Painting My 1970´s Sunfish

[limo7757]

I am an experienced laser sailor, but I have recently got a sunfish from the mid-1970s and have yet to sail it. I ran into some important screws being rotted and rusted and so I am trying to restore it before i take it out. I want to paint both the deck and hull but I´m getting lost on what I need to do. I've looked at rustoleum and interlux paints. But I don´t know which I should use for what. And I dont know how I should go about starting and what steps to do for the painting process. Do you recommend priming? And what grit sandpaper should I use, and how often would I need to be sanding? Do I need to get any paint thinner? And would it be the same process for both the hull and deck or no?
Any help is appreciated. Thanks!

 

[limo7757]

I am also confused about any work that may need to be done to the gelcoat and how that applies. The current paint job is really rough and was done poorly. I´m hoping to get a clean glossy finish.

 

[signal charlie]

If the boat has been painted then most likely the gelcoat underneath was damaged or repaired, so you won't be doing gelcoat work.

Do you have pictures of the boat?

 

[Breeze Bender]

I am also confused about any work that may need to be done to the gelcoat and how that applies. The current paint job is really rough and was done poorly. I´m hoping to get a clean glossy finish.

Since the current paint is “really rough” you’ll want to start by sanding everything down (work your way to a 220 grit or so) and prepping well for fresh paint. Any leaks/repairs need to be addressed, so do a leak test before painting. There are YouTube videos and lots of info on this forum about how that’s done. I know you’re anxious to paint but that’s the last step. When you’re ready to paint there are several choices- Rustoleum Marine is probably the cheapest and it works fine. Color selection is limited. I also like Duralux- sold at Home Depot (better selection online). I was very happy with the results of this paint. TotalBoat, Interlux are also excellent and more colors are offered.

 

[limo7757]

I plan on fixing a hole in the deck, and i have some screw holes to patch up. But then I think I will be ready to paint. The bottom of the boat is rough as well, but I didn't want to fight the trailer yesterday for pictures. But luckily it seems to be sound. Thanks!