[brocklawson386]

I have a 14’ Falcon Gheenoe that I do a ton of flounder gigging out of. I’m about to repaint the hull with 2-part Epoxy paint, but was curious if there was anything to help with wear and tear on the keel? The boat flattens out quick so keel guard won’t work. Been looking into gator glide, but all recommendations/comments are welcome

 

[Sublime]

Graphite Powder - (google West Systems graphite powder)
Aluminum Powder (google West Systems aluminum powder)

You will probably run across Gator Glide but it seems it eventually chips off.

 

[brocklawson386]

Graphite Powder - (google West Systems graphite powder)
Aluminum Powder (google West Systems aluminum powder)

You will probably run across Gator Glide but it seems it eventually chips off.

I just started looking into the graphite powder. Seems like it provides the most protection while reducing drag. Thanks for the insight. I’ll look into them more

 

[DuckNut]

Graphite is for sliding. Aluminum is for abrasion.

You can read about it in Epoxy Works magazine.

 

[mudd_minnow]

I used Durabak smooth and had nothing but MAJOR problems with the paint. You MUST thin it heavily with xylene. It must run like water if you roll it on or you too will have the issues I had. I followed the instructions but they are no good. I thinly painted my entire boat hull with it. When I added a second coat (per their instructions) this happened all over the boat.

Then I called Durabak. The customer service guy made every attempt to say I did something wrong. (Per their instructions) I painted the hull and the next day I painted the second coat and this happened. ALL OVER my hull. I had to sand it down and start over. This time I deputed it until it was like water running off my stir stick. Then I rolled it slowly on. They customer service said it was how I stirred the paint. (Did I mention I followed the instructions) I stirred it slowly you can not shake it. I still had clumps but I sanded them down and put on another layer. I have 6 layers on my hull. I would not recommend this product to anyone because the manufacture will make every excuse why their product fail putting it on you the customer who paid $154.00 a gallon which I had put 6 gallons of paint (sanded it several times) on my 15 foot very rare 1968 Skeeter boat. This includes the clear after I added the decals. The boat looks fantastic but, there are other paints out there I would have used if I knew it cost me around $1200.00 to paint the 15 ft boat.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

I used Durabak smooth and had nothing but MAJOR problems with the paint. You MUST thin it heavily with xylene. It must run like water if you roll it on or you too will have the issues I had. I followed the instructions but they are no good. I thinly painted my entire boat hull with it. When I added a second coat (per their instructions) this happened all over the boat.
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Then I called Durabak. The customer service guy made every attempt to say I did something wrong. (Per their instructions) I painted the hull and the next day I painted the second coat and this happened. ALL OVER my hull. I had to sand it down and start over. This time I deputed it until it was like water running off my stir stick. Then I rolled it slowly on. They customer service said it was how I stirred the paint. (Did I mention I followed the instructions) I stirred it slowly you can not shake it. I still had clumps but I sanded them down and put on another layer. I have 6 layers on my hull. I would not recommend this product to anyone because the manufacture will make every excuse why their product fail putting it on you the customer who paid $154.00 a gallon which I had put 6 gallons of paint (sanded it several times) on my 15 foot very rare 1968 Skeeter boat. This includes the clear after I added the decals. The boat looks fantastic but, there are other paints out there I would have used if I knew it cost me around $1200.00 to paint the 15 ft boat.
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Was the first coat perfectly smooth? That looks like sand or some other debris from the roller or brush in the paint. Did your roller break down?

 

[mudd_minnow]

Yes the first coat looked fantastic. It was smooth as silk. After I had waited (per instructions) then I put on a second coat the picture is what happened. The rollers I used were what they recommended. The rollers did not fail. The paint Durabak is very thick and very sticky. Like glue, when rolling it on there we’re strand coming from the first coat that had dried. The instructions said to thin it out so I did per there instructions and the photo you see is the result. $154.00 gal paint did this. I sanded it down with 80 grit like they say to do. Before I painted the first coat. I gave it a 1st coat that looked amazing. The second and 3rd coat turned out like this picture. The paint clumped up and that is why the texture it like this . I purchased Smooth Durabak.

 

[brocklawson386]

Man that’s super frustrating. Looks good from the pictures though. Think I’m going to end up using epoxy paint and adding a layer of epoxy with the aluminum dust to the keel. Really just looking for some abrasion/scratch resistance as I’m up close and personal with oyster beds

 

[mudd_minnow]

Yes, this paint is a bed liner paint in the marine world. That is why I bought it. The hull is smooth now put I just don’t understand why the manufacture who had no idea about why this would do what the pictures showed. They were NOT helpful and made every excuse in the book on why their product acted this way.Now I’m no commercial painter but I have never heard the excuses what they came up with. One was the paint dried so quickly because I introduced air into the paint. I never heard of paint drying so fast off the roller that the paint would clump up.

 

[Smackdaddy53]

Gator Glide is nothing special. It’s super slick but nothing is going to mitigate oyster shell scratches unless it’s harder than oyster shell. If you use GatorGlide G2 or G4 plan on recoating annually.

 

[DuckNut]

Gator Glide is nothing special. It’s super slick but nothing is going to mitigate oyster shell scratches unless it’s harder than oyster shell. If you use GatorGlide G2 or G4 plan on recoating annually.

Any of those slick coatings are a real PITA to recoat. Sanding them is nearly impossible and then the new coat comes off the old real easy. Same with epoxy/graphite.

 

[brocklawson386]

Gunna go the epoxy with aluminum powder route to help with the oysters, then epoxy paint over the top. Will have to repaint annually but the epoxy should provide some good scratch resistance.