What kind of paint do I use to paint a fiberglass boat?

Question

It's a 1970's-era bass boat, and we ripped the entire floor out of it and re-did it, set it all in with new fiberglass. Then we sanded it all down smooth, and used Bondo to fill all the damaged areas and old holes from all the old equipment we took off. Now we'd like to paint it, but are unsure what kind of paint would be easiest to use and yet durable enough... it has to be something we can apply with brushes and/or rollers. Right now we're only looking to paint the interior, the floor, and the top side of the boat.

Answer 1

as an alternative to gelcoat for the interior floor, you might want to look at something like Interlux Interdeck, which is a rubbery non-skid paint.

For the topsides, you could look at Brightside, which is a one-part polyurethane that comes in a lot of great colors and is much easier to apply and work with than gelcoat. if you want a harder, more durable finish you could try "Perfection" which is a two-part polyurethane that has a nice gloss when dry. Either one of these will provide a durable paint job without the hassle of gelcoat.

Answer 2

I going to just tell you what I have done. When I worked for a boat dealer I did fiberglass repair on damaged boats. In a professional setting as this I used Gel-Coat as that what comes on the boats from the factory. Gel-Coat is an epoxy based paint that you mix a "Hardener" into the paint. Just go to a hardware store and see how epoxy comes, Gel-Coat is similar except you may mix drops of hardener instead of a 50:50 mix.
When Gel-Coat is applied at the factory it is sprayed into the mold and then the fiberglass is applied. This how it get a mirror/glass finish. When we spray it at home it needs Buffed with a Course Rubbing Compound, Fine Rubbing Compound and then a Wax (Have even started out wet sanding with a 800-1000 grit sandpaper). Takes a lot of polishing and we never get a factory finish, but, with work we get pretty darn good. Also, This stuff hardens or sets at a rate according to the amount of hardener, though it does dry flexible.
I also build boats for a hobby (Under 20 feet). These are wood with fiberglass laid over the wood. I have seen people use everything from Oil Based paint to Exterior house paint with good results, though there is repainting over time. We used Car Enamel on a boat, we still have. Painted it in 1976 and that paint is still there today, though this was not below the water line.
So, there what I know. The link to Boat Paint. You can browse around, talk to some paint stores and then decide what be best for your situation and cost. Good Luck.

Answer 3

The best place to start is a Marine and Boat store. Look in the Yellow Pages to start.

Here's the skinny on Gel Coat.

When Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic (FRP) boats were first put on the market, the gel coat (outer skin) of the hull was believed to be an impenetrable layer that would keep the underlying resin and fibers dry forever. We now know that some boats can - and do - develop blistering and delamination on and in their hulls caused by water penetrating this gel coat layer.

To understand how and why this can happen, let's look at how a typical FRP boat is constructed. First, a mold release wax is sprayed into a female boat mold. Next, layers of gel coat are sprayed onto this mold either by a computer driven robot or by a very skillful worker. The gel coat is a pigmented resin layer that gives the boat its color and smooth finish. Inside the gel coat are layers of chopped strand cloth and woven matting, which are completely saturated with resin.

It is within these layers of cloth, matting and resin that the trouble starts when the water seeps in through the gel coat.

As small amounts of water get inside the FRP, it begins to dissolve the chemicals found there. This gooey solution then attracts even more water through a process called osmosis. Finally, when enough water has accumulated in this area it creates a blister which eventually delaminates more of the surrounding area, thus making room for even more water ... and on and on. If left unattended, this process can and will destroy the structural integrity of the hull itself.

Try this link for more information and pics on the task.
http://www.aquaskier.com/articles/gel_coat_repair.htm

Good luck.

Answer 4

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RE:
What kind of paint do I use to paint a fiberglass boat?
It's a 1970's-era bass boat, and we ripped the entire floor out of it and re-did it, set it all in with new fiberglass. Then we sanded it all down smooth, and used Bondo to fill all the damaged areas and old holes from all the old equipment we took off. Now we'd like to paint it, but...

Answer 5

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You need a marine grade paint. This is a difficult task, combined with hard-to-use paint. A lot of prep work is needed, removing barnacles, moss, scale, and more. Best option is to take it to a paint shop that knows about boats. Even though it may cost you more, you will be better off in the long run.

Answer 6

The orginal finish is a gel-coat. This is the most durable, it can be rolled on, I have done it. It is a 2 part mixture, short working time, acetone clean up. You have to follow the instructions. You can check at west marine for different paints that might be easier to use.

Answer 7

Gel-Coat

Answer 8

I dont really know mabey you should go to the stors and ask a profesinol.