Question about hull color

[Scout 30]

We had a white sailboat in Florida. We painted the topsides black and never noticed any difference in the interior temp. Loved the way it looked & would do it again.

[zengirl]

Originally Posted by Musicaltrees

Are dark colored hulls really that much hotter on the interior? I have often heard that but can anyone who has owned one attest? I'm considering a navy blue Tartan and was wondering.

And God forbid, what if you needed to be rescued? Dark blue and black are harder to see on a dark ocean background.

[puffcard]

Had a friend, who painted his wood ketch black. Man it looked good, then the seams opened up and he said the heat was noticeably hotter. He haulout and painted it white again, before his normal haulout schedule.

I do love the dark blue Tartans, a very proper looking yacht. I would have one in the northeast, not the southeast.

[captlloyd]

Originally Posted by skipmac

My example was not intuitive and removed all the variables of different hull designs, insulation, ventilation, location, basically everything except color. I lived on board a black hulled boat. Painted the hull white, boat was much cooler inside.

When I painted the boat white I left a small stripe black for looks. On a sunny day inside the boat I could feel exactly where the black stripe was by the heat radiating from that area of the hull and that radiated heat was not subtle but very noticeable. Also was confirmed by wife and crew so don't think it was all in my head.

To me that experience seems pretty conclusive, all other variables being the same, a dark hull will be hotter inside than a light one.

All things NOT being equal, like a boat with a cored hull or insulation on the inside then the impact of darker hull might not be as significant.

X2. This is not rocket science. Dark colors absorb more heat, lots of it. They do in my opinion look sharp. Decks need to be a very light colored, off white is best. Yes, any part of the boat that can be shaded will help a lot.

[Deltasailor]

Originally Posted by John_Trusty

My concern with dark hulls is keeping them looking good. They're certainly attractive the first few years, but unless religiously waxed after a while the UV degradation of the gelcoat leaves them chalky. The solution is maintaining a good wax coat, and refinishing by compounding and polishing - not fun stuff.

I do love dark blue hulls but buyers don't. A guy with similar taste as me and with a lot more brass also liked dark blue but bought a White Swan. Covered the hull in a blue plastic skin and when he put his boat back on the market, stripped the skin off and behold a unmarked white hull.

[Lepke]

Going back to planked wood boats, dark hulls had the seams open in the summer. Some heat transfers to the interior. Dark paint doesn't last as long as white. I have a wood boat. White with light trim. No varnish. Low maintenance.

[DefinitelyMe]

Had a boat with a dark blue hull. Painted it white. It was maybe a little cooler in the summer (in Bermuda) but not a lot. The deck was another matter. Couldn't stand on the grey deck in the summer in bare feet. White deck was fine, and made a huge difference to the temp below. Dark colours also need to be re-painted more frequently to keep the finish and it's harder to find your boat in the dark in a busy anchorage!

[Capt Gill]

I have my topsides painted with awlgrip flag blue (v.dark) ,never made any comparisons on the water, but have( 'cause I'm currently on the hard in Mexico) checked other boats that are on the hard, yeah it's significantly hotter as I figured it would be. I took this and the extra maintenance required into account when I bought the boat. Usually I'm practical in these matters, however this is a case where beauty trumps, maybe it's narcissistic, but the pleasure I get when motoring up in the dingy or walking the pier to its slip the sight is well worth it. I do draw the line for teak decks, which were removed and replaced with white awlgrip; after all it's a plastic boat,seems silly to dress up as a wood boat and I know of no benefit gained by doing so.

[patrick brooks]

When I bought my boat it came with a very attractive dark green hull. At a temp moorage I was talking with a salty and she liked the color but said when they were in inside passage BC and the Orcas gave them to much attention, rolling and bumping boat.I love the Idea of whales but be safe. I will keep my dark color boat even though it may have some drawbacks because that was what I fell in Love with. Fair winds

[Obi Wan]

Originally Posted by Scaramanga F25

They look smart. But in salt water particularly they spot considerably and need to be wiped off, not hosed off.

I second that. I have a dark blue hull which looks good, until it doesn't (salt spray and calcium).