Paint

[GalaxyGirl]

Hey guys and gals,

I know that this has been discussed before, but for some reason I'm still confused.

If a boat has the original paint job and it is in good condition, then the boat can be waxed and does not have to be repainted... indefinitely?

Once a boat has been Awlgrip painted, then it will need to be repainted again? How often?

Any enlightenment would be helpful. Thanks.

[motion30]

Yes. original gelcoat can be buffed and waxed. It seems the life of algrip is 7 to 10 years

[a64pilot]

Dont confuse paint with gelcoat though, even gel coat will eventually be worn through, but that may take a very long time, or not. Depending on if it's been sanded, how man times and how thick it was to begin with.
I'm in the compound, buff and wax gel coat catagory, paint only when you have to camp

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by motion30

Yes. original gelcoat can be buffed and waxed. It seems the life of algrip is 7 to 10 years

Geez, 7-10 years? that's a horrible life span!!!

So in the long run, your basically better off with a boat that has the original paint job in good condition rather than a freshly painted boat, even if it does look real pretty?

[GalaxyGirl]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

Dont confuse paint with gelcoat though, even gel coat will eventually be worn through, but that may take a very long time, or not. Depending on if it's been sanded, how man times and how thick it was to begin with.
I'm in the compound, buff and wax gel coat catagory, paint only when you have to camp

Yeah, your right. That's exactly where I get confused, understanding paint vs. gelcoat. Why don't the Awlgripped boats get a gelcoat topcoat that lasts longer than 10 years?

[a64pilot]

Gelcoat is the first layer that goes into the mold when the hull is manufactured, gelcoat can apparently be applied later, but I think it's very difficult and requires an expert, but I've never done that so I don't know how feasible it is to apply a gelcoat layer to an existing hull. I think it boils down to simple economics, IE old boat isn't worth that kind of money.
In my opinion you see paint on an older boat who's gelcoat layer has diminished. Paint is also much less labor intensive and will put a great shine on an older boat so it shows well.
Personal opinion is I'll avoid paint as long as possible. I see paint as being similar to carpet, a temporary solution to a permanent problem. Of course Gelcoat is not maintenance free, in my part of the world it must be polished and waxed at least yearly. It's like car paint sort of, while it's new it shines for a few years, for a very many years if well maintained, but once it begins to fade, a good polish and wax will make it look like new, but the wax polish doesn't last, the older and more oxidized the gelcoat, the more frequent the polish and wax has to be. Eventually I guess you give up and just paint.

[roverhi]

Gelcoat does last a very long time and is extremely abuse resistant. If the shine of the boat makes a difference, get a boat with the Gel Coat still in good condition or able to be brought back.

Unfortunately, the 40 year old Gelcoat on my deck and hull had become porous, stained easily and was so thin in places that the FRP was beginning to print through. The deck also had many equipment changes that left patched holes all over. Paint was the only solution. Boat looks great after painting. Have to be a lot more careful as the paint will scratch and scrape way more easily than the old Gelcoat. Of course, it could have been that the old gelcoat looked so crappy that I wasn't concerned about keeping it looking pretty so treated it badly.

[Eumelia]

Here's a worthwhile discussion of the downside of replacing gelcoat: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...at-100302.html

[neilpride]

Awlcraft is a acrylic urethane topcoat and you can wax it or polish, Awlgrip in the other hand is a Polyester urethane topcoat and is more durable than Awlcraft, Awlgrip dont recommend any kind of wax or polish apart from their own product named Awlcare, the reason i guess is when fully cured there is a resin rich layer working like a shield to keep the gloss and pigments in good condition for many years, regular polish or wax compounds break this layer and leave the paint with no protection in the long term....

[minaret]

Originally Posted by Eumelia

Here's a worthwhile discussion of the downside of replacing gelcoat: http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...at-100302.html

Jeezus, there sure is a lot of terrible info on that thread. A glimpse of some new gel.

[minaret]

Looks nicer than the fresh Awlgrip next to it. Less work too, if you know what you're doing.

[minaret]

You can make gel as glossy as you want, with way more depth than any paint.

[pbfein]

My friends boat has a 20 year old Awlgrip job that sill looks very good. Mine was done in 98' and apart from a few scratches it still turns heads. Both are Flag Blue.

If the Awlgrip is well maintained it will last a very long time. Plenty of references around to 20 year old jobs. There is no hard lifespan.

[ullar]

Originally Posted by minaret

You can make gel as glossy as you want, with way more depth than any paint.

So, is it a professionals job or an advanced DIY? And du you sand after gel coating?

[minaret]

Originally Posted by ullar

So, is it a professionals job or an advanced DIY? And du you sand after gel coating?

You can DIY with some practice. Yes, you sand and polish. Materials are getting better all the time, it's very easy these days.