Awlgrip or Gelcoat?

[candycat]

Aside from cost being a factor, which would you rather do: Paint the boat with Awlgrip or gelcoat it.
Thank you

[donradcliffe]

If cost is no object, I'd rather Awlgrip the boat every 4-5 years like the megayachts do.

[minaret]

Originally Posted by candycat

Aside from cost being a factor, which would you rather do: Paint the boat with Awlgrip or gelcoat it.
Thank you

Which part of the boat?

[candycat]

I am talking about the hulls; it is a catamaran

[minaret]

Originally Posted by candycat

I am talking about the hulls; it is a catamaran

Is the boat used heavily? Where?

[Pato]

I went the gelcoat route for ease of repair and cost was less. It's a lot of work to get that sweet Finnish but it last a long time. I like to stay with one product seeing as the boat is glass I stick with resin and gelcoat plus less different cans to carry around to do repairs I got one can of polyester resin one can gelcoat one bottle mekp and some chop mat and roving can do any repair

[BigBeakie]

I would much prefer epoxy construction with paint finish.

But I am researching pros and cons of vinyl wrap. Does anyone have any experience with how a wrap stands up & ongoing maintenance issues?

[RKsailsolo]

Vinyl wrap only from boot stripe up.

Gel coatings demand lots of post spray work to smooth out the finish as gel is designed as a coating to be used in the molding process where boats are built from the outside in. If you thin the gel to do a post ray job, you impact the chemistry and possibly affect it's ability to form a durable surface. I'd go with awlgrip from bootstripe up and anti fouling on wetted surface below. Tougher, easier to apply and replace.

[colemj]

Post mold gelcoating is done all the time. Yes, it does require wet sanding and compounding after spraying, but it does not require all of that before spraying like paint. The wet sanding post spray is pretty quick work with gelcoat. Thinned properly, there is absolutely no problem forming a durable surface. Thinned improperly, there could be a problem. This is also perfectly true for paint.

I don't think gelcoat or paint would be any different in cost, unless you are doing the prep work before painting and not doing the post work after gelcoating. There are pros and cons to each, so it isn't really an easy decision. Paint is significantly lighter if the extra 50-100lbs is meaningful to you. Gelcoat is much easier to repair.

Mark

[valhalla360]

Another questin: DIY or a yard?

We went one part paint on the last boat and are just starting again on the current boat. Very easy to apply and easy to touch up.

I might choose a different alternative if I was paying someone to do it.

[appick]

I went with the paint option and am very happy with the results thus far 2 years on. I used Interlux Perfection and found it very easy to use with great customer service and lots of literature on how to use it. I've heard Alwgrip is great stuff too but I couldn't find as much detailed instructions on how to use it. I've heard it's more geared toward the painting professional, hence less instructions. I know of several boats in our yard with 14 year old Awlgrip jobs that still look fantastic. That's alot of years out of a paint job. The two part paints are incredibly hard, glossy, durable, and self leveling when applied properly.

Although for me the factor was determined by the age of the boat and the color I wanted the hull (Flag Blue). YMMV as they say. I could understand on a vessel worth significantly more than my boat wanting to stay with gelcoat.

[appick]

This was applied using just the white foam 6" rollers. Loading up the rollers with paint and applying then going back over with the somewhat drier roller and slowly knocking down the stipple. I tried using the best brush money could buy for the roll and tip and it didn't work very well. The roll and roll method worked a treat though.

I think we had uner $700 in materials for painting our 29' boat.

[bstreep]

We also used Perfection. Here's a link to our project.

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ion-96573.html

[RKsailsolo]

Another consideration, post sprayed gel vs paint will have a longer working life if applied correctly, up to 15+ years vs half for paint. What are your expectations for the boat, will it be a family heirloom willed to your children or do you think you will trade up or out in five years? Awlgrip or some type of linear polyurethane is your reasonable choice if you won't own the boat for the rest of your life.

Having worked in the FRP industry for 15 years in the SE US, I would not trust that a post sprayed gelcoat job would outperform an Awlgrip paint job unless I knew the applicator's track record very well.

[candycat]

Wow! Some beautiful paint jobs on your boats. To answer the question re DIY- my husband is doing all the prep work which is taking weeks and the paint will be done by a pro. We decided we would paint