Best boat paint.

[johnsonm50]

Talkin about boat racing & restorations at work today & I got asked "What is the best boat paint?" Turns out the guy has an old but new wood boat that he found in storage somewhere that has never even had a motor clamped on. It's a lap-strake type hull & for all the work I do & really didn't know. Opinions?

[joejohn44]

awl-grip buy it at west marine

[PROPDOC]

awl-grip buy it at west marine

I concur, used it many times over the years with great results.

[krazy karl]

I use automotive paint on sealed race boats. For wooden unsealed (epoxy) boats I use Easypoxy by Petit. It comes out smooth and shiny even when brushed on.
kk

[blueskyracer]

I use automotive paint on sealed race boats. For wooden unsealed (epoxy) boats I use Easypoxy by Petit. It comes out smooth and shiny even when brushed on.
kk

Thats all I use also..Folks can not even tell it is a brush paint..No overspray to mess with either!

[Dennis Crews]

Thats all I use also..Folks can not even tell it is a brush paint..No overspray to mess with either!

So to be sure I understand this...If the boat is sealed with epoxy you use automotive paint but if the boat has no epoxy sealing the surface, you use Easypoxy. Is that correct?

[PROPDOC]

Depends

So to be sure I understand this...If the boat is sealed with epoxy you use automotive paint but if the boat has no epoxy sealing the surface, you use Easypoxy. Is that correct?

Dennis,
It really depends on the type of boat and what kind of finish you are after. In the case of a race boat where weight is a concern an automotive type paint that is sprayed is diserable to keep weight down. I believe in this instance concerning the original question of this thread, Easypoxy and Awlgrip would be the way to go, as I believe that the boat in question is not a race boat and therefore weight would not be a concern. You can use spray on finishes whether the boat has been sealed with or without epoxy. Without epoxy sealer you will have to use a premiun primer to seal the wood where as with the epoxy sealer you could skip the primer coat by sanding a scuff into the epoxy and then spraying your finish coat. Call me if you have any more questions.

[blueskyracer]

So to be sure I understand this...If the boat is sealed with epoxy you use automotive paint but if the boat has no epoxy sealing the surface, you use Easypoxy. Is that correct?

I dont know about other folks but I do the epoxy and a little varnish to fill in MOST of the wood grain and then I use the paint..Depends on if you want a mirror finish or not..I wet sand between each coat of material.. Has anyone really weigh the difference in paints.. I bet we are not even talking about a pound difference and the price for auto paint is astronomical compared to the hand finsh material

[krazy karl]

So to be sure I understand this...If the boat is sealed with epoxy you use automotive paint but if the boat has no epoxy sealing the surface, you use Easypoxy. Is that correct?

Correct

[PROPDOC]

.. Has anyone really weigh the difference in paints.. I bet we are not even talking about a pound difference and the price for auto paint is astronomical compared to the hand finsh material

Have you ever compared the weight of a quart of Easypoxy to an automotive urethane base finish? BIG difference.... Although it might not be much in overall weight savings every little bit helps plus with a quality spray finish you have better control of the product compared to brushing on a finish. I guess it all boils down to what you are comfortable doing and have experience with. With proper prep you can achieve a mirror finish with most any type of paint...look at the thread where Lanphear has his orange boat for sale. That boat was spray painted using Tractor Supply Implement enamel and then wet sanded and buffed to a high gloss. Not a high quality paint to say the least but proves my point, thanks.

[blueskyracer]

Yes I have done both..Tired of wearing a respirator and having to have a booth so that the overspray does not destroy everything with in sight..

Plus with auto paint you also have the hardner and thinnner and that all adds up in weight...Anyway I guess folks would have to do some research to actually check weight.. And depending on time you want to spend you can get any type of finish you want...Plus cost of material is involved with all the masking off required and type of paint involved..Lots of things to consider..

[PROPDOC]

Mike,
True, there are pros and cons to consider, so for anyone planning to do their own painting just go with what you know and are comfortable with and most of all good luck and have fun.........

[mercguy]

Yes I have done both..Tired of wearing a respirator and having to have a booth so that the overspray does not destroy everything with in sight..

Plus with auto paint you also have the hardner and thinnner and that all adds up in weight...Anyway I guess folks would have to do some research to actually check weight.. And depending on time you want to spend you can get any type of finish you want...Plus cost of material is involved with all the masking off required and type of paint involved..Lots of things to consider..

I have done it........an auto finish weighs much less than that brush on stuff.....and have painted a LOT of boats!!

[T Chance]

It seems that the nicer, the more expensive, the paint job - the more it hurts when you look at your duct tape repair job.

[PAUL PRICE]

Automotive