To paint or not to paint?

[Stinky_Hooker]

Originally Posted by Destroyer

I'd leave it alone and let the next owner worry about it 10-20 years from now...

It'll still be me I hope.

[bradford]

Stink, you do good work from what I've seen. I say do it. Seafoam with a white cap will look nice and really make her yours.

[Kracker Jack]

Originally Posted by Stinky_Hooker

It'll still be me I hope.

Thats how i feel about my 18 ft scow!!!! Im getting ready to strip and refit/paint her at the end of the summer.

[Night_Sailor]

My boat is a bit beat looking, but I still think about painting it. It will happen at some point because gelcoat matching is difficult, I prefer two part paint.

Paint is easier to touch up, or even do a full repaint. I'm 5/6 done sanding my 46' sloop for a repaint. The first time my brother and I put in 12 man hours for two months fairing and painting it. It had many star cracks in the gelcoat from poor layup. This time it only needs about 8 -10 hours more work because the hull is so fair.

When it comes to small boats like this, why not, there is so little to do! I bet you could do in 20-25 hours. The hard part is finding a clean place to paint it.


I have mixed feelings on this though because it is so easy to wet sand gelcoat with 600 grit or 1200 and make it look pretty good. I might prefer to have all gelcoat even if some of it looked a bit off color. I hate working with gelcoat though because it seems to be all rework. With paint you make forward progress.