Yet another paint question

[vientoman]

"a coating that was / is superior to awl grip.".........

was / is it available?

if so,,,,,,,,was / is it?

[Aloha_float]

Yes...superior. I race at a club in Ontario and we painted hulls with (it could handle immersion as well). And the coating still looks great 14 years later. All of the boats we did still have the coating. It was called FPU and it was originally developed by the US navy. We modified it to work in a commercial application and the product was excellent. The problem was lack of brand awareness and people only buy brand...not technology.

No one makes it anymore although I still have the formulations. I did my boat in awl grip but wish I had FPU at the time.

We experimented with alot of additives and started working with polysiloxane as an additive and it make the coating unbelievably slick. We tried to get US Paint to look at it but they sneered at the idea.

[vientoman]

I'm about to lay down a breifcase full of 100 dollar bills in payment for all the primers, surfacers, thinners, activators, top coat. topcoat activators, all covered by awlcraft 2000.

Awlgrip makes mighy fine products

1. Awlgrip Polyester Polyurethane with activator ....results in a 10 to 15 year topcoat, spray it and forget it. Polyester polyurethane can not be buffed over time without compromising the gloss and protective matrix. ( it gets less glossy the more yu buff it)

2. Awlgrip Awlcraft Acrylic polyurethane.....similar qualities but can be re-worked after your brother comes on board with his steel spike ultimate frisbee shoes while saber sword fighting a heartless tin man. ( scrapes , dings and bashed in hatch openings can all be worked back into shape and localized damages can be touched up and blended without the need to repaint the whole boat)

I like that.


therefore: show boats....go for Polyester Polyurethane
cruising boats.....where you just may bump a dock ( can be buffed and touched up locally)

Interior: thickest coat of high solids two part epoxy aircraft hanger paint. ( mixed with micro baloons for body / texture to hide imperfections and impart an elegant subdued simi gloss which can be pressure washed bow to stern, inside and out with fresh water from the watermaker output reserves run back through the cat pump bypassing the RO element which will now be acting as a fresh water hand held pressure washer for the boat. I like adding a touch of lavender oil and a few drips of ucalipstus oil just to give the interior that yoga studio after party smell

My cat's not sitting on the porch, she's going to be out there scraping rocks, scratching her sides against docks and generally not worrying about maintaining perfection over the enjoyment of friends, family and helping all you other cruisers that my need it.