Topsides Paint - Cost?

[Ex-Calif]

Originally Posted by GalleyWenchTale

We just got an estimate for labor only of $3000 (~$100 foot) to repaint roll and tipple (not spraypaint) the bootstripes and topsides on our '77 36.5' Pearson ketch, figuring while it was on the hard for hurricane season in Jacksonville FL area would be a good time to get it done.

We'd provide the awlgrip, etc. materials (thanks to my West Marine employee discount).

This quote seems high, but it's the first time we've looked into it. The folks who quoted said from their perspective our boat is in good shape.

We have some discolored spots from some prior owner gelcoat repairs and some stains and oxidation, which is why we figured a paint job would be better than a buffing, The quote for buffing was $10/foot.

Our plan is to cruise about another 2 years then sell in Australia, so we could certainly get the work done elsewhere if good work at at better price is viable.

Your advice is much appreciated.

This is a good deal for a yard done job. I just painted my topsides (above the coping only - 26 foot boat) - It took 2 of us three days to sand properly. 1 day to fill and fair (touch up only) and 3 days to paint 2 coats including a non-skid coat.

If one can do a 30 foot cat in 15 hours I'd suggest starting a business painting boats - LOL...

Clarify the quote in writing to include or at least consider

- Remove deck & cockpit hardware or just mask
- Sand, fill and fair
- Prime coat and sand
- Top coat
- Bootstripes, trim & boat name/graphics

Clarify materials - sanding papers, tape/masking, filler materials. i.e. make sure you are only providing paint, primer and solvents.

For tip and roll clarify the "quality" in terms of runs, drips and errors.

[zboss]

Originally Posted by btrayfors

I just had my 45' 1981 sloop, Born Free, hauled in Herrington Harbor, MD. While on the hard, I contracted with a local detailing shop to have my topsides cleaned, waxed and polished. The cost was $500 including labor and all materials, and this included a good cleaning of the decks and cabin trunk/top.

How long will that last?

- z

[SailRedemption]

Just had our yard paint my 47' sailboat with Awlgrip for less than 10k with everything all said and done. Could have been done a little cheaper, but we had a water weep(condensation from teak decks) down plastic cover over the deck that came through the tape after the 2nd coat.. /: so we left it, sanded and sprayed the last two coats with no issues.

Out painter normally charges $120/ft or more depending the boat for the hull. $100 is not bad but if they aren't spraying I'm not sure. Though you can get great results from roll/tip, so no worries there, just a lot of tipping haha!

[Alii]

GalleyWench - From someone who has just spent day 3 in the steamy tropics sanding back three different applications of polyurethane topcoat back to gelcoat -- stick with gelcoat! 20 years ago a prior owner painted our boat Aristo Blue Awlgrip. When we bought the boat 3 years later this paint was already fading, scratched, blah. That dark blue was murder in the Caribbean and we thought we had really scored when we were able to have the entire boat repainted in Columbia for US$1700. NOT A GOOD DEAL AFTER ALL. We were told (in Spanglish) that the light dove-gray paint used was Hempel, but who knows for sure. Within 2 years that paint was chalky, and had fallen victim to too many canoes along side with Kunas selling molas. So, in 2008 we went another round, in Australia, with white Awlcraft 2000. And why take that off now? Well, whoever did that initial round of Awlgrip 20 years ago painted over the bootstripes, and bootstripes only, before priming with two unknown products which are now bubbling and causing pox. Rather sad what you can find playing archaeologist on an older boat. With gelcoat you don't need to worry about what lurks out of sight.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Hi, minaret,

Wow, thank you for that! Great explanation. Without knowing how the gelcoat was done on the OP's boat, what treatment would you suggest that could be done by themselves?

In my non-technical world, I had not even heard of gelcoat porosity, let alone what could cause it and prevent it. Our boat at the time had been rubbed out twice, and there were bubbles cut open by the process, which tended to gather dirt. The PolyGlo, used according to the directions, made the gelcoat look new for about 6 months, with a gradual degradation. We'd renew it at haulout time, and for us, was an acceptable thing. We'd seen, by that time, a number of grp boats that were out of the US and which were on their second paint job. Paint is fragile.

Ann

Anytime, Ann. I couldn't agree more about gel vs. paint. You know the drill, just tell 'em to follow MaineSail's advice on his site.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by zboss

How long will that last?



- z

If you lightly polish and re wax every six months, a long time, maybe forever? At least in the Fl Panhandle. I use Colonite wax, there may be a better wax, it's the wax that goes away, keep a wax coat on and the gelcoat seems to las and last, once the wax coat goes away, gelcoat seems to oxidize or at least that's what we call it, it may be UV breakdown or other things.

If you don't do anything at all, at the end of a year it needs polishing and waxing, the longer you wait the more aggressive the polishing has to be, even maybe wet sanding.

I've always been taught that you never paint until the gelcoat is worn through and usually by that time the boat is old enough to not have enough value to put a whole lot of money into it. I come from a Sportfishing background and they seem to depreciate faster with age.

[model 10]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

I've always been taught that you never paint until the gelcoat is worn through and usually by that time the boat is old enough to not have enough value to put a whole lot of money into it.

Hey, wait a minute, that is about the only time some of us can afford a boat in the first place. Then we really start dumping money into them.

[a64pilot]

By that I only meant that I believe you can re gelcoat, but I have no experience with it, but believe paint is cheaper.

[JPA Cate]

See MaineSail's site, minaret says he has good advice. After looking at minaret's threat "Nauticat 52 Re-fit", I'll take his advice.

Ann

[Cheechako]

Originally Posted by zboss

How long will that last?

- z

about a month... Ok... maybe for the summer.. I used to have mine done every year along with my bottom paint.
Then I started the :"how much will this cost me every time I go out" analysis!

[ssanzone]

i dont want to engage in the debate between paint and gelcoat but...

3k is very reasonable.

i recommend you discuss in advance about levels of 'perfection' so you dont end up held hostage with a crummy roll and tip job.

while i am a proponent of spraying i have rolled a boat and, even though it took a lot more time, more coats, more sanding, the end result was pretty close to sprayed and i was happy with it.

gl.

-steve

[thinwater]

Originally Posted by minaret

What, you don't sand the primer? 15 hrs is extremely misleading, IMHO. If you want a good finish, anyway.

No, I don't think so.

a. No curing time included. I worked on other projects. No breaks.
b. No dings to speak of. No wax to remove (never waxed).
c. The prior paint in both cases was LPU, so no primer, just a good scratch sand with 200 paper. 2 coats final. Primer would be logical over GC, not knowing the condition. If it is chalked all to hell and cracked, that would add time.
d. No tip. With the right roller and solvent balance, in my experience tipping does not help.
e. I'm not paid by the hour and I work efficiently.
f. My estimate was for a 27' cat (2 hulls). I'm not sure how the area of the 37' mono compares.

We're talking about a 37-year old boat worth $25-40,000. My boats were similar (smaller and less finished inside, but Kevlar goes high). If you want to do a restoration, that is your business, but I would spend my time and money on other things. I could have spent 3 times as much effort, added new sails and hardware, and produced a real show car.

Good finish? Sold both boats for more than I paid, and they were nearly this old (79' and 81'). Show boats? No, but both could go >20 knots on a reach. Yee haw!

Last week I spent the week cruising. Watched several boats get quite rubbed where they were pinned against a bulkhead by 30 knots winds. Makes you wonder what the nice paint is for. I've currently got gel coat, big rub rails, and fender boards, so I came off fine. But even the best fenders would have rubbed all that nice LPU raw.

[minaret]

200 for topcoat prep?!

[model 10]

Originally Posted by minaret

200 for topcoat prep?!

How about 220? but surely not 400.

[minaret]

OP, you asked for this by way of the thanks button.



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