Originally Posted by: Boomer2 
Great Job! Yes please more pictures. What paint did you use on the topside and what varnish on the wood? I am getting ready to start on mine. Any pro and con's, tips would be helpful.
Michael
A few tips -
1) Listen to the manufacturer of the paints advice - not me or your buddies. I had to do a great deal of re-work because this is my first boat and I listened to "experience" instead of the tech advisors.
2) Take a photo -- find a free paint program - upload a photo of your boat and paint it on the screen,,,,easier to try many combos before you buy any paint - -post a big print on the stern of what it will look like finished. I did this whole boat in 6 months - and I would not recommend this to anyone unless they are retired or between jobs.
3) Sand to bare aluminum only where you see lifting or pin-holes. -- much of my hull was solid - decks and cabins were much worse. Use Marine body fillers like Marine Tex - not autobody fillers.
4) Remove as much as you can from the boat to do a great job - but it takes time..
5) 80% of the time is in sanding.....repeat this over and over.....you will be sick of sanding and want to spray - don't until you can close your eyes - run your fingers over the surface that once was chipped and feel no ridges or bumps. I was fanatical on the hull -- but on the topsides I rented a warehouse for 4 weeks and a new tenant was moving in - topside white is not my best effort -- but better than most 25 year old boats out there with a fresh new look.
6) Speaking to the Interlux rep - they claimed to have supplied Marinette in 1986 using their one part Yacht Paint. Todays one part Urethanes are much more durable - I used two types Epifanes Monourethane(Awesome) Brightsides -great for rolling. I wanted to use a two part finish - however this paint can weaken the single stage underneath which is your adhesion on the majority of the boat -- the old one part lasted 25 years....
7) Spray if you can-- if you can't learn or ask a buddy...it is fun -- the work is all in the prep. I started off rolling the first coat -- then I got brave and learned to spray paint. With a gravity feed gun it was easy - thinned with the appropriate Interlux thinner ## as recommended for Brightside and used this with Epifanes also. The end result is very shiny and looks good.
8) Use good quality products - you do not want to do this twice -get proper masking paper and tape from an autobody supply house , newspaper and oily fingerprints will kill a paint job.
9) Clean / clean / clean ...I spent $1100 getting a warehouse big enough to hold it for a month to allow me to work on it 7/24 without rain / bugs/ dust etc...sand and wipe down between each and every coat.
10) Use Cetol Marine finish outside steps and flybridge-- 3 coats looks great --but make sure you remove all the old oil. I used I sell a citrus based degreaser Grove from Delta Enviroclean, to remove the teak oil - followed by paint thinners or acetone... I did do some pieces like Cabin doors and inside steps and window trim in Epifanes gloss - after nine coats and sanding with 400 twice along the many coats - it looks like teak under glass...
