BoatBanter.com - View Single Post - Best colour to repaint to avoid scratches showing?

On 8 Sep 2004 05:08:53 -0700, (basskisser) wrote:

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote in message . ..
On 7 Sep 2004 10:13:59 -0700, (tom clark)
wrote:

I plan to Awlgrip my 18 foot fiberglass boat. The original gelcoat is
a turquoise blue which is not available with Awlgrip. I notice that
darker repaints show scratches more. Should I go to a white or beige
or are there things to do with the priming to reduce scratches showing
through?

White is better, but not always - stick to the pure whites rather than
the off whites.

You will need to sand the current color to clean off the wax and take
out the scratches. Then prime, then paint.

Most folks forget the prime part.

What primer do you use? Also, will an Awlgrip paint job come out
nicely by rolling and back-brushing? I've got a 17' fiberglass boat
that I'm thinking about painting.

Roll and tip is a great way to repaint a boat. I've seen some older
hulls, in particular a Master Marine 28 foot CC, repaired and
repainted this way - the finish is amazing.

It does take two people and you need to make a few practice swipes to
make sure you have the technique right, but the results are very good
- almost as good as a spray job if it's done correctly.

As to primer, you really don't have to prime, but it helps. The main
thing is to and down the surface to remove dirt, wax, etc., before you
paint. Any good primer will work well if you prepare the surface
properly.

On a 17 footer, should be a fun project.

Later,

Tom