As my five year old says..."I'm confrused...." Say a boat has gelcoat on it...and it's an older boat...so it has a few cracks...how do you feel in the cracks? I'm assuming a little sanding and filler... next...you are getting ready to paint the hull...it is a mixture of gelcoat, and sanded spots...do you re-gelcoat the whole thing? or just paint over the top of the sanded spots (to and through the gelcoat) and the gelcoat? next...topside/interior...do you just paint over the top of the fiberglass? lastly...i'm assuming that you put down some sort of primer? What I'm aiming to get it is a good finish that will not easily be "worn" through....if paint will accomplish that, then why use gelcoat in the first place? Thanks for any and all help ahead of time...
Sand the whole thing, fill in the scratches with a fairing filler. Micro-balloons and resin work. You can buy a pre-mixed fairing like Quick Fair or USC Fairing Compound. Make sure to prime over all the repairs, and exposed fiberglass. One doesn't need to prime over the gelcoat, unless it's in really bad shape. Although, some recommend priming over everything. Make sure everything is sanded with 120-180 grit, otherwise the paint will peel right off. I highly suggest you go with AwlGrip. And if you can't, then Sterling. I wouldn't trust any other paint honestly. If you choose to go with a cheaper alternative, make sure you use a catalyzed paint. They are far superior to a non-catalyzed paint.
Str...not wanting to conflict with you...but making sure that I am getting accurate info.... I just called a place to quote Awlgrip...for the gallon "kit" for spray on...it was in the neighborhood of $400...that about right? I was also contemplating Interlux brightsides, or Rust-oleum Marine Grade topside... I'm not planning on this being a showroom quality boat...but I do want it to look nice/decent. thank you again for your response...and any other advice is appreciated.
A gallon kit is a LOT of paint. Remember that the mix ratio is 1:1:15%. So one quart kit value'd at $129.00 will in fact be more than 2 sprayable quarts. I highly suggest you do NOT use brightside. If you choose to go with Interlux, I suggest you go with Perfection. It's not only about showroom quality, it's about a durable finish. Brightside is a non-catalyzed paint that will peel off and chip off very easily. As well as other paints on the market like Easypoxy and the one Rustoleum offers. If I remember correctly, Perfection goes for around $60 a quart kit that will be less than two useable quarts once mixed. If I remember correctly it's like a 2:1 ratio or maybe even 3:1 ratio.
Also, to fill the spider cracks, make sure you grind back the edges of the cracks. remove the gelcoat around the cracks. If the crack goes through the gelcoat and into the fiberglass, you might want to lay up a bit of chop strand mat on them to ensure that they won't continue to crack.
str...gotcha...$129 for a kit is a whole lot easier to swallow. My boat is 14 ft long...I want to do the outside of the hull. Should I also use the Awlgrip for the interior? The interior is going to be a different color...I was actually thinking about doing the two tone interior... Basically, will a quart kit (2 quarts) be enough? (sorry, don't know the first damn thing about painting...haha)
Raka Epoxy has Awl Grip on sale right now for half price. Two part polys are a little less friendly to handle and apply. I like to use Interlux Precote primer and then top coat with their paint. The paint comes with instructions and is great for the amateur. Interlux is not complicated and the primer is high build and will fill most of the spider cracks and scratches. It has very good adhesion over gel coat that has been properly prepared. Just follow the instructions and you should do well. Best regards, Frank_S
Here is a site with a lot of good information. http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/userportal/show_product.do?pid=4139 Frank_S
