Painting a black hull before moving it to the tropics

[Tatheelrod22]

I'm hopeful I get the same level of quality responses I typically get at this great forum.
I'm looking for a traditional boat, hopefully a gaffer, that I can do day charters on and cruise some in my pending retirement from my "career job".
The "Northeastern boats" I fall in love with and would love to maintain and pamper usually draw more water than I prefer for the "thin water" we have so much of along the gulf coast. I've found one however that meets all of my criteria EXCEPT she has a black hull. For a while I let emotion outweigh logic and told myself I could live with that, but it just won't be practical down here. If I purchase this vessel I will paint her white, so now to my question. It seems practical to me that once painted, the reflective/convective(is it either or both?) issue will go away. Is that correct? I know that she has Interlux black paint on her, so in the prep fairing process most if not all of the black paint will come off anyway. Part of me says" be embarrassed to ask such a question", and part of me says it will be a large investment followed by another large investment in painting her so be darn sure I get what I'm trying to achieve when finished.

I'm just wanting to make sure that I'll end up with the cooler qualities on the boat I need to make her bearable June thru October down here.

[GordMay]

A lighter coloured hull/deck reflects more light than a darker one, which absorbs much more light, or energy, warming up the boat.
Paint it white to increase reflectivity, and decrease absorption, and the underlying colour of the object doesn't matter.

[JPA Cate]

Whoa! I don't agree that it doesn't matter, Gord, because paint is so darn fragile. If Tatheelrod can remove the black that is underneath, then not every single little nick will show through black. I agree that generally the underneath color will not bleed through and affect reflection and energy absorption, but paint is different from gelcoat.

Tatheelrod, we've had good service out of automotive LPU paint on our topsides. It held its gloss well for 10 yrs, and the boat is used basically all the time. Nicks will appear, and it can be repaired. It will take someone with special paint knowledge to say whether you can reasonably remove the black--I personally don't know whether it's even possible. Whoever you hire to do it, will prime it. Might require two or more primer coats to fully cover black, if it cannot be removed. If you haven't bought the boat yet, check first with the painter. You pay for slippage for about a week, and his/her time for all the coats required. You may not be allowed to stay on the boat while it is being painted, so figure on lodging, as well.

Ann

[zeehag]

why not make skirts for the boat for use at anchor to deflect the sun from hitting hull and keep on same color. something about the hull in a dark color is beautiful.

[Tarheelrod]

There is no doubt the hull color is beautiful as is,it’s I can’t see it as being practical to make a cover that would stay in place to achieve the desired reflection effect, or that could be put on or taken off quickly. I’m also picturing a middle of the night dragging of my anchor or someone else dragging down on me, and the ensuring anxious moments where the last thing I want to worry about is one more thing to worry about or possibly be impeded by. I suspect you may be like me and sometimes deal with emotions attached to beauty getting in the way of sound logic and judgement. Your post shows a Formosa and if my memory serves me correctly I seem to recall more of their hull being something other than white. I’m curious if you have or are cruising on a dark hulled boat? I’ve never done it but am going by these two things.
1 a couple of old timers telling me there’s a good reason I don’t see any of the beautiful dark hulled traditional beauties I love along the GOM, and this is why.
2 online dialogue such as we have going now where people say stay clear of it because it’s unbearable.
If you have experience that you feel represents a different view I’d love to hear about it. The name for it escapes me, but heat can actually pull the resin out of the glass over time, leaving behind a very rough surface where you can see the crisscross pattern of the roving below. I recently restored and sold a 23 ft black gaffer that had it. In the prep process I was able to fair that away. It was my first paint job on a glass hull and although way too much a perfectionist for my own sanity I was very pleased with the outcome and Since the buyer took her to Wisconsin I doubt there will be a reoccurrence. Since it did go well. I’m considering painting the new one myself, but I have to fully evaluate that from two.largely contributory perspectives.
1 with the recent one on her trailer I was able to do it at home, on my time frame, allowing me to take my time, not cut any corners, and wait on the right weather. Rolling and tipping Adar Collier was intimidating, but it came out gorgeous. Having not painted one before, knowing that the darker the color the more brushmark and runs would show, and my knack for seemingly never getting thinks exactly to my liking makes me say if I ever see a post here where someone is considering rolling and tipping, and they get the inevitable reply that you have to spray to get a good finish I’m going to politely disagree. My hunch is that it used to be sound advice but the technological improvements in the coveringsover the years, specifically their ability to level. The complete opposite will be the next case. I’ll be paying yard fees.
2. The exponential differerence of surface between a 23 and a 40’ boat.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Whoa! I don't agree that it doesn't matter, Gord, because paint is so darn fragile. If Tatheelrod can remove the black that is underneath, then not every single little nick will show through black. I agree that generally the underneath color will not bleed through and affect reflection and energy absorption, but paint is different from gelcoat..

Good point, Ann.

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Whoa! I don't agree that it doesn't matter, Gord, because paint is so darn fragile. If Tatheelrod can remove the black that is underneath, then not every single little nick will show through black. I agree that generally the underneath color will not bleed through and affect reflection and energy absorption, but paint is different from gelcoat.

snip

Ann

I don't think there's any justification for removing existing paint unless it's in poor condition. A scratch will show (no matter what the underlying color) and a simple touch-up paint will suffice in the field until a proper repair can be made.

As part of the surface prep, even a good underlying finish will need to be degreased and lightly sanded, filler might be needed here and there to smooth imperfections and primer will be used as a base before color coats. The paint shop will advise you.

[skipmac]

Years ago I purchased the 34-foot sailboat with a black hull that we lived on for a few years in FL and the Caribbean. Two things I learned from that experience. One, black shows scratches scuffs and dirt much more so than white. When the black paint job became too damaged and we repainted the boat white it was much much cooler inside the boat.

[zeehag]

tarheelrod.... i have seen these skirts up close and personal as i cruise tropics. they donot get in the way of anything, especially anchor, and they remain in place well.
is a pity more donot see what can be successfully used here before going off on a binge spend on a decent paint job that wont reduce value of boat(many paint jobs reduce said value). and yes i was privileged to feel the difference these skirts make on the inside temps of a darkly colored hull in tropical sun. if iut were my boat i would go for the skirts. and a complete cover fro tropics.

[Mlp48]

As a captain and yacht mgr., I have cared-for all colors of hulls. Amongst many, I've dealt with Flag blue, Carinthia blue, Royal blue, Jet black, Kelly green, Teal, Rochelle red, Vivid Red, Claret and then Matterhorn white. The last mentioned is a !!! HOLIDAY !!! by any comparison. It is easy to fix, hides blemishes and scrapes, and stays cooler. I am thinking of painting my own now pink boat and think "Wouldn't I be a fool to paint with anything but white ?" Why worry about a color I don't see while I'm aboard -- anyway ??

[Desert Spray]

Why not vinyl wrap the topsides in white? Faster, less preparation, less expensive.

[GordMay]

“There are only two colors to paint a boat, black and white, and only a fool would paint a boat black.” ~ Nathanael G. Herreshoff

[BenBowSirocco]

Hal Roth painted his Spencer 35 Whisper black and I remember reading that he noticed no noticeable difference in temperature tropics or otherwise. Claimed that with white decks, hull color didnt seem to matter much in the real world.

Removing paint is a long boring project. I would just run it if thats the only complaint and cross that bridge when the boats ready for new stuff anyway. 2 cents.

[skipmac]

Originally Posted by BenBowSirocco

Hal Roth painted his Spencer 35 Whisper black and I remember reading that he noticed no noticeable difference in temperature tropics or otherwise. Claimed that with white decks, hull color didnt seem to matter much in the real world.

Removing paint is a long boring project. I would just run it if thats the only complaint and cross that bridge when the boats ready for new stuff anyway. 2 cents.

I have heard this said but I can't understand how it could be so. When I painted my black hull white I left a 6-8" bit of the original black around the rub rail as an accent/trim stripe. It looked nice but on the inside of the boat you could tell exactly where the black stripe was on the outside. It radiated heat from that on area like an electric space heater. Never measured but on the inside of the hull I would guess at least a 10 degree temp difference from the white sides to the black stripe, possibly a good deal more than that.

[BenBowSirocco]

I remember his hull/deck being fully insulated before they left for their Pacific circuit. Perhaps that is why he claimed he never noticed it.

What your saying makes total sense to me. My wife has a black car and the difference between it and my white work truck is pretty incredible and I know the truck is less insulated than her car.