Anyone heard on painting a sail with outdoor paint?

[opusnz]

You beat me to it. Marineshield is a product developed in NZ and has been used for years by a lot of the sailmakers for painting sail graphics and sun strips. I have seen samples and it is tough stuff and doesn't peal off if the sail is cleaned and painted correctly. Hugo Boss is probably the most famous boat that has used it for it's black sails and graphics. I believe it is based on a urethane automotive paint specially developed by Resene. Marineshield is expensive. If you want something cheaper on an old sail, you might try experimenting with a urethane or acrylic automotive paint that is also safe for canvas or canopies. Who knows, this might be the stuff....



http://www.resene.co.nz/archspec/dat...-403-Gloss.pdf

[GottaGo1958]

cool boat!

[Snowdog2]

I sprayed mine with 303 protectant.

[gruffa]

I'm a sailmaker. At first I thought, yes, get another sailmaker if the sail is only six years old. I usually end up replacing UV even on very old sails as long as the underlying dacron is sound. Having said that, I think there is definitely merit in looking at the painted option. I like the lightweight and budget aspects of it. Certainly the Marine Shield product from NZ does the job, but yes, expensive. I paint dinghy sails where they need coloured panels. Have used spray enamels which bond really well but can crack. (plus there's the overspray to deal with) Now I use acrylic artist paint well thinned with water and rub it on with a sponge. Bonds and last surprisingly well ( but then dinghy sails aren't out in the sun as long) even on shiny cloth, and doesn't crack. Bonds better on softer, less resined cloths. Can't say how much UV protection you'd get with the thinned coating but it may be the clue to getting paint to withstand cracking...think more soaking a very thin paint in. I'm going to experiment with some acrylic paints for budget, easy to apply options.

[The Sun King]

I am not a sailing guy, so I can't comment on what you do with sails, but for painting any other fabric I have a little experience. My antique piper has a dacron skin over steel tube frame and the dacron is coated with what we call "dope". Stits is a good brand for that, but not cheap. You use a base coat to fill the fabric, an aluminum fill coat to protect from UV and a color coat. That is flexible, but you don't want to fold it. That would be great for a fixed awning, but I would not do it on dacron that is already weak. Your sails don't normally operate in a 100+ knot breeze like the plane, but you still don't want to risk failure.



As for canvas or other coarse cloth on your boat, I met an artist in a bar/grill/marina/convenience store near New Orleans and when asked about an issue with my vessel he said, "I paint canvas." Well, yeah, you dang fool! You're an artist! He lives on a sailboat and he really meant that he painted canvas bits on his boat. On Sun King, the fabric I had used in the roll-up side walls was too coarse and let the weather through in a heavy blow, so I tried painting with cheap Glidden latex deck paint and it did the trick. I later built a new wooden framework for the roof after removing 3 large solar panels and stretched on cotton duck canvas, which was a tighter weave than my rollups. I gave that a couple of coats of latex and it makes a good awning/roof.


Patching canvas, like a bimini, is as simple as spreading a little paint around the hole and then painting down a patch. Add an extra coat or two when dried.



I first read of using latex paint in Wooden Boat Magazine and thought, "you gotta be kidding." Everything above the waterline on my boats is the same paint as on my canvas. A $20 gallon can goes a long way and lasts a long time.

[Paul Howard]

And not just on a sail. I have used a good quality latex exterior house paint on my dodger, and bimini for years. As soon as the sunbrella fabric gets a bit thin and the sun comes through or the rain soaks through, take a piece of the cloth to a paint store, have them mix for that color, any tears or soft sopts can be doubled up with a small patch just use the paint as a glue and stick it on. Two coats lasts for years, makes the fabric thicker and gives better shade and waterproofs it. I just sold a boat that the bimini was 12years old, still looked good and didn't leak.

[downwinder]

So I did it and it works fine for now. I think ot will last for 2-3 years. Put two layers on it.

[ddugger]

My bimini is going on 20 years it gets a coat of exterior latex every three or four years when it starts powder or mildew.

[Glenn71]

Thanks for the awesome tips from every brave sailor that has tried this with their prize possessions. never thought painting a anti-uv furling strip was even an option, but makes sense after reading this thread.

I have a sunbrella strip on my genoa that is coming unstitched and don't want to pay $150 to get it restitched on an older sail.

I was also thinking of using a few long strips of sail repair tape, any thoughts which would be the better 40$ solution?

https://www.aircraftspruce.ca/catalo...?recfer=11937/

[thinwater]

First I put samples on cloth in the sun for 2 years. Then I chose the best of these and tried it on an old dog that needed a new sun cover.


Only 3 months, so far, but not a crack. (The white mars are where SA Dacron tape has slipped.)


A PS tickler. It needs another season before I would want to say. Less than $10 and very light. But not house paint. All of the house paint samples started to chip.

[Capt Gill]

Originally Posted by thinwater

First I put samples on cloth in the sun for 2 years. Then I chose the best of these and tried it on an old dog that needed a new sun cover.


Only 3 months, so far, but not a crack. (The white mars are where SA Dacron tape has slipped.)


A PS tickler. It needs another season before I would want to say. Less than $10 and very light. But not house paint. All of the house paint samples started to chip.

"But not house paint". Please share, what did you use?

[bad.wabbit]

Our fleet uses acrylic outdoor house paint -gloss - on the dacron mains to do graphics. This is heavily resinated racing dacron, super stiff. With the paint thined with water to get it to penetrate the cloth, two coats on each side give deep coverage. After 10 years of racing, flogging, rolling, and folding, the paint has not peeled or flaked off.

Don't know about UV protection...

[Jud]

Originally Posted by oceane

try Beer elastomeric paint....
unaffected by UV, 300% elasticity,adhere/penetrate very well, waterproof & breathable and easily retouchable/recoatable...it does work and last!!!
did all my sunbrella cover on sailcover. bimini etc...in Tahiti, i personnaly used Sikalastic color tropical formulation , since the only one available here...

I’m willing to try it. Have a recently recut older Genoa that simply isn’t worth putting money into for a sewn UV strip, etc. But $40 worth of Behr elastomeric paint as an experiment, sure, why not, since the sail has maybe two years of life in it.

I haven’t read this (don’t have a Practical Saikor mag subscription), but very interesting. Does any one here have a subscription that can briefly summarize the article (and tell what paint is discussed)? Maybe it’s time for me to get a subscription...

Practical Sailor, Dec 2019, “The Case of the Painted Jib” https://www.practical-sailor.com/sai...he-painted-jib

[oceane]

did my mizzen and mainsail in december with sikalastic elastomeric paint, then went sailing for two months in the leeward islands of polynesia, with wind from 8 to 50knts, all good they look like new, it consolidated the fiber very well, but does add weight to the sail and once folded they get a bit sticky in hot heat but not a deterrent
... doing my genoa next week
... elastomeric paint does a good job on deflatable dinghy also!!!???

[Hiko]

I converted an old sail to roller furling and used acrylic outdoor paint as a UV strip
I live in New Zealand and the UV is brutal here
After one year of use the strip has shown some signs of flaking in places where the adhesion was not the best perhaps due to my preparation not being as good as should be
I have just touched up those places and overall am pleased with the results
I used Dulux Weathershield semigloss acrylic outdoor paint
Hope this helps someone