Color Change

[australiagc]

Hi Im thinking of purchasing a 34ft 1994 RIVIERA DIAVOLO..The hull could use a fresh paint job we were thinking from its present dull white to Navy Blue..Could anyone give me an approximate idea of the time and cost of having it done professionally on the Gold Coast? Also the upholstery needs to redone throughout and tips or cost estimations would also be much appreciated .Cheers

[Benjmin]

Between $280-380 per foot. And on a side note listen and let it go in one ear and out the other as I did. Do not paint a once white boat a dark color. Although I will give you two reasons.

#1 the fiberglass will be heated to a higher temp that it is use to after it has been out in the sun resulting in outgassing which will make bubbles.
#2 fiberglass print through. Looks like crap on a dark color.

But do not listen to me. If you want a dark color and your willing to pay for it, you will do it regardless. Awlcraft 2000 "midnight blue" = dark navy blue

Do not ask how I know...

[ozskipper]

Darker colours heat the boat up a a lot- just like a black car compared to white.. If you plan to head further north than the seaway, into the tropics, you may regret the colour change. Darker colours used to, and still are, popular on steel boats as they hide the rust stains. But a quick walk around any marina will tell you what sells. 'White". Ball park paint job 6-8 k.

Tip regarding the upholstery- remove the cushions etc and get an automotive guy to do it- then replace them yourself. A marine guy will most likely charge you a lot more. No Idea on price other than, like anything, its impossible to even ball park without knowing the scope of the job.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, australiagc.

[jeremiason]

Besides the heat issue, which is huge if you are cruising in warm climates... The other thing about dark colored boats is they show dirt, scratches and watermarks more than a white hull, so plan on washing and waxing your boat more frequently.

[Ex-Calif]

And another point is that "color" must have a perfectly faired boat. It's amazing how any waviness or imperfection will be highlighted.

The guy next to me on the hard painted blue above the coping. The finish is great but you get on an angle up close and it's pretty wavy.

All the above caveats aside - if you get a pro who will do a pro job you can get a great result.

And this may be sacrilege but I plan to roll and tip and spend about $800. Depending on how the boats are used they will look the same in 6 months. I sail a lot, bump into docks, taxi boats bump into me. Crew runs all over while racing. I'd hate to be all anal about a $6,500 paint job (which is what my neighbor paid)

[Dalel]

I have added insulation to the insides of the lockers and all storage to reduce the heat build up. We are Awlgrip Midnight Blue and as reported, every scratch and mark shows and she never looks clean. Originally I eliminated any dark hull from our shopping list but then relented when we found the right boat. If she were light colored I would never repaint with dark.

[australiagc]

Thanks so much guys.. Everyone's ones advice has been very informative and much appreciated..Being a novice I feel a little silly having not considered or even realized the obvious heat effects of having a repainted hull.. That added with the crazy cost of having it done and increased cleaning headaches etc all seems now too high price to pay for what was I thought a better aesthetic? Cheers

[Wotname]

As for the upholstery; my tip is go find someone who makes sofas etc.

I had several quotes to recover my bunk cushions, the marine upholsterer twice as expensive as the local automotive upholsterer who was three more expensive that the local sofa upholsterer which made the sofa guy about one sixth of the price of the marine guy. And for the record, they all quoted on using the same materials. The sofa guy did a great job and was fairly quick.

The sofa guy specialised in the lower end of the sofa price range but the workmanship was top quality - sewing isn't rocket science once you have done for half a lifetime.

[australiagc]

Thanks for that..Im slowly getting the feeling that anything you need done to your boat to improve its aesthetics your much better going outside the refit boating Industry purely not be ripped off.

[ozskipper]

Originally Posted by australiagc

Thanks for that..Im slowly getting the feeling that anything you need done to your boat to improve its aesthetics your much better going outside the refit boating Industry purely not be ripped off.

Absolutely. However, in the defense of the many small business owners that service boats in what ever way. They usually have extremely high rental due to the waterfront positions they need to be in to be able to service their customers. Some of the marinas on the other hand... Well, Ned Kelly aint dead!

[SimonV]

I was going to jump in on this thread, but I see its all been said. I love the dark colours but for all the reasons stated by others I will stick with white, even the pale gray none-skid on my deck can get hot under foot.-