Deck paint

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by marie-s

Hi everyone

I have a new-old 27ft GRP boat from 1971. The gelcoat on deck is wearing pretty thin in some places and there are hairline cracks in some places. I'm trying to figure out whether to just fill the cracks and holes with some gelcoat repair kit, or whether to go all-in and paint the entire deck. This of course involved filling the cracks and holes with epoxy, sanding, then some Interprotect (3 layers too much?), then some Perfection Undercoat, followed by Perfection.

Do you guys have any experience concerning the number of coats and the coverage? Looking at the International/Interlux website it looks to me like I would need to do 3 layers of Interprotect, then 2 layers Perfection Undercoat and 2 Layers of Perfection. I calculated that I need to paint about 20 square meters (sorry I'm metric!) and that will come to about 900 Euros worth of paint. So before buying all this, I want to be sure I won't be buying too much.

Do you think that 3 layers of Interprotect are truly necessary? Also, is the practical coverage of paint the same for all layers? Or is more paint required for the first layer and less thereafter?

I am attaching some pictures so that you get an idea of the worst areas. The rest doesn't look that bad though...

Thanks so much for your advice!

Cheers,
Marie

I think you really should fill and glass those cracks or they'll just come back. As to your choice of paint. Two part paint is great for the smooth areas but you'll have to find another two part paint as the Interlux "Perfection" line is no longer available. I've heard good things about the Petite paints with the "modifier" added to it.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by marie-s

Agreed. The problem is that I need to put the boat into the water on April 30 at the latest. Our winter storage space is a car park during the summer and it needs to be vacated. So I need to be completely done by then. I can't start painting at the moment because of the cold, will likely only be able to start in mid-March or even early April.

Given the time that each layer of paint takes to dry, do you think that it can be done in 3 weeks' time? (of course, we'll be doing the dremel, epoxy-work, sanding etc. beforehand)

Not certain where you are located (climate wise), but painting outside can be challenging and will be dictated by temps, rain/dew, pollen/flying seeds, etc.. In theory, it could take you ~ 3 weeks of continuous work and in reality possibly double the time w/uncontrollable factors influencing the time line. You'll need to wait for the manufacturer's recommended temps (overnight) for the paint to dry properly and rain/heavy dew will be a problem, especially for the final finish coat (the money shot). We've had unexpected sprinkles on the finish coats and needed to redo them.

Something else to consider is not leaving epoxy, primers, fillers, etc used in the repair areas out in the sun too long. Most of these products do not have any UV inhibitors in them. A few days is fine but not too long.


Good luck and it would be great if you could post pics of finished job.


Bill O.

[Bill O]

Originally Posted by pcmm

....you'll have to find another two part paint as the Interlux "Perfection" line is no longer available.

As far as I can tell Perfection is still available in the US and is available many places online.


Bill O.

[pcmm]

Originally Posted by Bill O

As far as I can tell Perfection is still available in the US and is available many places online.


Bill O.

I've noticed that too. I asked Interlux about it at the boat show. They claim its old stock being flushed out.

[marie-s]

Originally Posted by pcmm

I've noticed that too. I asked Interlux about it at the boat show. They claim its old stock being flushed out.

I am based in Switzerland where Perfection is still available (over here, Interlux is actually called International)

[marie-s]

Originally Posted by Bill O

Not certain where you are located (climate wise), but painting outside can be challenging and will be dictated by temps, rain/dew, pollen/flying seeds, etc.. In theory, it could take you ~ 3 weeks of continuous work and in reality possibly double the time w/uncontrollable factors influencing the time line.
...

Good luck and it would be great if you could post pics of finished job.


Bill O.

I am in Switzerland so will have to wait until April before painting. The boat needs to go back in the water by April 30th though

My plan is to open up the cracks using a dremel, fill with epoxy and then paint. I will post pics when I am done! Thanks so much for all your advice and help!

[marie-s]

Originally Posted by Bill O

If the stanchions are being pulled/pushed too much when climbing into the boat, may want to add a backing plate to those specific stanchions. one small extra step to the above work.


Bill O.

Agreed, will do. Doesn't seem like too much extra hassle but a lot gained!

[bstreep]

Having gone thru this project a few years ago, and now with a professional repaint (hurricane damage)... For your boat, I'd recommend grinding out the cracks, prime, and paint with a decent 1 part paint. 2 part will last longer, but it's a whole lot more complex. We did our boat with Perfection. Here's our project: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ion-96573.html

[marie-s]

Hey guys, so I promised a while back that I would let you know what I ended up doing. So in the end I decided to open up all cracks, fill them with thickened polyester resin, sand the whole deck and then apply 3 coats of new gelcoat in my matching RAL colour. in the end I decided not to use paint but gelcoat because I wanted a more durable finish. And also money was a decisive factor. I ended up doing only the part behind the cockpit as the front of the deck was still in good shape. Had I used paint, I would not have been able to get a matching colour and would have to had done the entire deck. This way, I was able to do only part of it.
It was a looot of work but it turned out beautifully. I made some videos of the process and put them up on YouTube. They are in German but with English subtitles:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...4Av5FM7uyBDq8p

Thanks again for all of your help and advice.

[chrisr]

i had a similar problem few years ago and had enormous success with a product called kiwigrip

this is a non-skid deck paint that goes on quite thick and is then rolled with a special roller which puts in the non-slip finish.

because the paint is thick, it fills any / cracks etc

it is also one of the best non-slip surfaces i have come across. strongly recommend it. have a look at this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNPZLrKA2fc

cheers,