Painting a white Hull Blue

[JJ]

Has anybody ever painted a white hule blue? I like the look of the blue hull (and I also want the xtra speed)

Any suggestions for doing this?

[parrothead]

I'm not sure there's any xtra speed to be had , but I've seen photos of an that's been painted yellow on the North East Trailer Sailors site http://www.ne-ts.com/

[James V]

Well - don't. Sell yours and buy a blue one. May be cheeper and a lot easier.

[KayakDan]

There's a secret ingredient in the blue paint that Macgregor puts on the boats. Makes 'em fast. Can't be duplicated.

[Night Sailor]

The two part polyurethane paints when applied properly are very glossy, clean and polish easily and more importantly, tougher than gelcoat.

Be also aware that dark glossy surfaces show up imperfections in the molding of the hull more than light, dull colors do. Macgregor has never, as far as I've seen, spent much effort in getting smooth, consistent layups in the mold so there are usually shallow depressions, creases and overlaps visible in the outside views of brand new hulls. Sort of like some new tires, they are still strong, just not the state of visual perfection.

That said, one theory popular among owners of white boats is that dark colors, especially blue, absorb more of the sun's rays which slows the boat down and heats it up inside, evaporates more beer, etc. So be forewarned. ....

[Terry]

The two part polyurethane paints when applied properly are very glossy, clean and polish easily and more importantly, tougher than gelcoat.

Am I falling for a sucker punch here or is this something I can do to my already blue hull when the scrapes multiply to an unacceptable level?

[waternwaves]

...tougher than gelcoat. ...

would you be referring to:

Surface hardness?
Tensile strength?
UV resistance to color fade?
impact Strength?
Bonding/adhesion strength to hull material?
Temperature Stability?
chemical resistance?
Biofoulling resistance?

What specific properties would you be referring to.




p.S. no axe to grind here, I have been painting my and other's composite and aluminum aircraft since the 70's, and am curious which properties you are specifically referring to.
I found those paints excellent for topsides, I have been less than enamoured with their performance on wetted wearing surfaces.

What have you found?

|>

[richandlori]

After owning a Blue 26M and getting stomach cramps over all the dings she shows....why would you want to go from White to blue? I LOVE the look of Blue....but she does take more to keep looking good....but then again....learning how to dock properly could have gone a long way.....

[Divecoz]

...tougher than gelcoat. ...

would you be referring to:

Surface hardness?
Tensile strength?
UV resistance to color fade?
impact Strength?
Bonding/adhesion strength to hull material?
Temperature Stability?
chemical resistance?
Biofoulling resistance?

What specific properties would you be referring to.




p.S. no axe to grind here, I have been painting my and other's composite and aluminum aircraft since the 70's, and am curious which properties you are specifically referring to.
I found those paints excellent for topsides, I have been less than enamoured with their performance on wetted wearing surfaces.

What have you found?

|>

Maybe just the Mac's Gel Coat? I think they spray a release agent on the mold first, then they follow this with one very light coat of 1976 DuPont Clear Lacquer, followed by a very soft coat of some sort of liquid Chalk. Then they proceed to build the hull. I have come to this conclusion without any facts to back up my statements because. none of my previous boats ( StarCraft , SeaRay and Switzer Craft) seemed to ever scratch as easy as my Mac does.
Now I will go to a source of information , not from someone reading advertisements and slanted propaganda, but from someone with on the job real world background and expertise.
Waternwaves :
I ask you how close is my description? That said right or wrong why does the Mac scratch so easily? Lastly what coating (not a paint I assume, as even cars are no longer painted they are coated) so what could we use IYPO as an after market product with only reasonable DIYS abilities.
I would accept it to only have .
Strong resistance to wear and scratches
Surface hardness
Tensile strength
UV resistance to color fade
impact Strength
Bonding/adhesion strength to hull material
Temperature Stability
chemical resistance
Back in THE DAY Emron was THE solution no doubt surpassed now , but with what?
See how easy I have made this for you. I dropped the need of an antifouling characteristic
Your last statement "performance on wetted wearing surfaces."
Is that the Real Monster in the solution ?

[waternwaves]

Dive,

no , I apologize here, my intent is not to challenge but to discover. The only paints I can really get to stick to fiberglass ( and take a buff and shine really well) are the two part epoxies, (which really are thin gelcoats in themselves, and I find them quite difficult to apply, and they don't hold shine well because of their thin layers.

I love shooting imron over an epoxy primer........it just doesnt seem to hold well on a smooth boat hull. and by the time I get the surface rough enough to get good adhesion............... it looks like crap on the finished product. Something about the light going through it. looks and feels rougher than regular gelcoat.

I like your comment about the chalk, cuz even the white boats are like cleaning school blackboards after a hard season. (And I probably dont clean the salt off well enough also) figuring the rain here takes most of the salt off.

but, white or blue........ ITs just too damn thin to wear evenly. All off my other boat hulls have thicker gel

[Divecoz]

Hummmmm
We shot Emron on Corvettes all during the 70's same for the seldom used Thunderboats.... Not Professional Show Quality but gorgeous all the same . So why the final appearance problems on the glass hulls you describe. I always joked Emron came into being right after the
"Weed Wack Car Wash" was invented. For Old Fat Lazy Corvette owners.
I do know white hides the most sin's. . .But those Thunderboat Paint schemes hide a lot of sin as well. As long as there are no large areas to show contrast and blemishes. Cannot find the word I need so. The More going on in a paint job the less you'll see for problems. Lots of converging line of sights then add a few curves to really mess with the eye.
I wonder how well that Black 26 M is doing now. The La Perla I believe.