Best color/type of topside paint for tropical conditions

[captainwireman]

I got burned when the "two part epoxy" topsides paint turned out to be housepaint. Water under the bridge and a lesson learned. Yet another lesson was a dark color is not a good choice.What is the coolest ( I mean temperature) kind and color of paint to keep my cat as cool as possible in the blazing sun?

[sapient sue]

Captainwireman,

Obviously the lighter the colour the cooler it will be, however beware - white decks are not recommended (in my opinion) as the glare can be overpowering on the eyes. We have cream decks and find the glare much reduced.

Of course shade is important if living in the tropics. We have shade canvas in light grey from the boom to the life lines which cover the deck and our hull is lined with 1" cork so it is usually pretty comfortable below with through ventilation from deck hatches.

Of course the odd gin and tonic on ice helps!

cheers Sue