Have experience with Alexseal?

[SailFastTri]

I'm leaning toward using this to paint the topsides over the winter. The yard I'm using normally uses Awlgrip but the repairability of Awlgrip is an issue I don't want to deal with down the road.

Alexseal is touted by the maker as having the repairability of acrylic auto paints or Imron (other than gray shades, for some reason) but the hardness of an LPU. Anyone have experience to the contrary?

How about application? The yard I plan to use has experience spraying Awlgrip as their "standard" and I'm a bit concerned about the learning curve if I ask them to switch away from their familiar materials. (They're willing to use anything I want and said it's no problem, but I'm wondering about the quality of result). Anyone who's used both? If so please comment.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by SailFastTri

I'm leaning toward using this to paint the topsides over the winter. The yard I'm using normally uses Awlgrip but the repairability of Awlgrip is an issue I don't want to deal with down the road.

Alexseal is touted by the maker as having the repairability of acrylic auto paints or Imron (other than gray shades, for some reason) but the hardness of an LPU. Anyone have experience to the contrary?

How about application? The yard I plan to use has experience spraying Awlgrip as their "standard" and I'm a bit concerned about the learning curve if I ask them to switch away from their familiar materials. (They're willing to use anything I want and said it's no problem, but I'm wondering about the quality of result). Anyone who's used both? If so please comment.

Alexseal is OK, but IMHO it doesn't compare to Awlgrip. There are some here who disagree with that, but I have shot both (Awlgrip a great deal more than Alexseal, but I do have my manufacterers rep t-shirt and hat from Alexseal), and that's my opinion. If the yard you are using is used to Awlgrip, why don't you use Awlcraft? Also, that whole thing about Awlgrip being "unreparable" is just manufacterer CYA. I repair it all the time on everything from dinghies to 200' megayachts, it works out just fine most of the time, ie I can usually (90% of the time) do a blend without having to shoot a whole panel. I can pretty much always do a blend on a hull without trouble (the paint tends to be a bit thicker due to the lack of geometry, if you blow through it's almost always on a radius). It is true that once you start wet sanding and polishing Awlgrip it will need the occasional polish thereafter to stay looking it's best, it does damage the finish, but the whole problem is definitely not what some make it out to be. There are many multi million dollar yachts out there finished in Awlgrip that are kept looking in like new condition all the time, and we dont do it by reshooting them all the time. Just like any other finish, it's all about regular maintenance and repair. Awlgrip just gives the best finish out there.
Whatever product you use, ask your yard for a guarantee of a peel-free finish before they shoot. If they blow it and you are not happy they should re-shoot at their cost. We do. Some yards will, however, ask for more money up front to provide this.