Glenn has covered painting well -- 99% of the battle is prep. Let me
underline one point he made. The best (longest lived, best looking,
highest quality) paint is two part LPU -- it's what they paint
airplanes with -- imagine what 500 knots does to a paint job. But
it's deadly -- there is no respirator which will protect you -- you
need a full body suit with air supplied from outside the paint booth.
I'll ask the more fundamental question. Why do you think the boat
needs painting? Gelcoat will look tired after a few seasons of being
ignored, but a light compounding (auto body compound -- a very mild
abrasive -- on a buffer) and waxing can make it look almost like new.
We did Swee****er in 1995 -- she was then 13 years old and had spent
all of the last 8 years in the tropics -- and she looked very good
when done.
Or is it that we're two nations spearated by a common language ("GRP
yacht" suggests to me you're a British speaker as opposed to an
American speaker and the fact that you're asking about a springtime
activity right now, suggests you might be Kiwi or Ozzie)?
Is this a new boat? If so, pick a brand and follow the directions. If
it's a sailboat and you're not racing, you'll probably want one of the
ablative paints. The paint can go on with a roller -- much easier
than making a beautiful topsides. If you race, you'll want a hard
finish anti-fouling, wet sanded smoother than your wildest dreams. If
you're on this side of the Line, remember that many anti-fouling
paints have to go in the water soon after painting, so hold off til
next spring.
If it's a used boat, you either have to strip all the old anti-fouling
off, or determine what type it is, as there are compatibility issues
between systems. This is one area where an expert can help.
Remember that anti-fouling paint is expensive -- up to US$175 per
gallon here -- and, while you pretty much get what you pay for, asking
around will help you spend wisely. Specific recommendations from us
are impossible because local rules will also influence what you use.
Anti-fouling paint is a peculiar case of deliberately trying to poison
part of the environment -- barnacles, etc. -- while not hurting
anything else. Different jurisdictions balance this differently, so
that what works best for you may be illegal here.
Jim Woodward
www.mvFintry.com
Glenn Ashmore wrote in message news:Timlb.85958$sp2.79250@lakeread04...
The key is preparation and sticking with one manufacturer's system.
Prep is 99% of the work. Scrape/sand off all the loose paint and fill
dents and chips with fairing compound. Sand it all again to about 120
grit. Inspect, fill some more and sand again. Spray or roll on a high
build primer and sand again. This is when it gets fun because you can
see some progress and priner is easier to sand.
Now stop, pop a beer and stare at it for a couple of days searching for
any imperfections. Two part LPU goes on very thin so it shows every
blimish below it. The one part polys are a little thicker but any
unevenness will be magnified in the reflection of the top coat.
One part poly top coat can be sprayed fairly easily but two part LPU
will kill you without proper breathing apparatus. Roll and tip is
probably he best method if you are not experienced with spraying. It
takes two people. One with a roller and the other with a clean DRY
brush. One person rolls on a thin coat and and the other follows
immediately lightly tip off the roller marks with the dry brush and
watching for hollidays and fisheyes. You want to keep a wet edge to
work off of all the time. A third person is helpful for cleaning
brushes and mixing paint. If you are reasonably carefull the result
will be 95% as good as a pro job.
That is just the topsides. I will let someone else talk about bottom
paint 'cause I have not gotten that far yet. :-)
Dan wrote:
Hi
It's time to paint my first boat. It's a 26' GRP yacht and I have no idea
what I need to do to prepare it for painting and antifouling. Can anybody
give me any tips?
I've had quotes from a professional painter and it's going to cost me more
than I payed for the boat.
Thanks in advance
Dan