skill nor time to do that, if you need advice on that kind of a job, go elsewhere :-)

Thanks a ton everyone, I tell you a ton about fiberglass and even carbon fiber but for metal I am starting at 101.. I think I will go with the roller and brush concept as anything in the 30K range is out of the question.

Once again trying not to sound stupit, but what is Tipping?

Thanks again

Peter,

It's Five O'clock somewhere's

Norm,

Big s Live On

I'm kind of stuck with my paint choice. I bought a one part paint which is designed for spraying or brushing only. I then got a Fugi HVLP spray system for about $800 bucks. If I take a do over I would get a one part system that I could spray, brush roll or roll and tip. I also need a paint I can have tinted to the color I have already used. I sent the flybridge and side cowls out to a auto body shop to be professionaly sprayed in a booth with my paint. These are the pieces with the blue trim bands. They did a great job and I highly recommend farming these parts out. I screwed up the rest. I have to redo half of it. It would go a lot faster if I could roll and tip the deck areas which get walked on anyway. Also I am working outside under a tarp. Every morning the deck is completely wet with dew. If you want to spray get inside.

I chose 1 part. 2 part is more toxic than one part. Don't ever spray 2 part yourself. Some guys blast the hull down to bare metal and dig out and replace the considerable amount of filler. Not me. I sanded a lot (80-120-150) with my dual action until I got down to paint which didn't want to come off. You need a whole compatible system. Mine uses an etching primer. When I sanded down to a bare aluminum I used a trim sprayer to prime it immediately. I wish my system included a high build primer. I am painting an original finish with a lot of cracks and pin holes. Marinette put the top coat on too soon to begin with. I would like to have sprayed on a whole layer of high build and sand it smooth. Instead, I used Evercoat Easysand, a flowable polyester finishing and blending putty, was compatible and dryed very fast. Where I lost deep chunks of original filler I used Interlux watertite epoxy filler. I didn't like this stuff. It shinks. It is very hard and you need to sand the crap out of it after it cures or the paint will fail. I'm going try regular epoxy with micro-balloons next.

What you will learn quickly is that it is not how fast you paint that counts. It is how fast you can prep, cover and tape. If you spray you really need to learn how to cover and tape because you have to cover most of the darn boat. I got a masker blade that applys taped plastic off a reel. I think a paint you can roll and tip will serve best especially in the future when you want to touch an area up.

Yooper, keep us posted on the painting progress. Your bravery and the good pointers from the forum crew is making me feel like I might be able to paint my boat. I like the Dougrose approach.
Jim

Great info everyone, thanks. I will be starting sometime next week. The boat is on the truck and on its way here (Louisville) as we speak. She goes in the water tomorrow. I will send pictures.

I am buying mine from Schilling Enamel in Cleveland. His prices beat anything else I have found. I am painting my bottom next week with his bottom paint, and ordered my top paint from him today. He is very helpfull if you call him. Mike on Ohio

If you elect to do the 'tip and roll' (which works great) be sure to choose an overcast day. Don't try it with the sun beating down or...

Jeff

Lots of great advice here from guys who know a lot more than me.

Still, I would like to mention that I was taught to use a fine foam roller and to put the paint (Easypoxy) on with an almost-dry roller, running over it again and again until the little bubbles are gone from the surface. This eliminates tipping, which is best done by a second person, usually not available.

The roller should be dry enough that the first coat goes on so thin that you can see through it, i.e. the color of the primer still shows a bit. Second coat, about the same. Third coat should be with slightly thinned paint and thicker, to get a better finish. I use the additive that gives a matte finish, which I think looks good on metal boats and suits my modest skills.

In Florida you will not find a marina that allows spray painting.