Preping & painting hull of a '74 fish?

P

Palmbeacher

New Member
I purchased a hull that was patched in a few spots and therefore the white hull has been sanded down and is brown in these spots. This is strictly a recreational boat however I would like for it to be the same color. I have been looking on the net for info and really don't want to go the awlgrip or gelcoat route. There is too much color difference to just prime the areas and paint. I want to redo from the rub rail on down. Is there anyone out there that has heard or tried to sand the bottom with a specific grit, then primed, then painted. If so, could you suggest the best primer and paint combination so I could have a presentable boat? Many thanks for any suggestions and comments.
 
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions on this site - there is one, possibly two sections that pertain to painting a Sunfish hull.

Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
 
Recently embarked on a restoration project and happily discovered Jamestown Distributing as a source for information, primers, paint fillers and epoxy. Were very helpful and pleasantly less expensive than West.
They are in RI but and shipped my stuff the same day.
www.JamestownDistributors.com
 
I have restored several Sunfish, Lasers, Force 5's, etc. Those boats that are dry sailed I have used the previously mentioned Interlux Brightside with very good results. However there are several factors in obtaining a good finish. Obviously the patch work must be fair. Use a long sanding board to acheive fairness. Next I recommend Interlux Pre-Kote primer, at least (2) coats, after which sand with 400 grit paper to achieve maximum smoothness. Wash down the hull with soap and water, let it dry, then immediately before the final coats use a tack rag to lift any residual dust. I use disposable foam brushes for all my paint work, but buy those made by Jens Mfg. They are significantly better than what you find at Walmart or Home Depot. The real secret to a super final coat is thinning the Brightside with Interlux thinner. Resign yourself to the fact that you are going to have to apply multiple coats of Brightside for adequate coverage. Lighly scuff between coats with 600-800grit paper, tack again. By diluting the paint with 20-25% thinner you wind up with a paint job that looks professionally applied. You will not see any brush marks if you diligently follow the above.
 
My previous post talked about painting a Sunfish hull. Unfortunately most paints, Brightside included, are not suitable for wet sailed or moored sailboats. The exception is (2) part epoxy paint such as Interlux Perfection VC. Like your circumstance my current Sunfish has multiple pathches but is also on a mooring, so Brightside was not an option and I did not want to bother painting the entire hull with (2) part paint. Fortunately my hull was white albeit quite stained and discolored. I spent a lot of time with Comet cleanser and a GI brush to bleach the hull back to as white as possible. The results were very satisfying. I had (4) patches which were also brown and a dark cream color. I made my own "paint" using a mixture of West Sysytem epoxy, white acrylic paste and lacquer thinner (not acetone). The white acylic tint is obtainable from your fiberglass supplier. Again you need to apply a couple of coats of this homebrew epoxy paint using the foam brushes, sanding with 600 grit in between. You can barely see the spots that have been painted and assuredly this "paint" is suitable for below the waterline use.
 
Clever paint concoction.

I'm going to try the Perfection. Large amount of prep work but I want to see how good a finish I can get just for the hell of it. The Brightside would be OK but it isn't as hard a finish as the 2 part epoxies and will scratch a lot easier.

Next time I'll try Awlgrip!
 
Thanks. Keep us posted on your experience with Perfection; I have not tried any of the LPU paints such as Awlgrip, Perfection, Sterling, etc. I have used
(2) part epoxy paint, Dupont Corlan, for under the waterline application using "roll and tip" method. It is not the easiest to work with.
 
Glenist,
Your prep work sounds doable to me and I appreciate the heads-up on the foam brushes. I am not sure about the actual paint you used on the hull. Did you use just a regular Interlux Brightside white or bight white even though we're talking about the hull and if I got ambitious, would you recommend doing the top the same? I actually have an old Butterfly that could use some attention. The sunfish is my test boat so I'd like to get it right first. Also, I'll be using it in the bay off Santa Rosa in Pensacola. After sailing, I drag it up on shore about 20' or so. How durable is this paint if I apply multiple coats?
Thanks for your advice and time.
Palmbeacher
 
Brightside comes in a variety of colors including several shades of white. If you are painting the entire hull then get the color you like. I personally like the Off-white #4381 which has a pinch of cream in it. Be assured that Brightside does have limitations. It is not the most abrasion resistant product nor will it retain a high gloss if continously exposed to the sun. As mentioned in a prior note by REDBOAT Interlux Perfection is a much more durable product but also significantly more expensive and more difficult to apply.
 
Glenist,
I googled Interlux Perfection and it says for areas of usage-topsides. My fish is is only in sun for maybe 3 days at a time and only in the water when I'm sailing. Otherwise, I pull it up on the beach. I realize that nothing is really going to be totally sand friendly, but I'm looking for a relatively durable and glossy finish. Your thoughts?
Palmbeacher
 
As I previously mentioned Perfection is more abrasion and sun resistant than Brightside. Like most things in this world it becomes a matter of time and money.
 
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