Hull painting????

xkeller

xkeller

New Member
Hi Guys
My old 1975 Laser hull is sad. The deck is past it. So I have negotiated a deal on another hull from a sailing club that has too many Laser hulls in their fleet.
The hull I'm purchasing has had some bad repairs done to the hull.
A mate of mine works with fibreglass and has often to fix the spots for.
I intend on doing the job properly as I intend on keeping it.
I would like to get it professionaly painted. I'm also thinking about suppling the paint to save costs.
I am a boat painting virgin. What type of paint do I need? Is there a special clear coat to protect over the top? Whats the best way to maintain a new paint job? Would performance be comprimised with vinyl graphics on the hull? or should a clear coat go over top?
Thax 4 yur help
 
If you're going to race your boat, you want gelcoat, not paint. Gelcoat is pricey, but when wetsanded, will give you a real nice finish. Also, you can match any color you want by adding color tubes to the gelcoat.
 
Painting the boat is expensive! Some people here seem to have good results with a paint called Awlgrip. to paint gelcoat is really difficult! If you choose to do that, you should probably hire a professional.
If I were you I would just fix the repairs. Here you use gelcoat as a toplayer. an option would be to wetsand the whole hull. You can probably still restore it pretty nicely. Wetsanding does not cost too much and you don't need professional equipment.
Do a search on these topics, and you should find a ton of information in this forum.

Good luck!
G
 
I recently looked at a 1986 Laser with spider cracks in the gelcoat. I didn't think of it at the time I looked at until I saw this posting. Is it worth the trouble to wetsand it and refinish it? Or should I look for something better. Budget constraints limits my search.

Mark
 
You can get really nice results with a two part polyurathene paint such as Awlgrip or Sterling (sprayed) and there are some that can be rolled on. The key is surface prep with these paints, any inperfection will show thru. It's also $$$. It will also really tick you off the first time someone knocks into your boat on the startling or mark rounding and scratches the paint job (guaranteed to happen)

Search the forums here, it's been discussed quite a bit, Awlgrip and gelcoat are good terms to seach for.
 
if I remember sailing lasers... I never saw the hull, or anyone elses really for that matter... i wouldnt really both with it
 
dannyv1986 said:
if I remember sailing lasers... I never saw the hull, or anyone elses really for that matter... i wouldnt really both with it
Click to expand...

You must be sailing like a grandma buddy. its a bit diff over here. have you never tried to touch your centre board by leaning over the side hiking out?
 
Just get a 2 part epoxy primer. Sand the hull smooth with 240 grit paper (wet or dry). Spray it yourself with a cheap spray gun, then sand it again, finishing it off at no less than 400 grit. If you want it to shine, continue sanding to 2000, then give it a good polish with some polishing compound. Trust me, it works, its inexpensive, easy to maintain, and is as fast as any other surface.
 
Steve_Landeau said:
Just get a 2 part epoxy primer. Sand the hull smooth with 240 grit paper (wet or dry). Spray it yourself with a cheap spray gun, then sand it again, finishing it off at no less than 400 grit. If you want it to shine, continue sanding to 2000, then give it a good polish with some polishing compound. Trust me, it works, its inexpensive, easy to maintain, and is as fast as any other surface.
Click to expand...

Like your style. Do you have any pics of hulls done this way? Cher cher
 
xkeller said:
You must be sailing like a grandma buddy.
Click to expand...

Hey, no need to insult those of us getting old enough to be grandmas! It's never occurred to me to try to touch the centerboard, but I do like to hike out until I'm inverted and sail watching the horizon upside down. That makes me laugh every time!
 
I am in the repair industry and from experience Awlgrip is not the way to go. It is a very soft paint. I would stay to the original gelcoat. It is very easy to scratch awlgrip and if not done right it looks like crap.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top