Boat Paint Advice.

[walleyes]

I've been trying to find info on paint for my fibreglass boat. I want to paint the bottom but don't necessary want a "bottom paint". As had been suggested to me in another post I don't live on the coast and don't plan on leaving my boat in the water ever so I don't feel I want the maintenance of an anti fouling bottom paint. So a couple questions. Is there a bottom paint that doesn't require the regular maintenance most anti fouling paints seem to require, can I just use a top side paint to paint the bottom of the boat, where in Canada can a fellow buy a good boat paint.

Thx.

 

[scott craven]

Unless it will be moored for long periods, I would strip the bottom paint off and sand and polish
the gel coat to get it back to pristine.
Much nicer and the boat will retain more value in it's original condition.

 

[gungadin]

If you paint the bottom of your boat with most topside paints, you will find that the paint will blister after a couple of weeks in the water. There are epoxy paints (interlux interprotect) that will not blister but may require quite a bit of preparation before application of paint.

http://www.yachtpaint.com/LiteratureCentre/interprotect-guide.pdf

 

[walleyes]

Unless it will be moored for long periods, I would strip the bottom paint off and sand and polish
the gel coat to get it back to pristine.
Much nicer and the boat will retain more value in it's original condition.

I was thinking of trying this and I think I will try. Hopefully it's in good enough shape under the junk paint to retain, I believe it is. I have looked at some pics on line of the same boat with no decals or bottom paint just a nice clean looking boat and it looks very sharp. I'm not a junk or greasy stuff kind of guy, the cleaner looking cleaner lines the better for me.

 

[scott craven]

you could hire somebody to do the grunt work ?
I think you will be happier with the end result.

 

[walleyes]

No,, I'm a hard core do it yourself kind of guy. And I am handy at most things, not to many things stump me lol. In the pic of my boat the shop it's parked in front of is mine. It's my 40x50 with 16' walls play house and it's well equipped. Air power, 220 wired, mig, arc welders no end to the tools. My youngest son is a Red Seal attomotive painter, my oldest boy is a Heavy Duty Mech, my middle boy is a 2nd class power engineer, not to many things can stump us.

 

[SpringVelocity]

You could ice blast it when your strip it. Would take that off and I am sure there are some outfits in Alberta that do it.

 

[walleyes]

You could ice blast it when your strip it. Would take that off and I am sure there are some outfits in Alberta that do it.

Yah, never thought of that. There are a few outfits that do it out here, couple in Edmonton I know of. Wouldn't hurt to talk to them. Thanks spring, good thought.