Sunfish Bottom painting and spider cracks

Hi I just got a 1986 sunfish it has the blue hull and white deck. I would like to know how to repair spider cracks in prep for painting and what tools and materials I need to repair them. Also I would like to know if I can paint the bottom of the hull white because now my hull is blue.

So now I have the sunfish with the blue bottom and I would like to make it look like the one with the yellow stripes.View attachment 12095 View attachment 12096
 

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This forum has discussed this in-depth. For the most part the recommendation has been Rustomeum TopSide Marine. There is no need for Rustoleum Boat Bottom with these small boats. There is a Rustoleum Marine Primer that you should use as well.
 
1. That earlier picture of the blue boat is one we sold unrestored, it was a beautiful color and i havent seen many of them. If we had kept it I would have sanded using a random orbital sander with 120 grit then 220, then waxed with 3M Fiberglass Restorer. The green boat below shows heavily oxidized gel coat before and after an sanding and waxing. Gelcoat was not cracked though.

If gelcoat is crazed but not cracked, we have sanded and sprayed the bottom with gloss white rustoleum, that gave it a nice one color look and it was easy, cheap and could be touched up when needed. It will not hold up to abuse or being left out in the sun as there is no UV inhibitor, but what will :) the white hull below was sanded and sprayed.

For decks and hulls that were nothing but cracked gelcoat we have used Rustoleum Topside or Interlux Brightside, applied with closed cell foam roller and then tipped with a good brush for best results. We put on two coats of paint vs primer first, but primer is cheaper and many folks here have good results with it. The closed cell foam reduces bubbles and the brush smooths out the paint. Some folks also have the high volume low pressure equipment to spray. The yellow and blue decks were painted with Interlux.

Youtube video, rolling and tipping wooden hull:

Our Lowes sells the white Rustoleum Topside, but not yellow. Interlux makes a nice Bluglo white and a great yellow, we bought those at West Marine. We bought our rollers at West Marine, brushes at Lowes, Wooster brand. Jamestown Distributors sells a roll and tip kit with trays and brushes. All of these items can also be bought off Amazon.

So you sand, repair with epoxy putty like Marine Tex, wipe down with water or acetone to remove dust, etc.., apply paint, let dry. Paint in AM after dew drys or before it comes up in evening, in garage if you can. For second coat scuff the paint with 220 so you can see where you pally second coat, the scuffed area will look flat and freshly painted area glossy/wet.
 

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I'm partial to the blues myself. Our AMFlite 14 has a cream deck and blue hull, and our Sunfish as a blue deck and white hull. The Sunfish was painted with Rustoleum rather the gelcoat restored, and there are now cracks in the cockpit. We haven't done anything about them, because even filling them with more Rustoleum will only be a temporary fix. Just an FYI that those cracks may return in the future, but no one really sees inside our cockpit, anyway.
 
How do I repair the spider cracks on the deck of my sunfish
Could you list the steps and the materials I need to repair them
Also the cracks are only in the gel coat.
 
I'm 15 and I just got into sailing here is some pictures of my first sunfish.
 

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Are the pictures at the top of the blue hull Sunfish pictures of your boat or a similar boat...trying to figure out if that is the boat we sold in Gulf Breeze Florida, an 86 model year made by Loveless and Degarmo.

A boat is best sailed :) First sail the boat all Summer, those cracks are ok :) as it looks like they are just in the top layer of cosmetic gelcoat, which shrinks and expands and gets stressed, vs in the structural fiberglass mat and epoxy below.

Then that deck gelcoat color will be hard to match, which might drive you to paint, which is a big leap. If you had a new boat or gelcoat experience it could be matched. So you might consider waxing and being content with that. We prefer the look of the original gelcoat if it can be saved. Before painting I recommend a clean/wax/buff with 3M Fiberglass Restorer. Walmart sells a nice low cost 6 inch car buffer. If you like the look then try it out on the hull. If the hull is oxidized/chalky, you will need to sand first with 220 or finer paper.

If you decide to paint, you widen out all of the old gelcoat cracks with a razor blade or dremel tool and repair with epoxy/putty, then primer, sand and paint. We have never done that but there are folks in here with more information on how to do that and get good results. There is also a chance that crack might migrate up through the paint if not prepped properly.

Congrats on your first boat!!!

Fair winds,
Kent
 
No you're not. That blue hull boat was one we wish we had kept :)
My blue hull faded in the Florida sun, so I painted it white. To fill imperfections and scratches, I used automotive "glazing putty", 'cuz that's what I had handy. :)

It's worked just fine, but spray painting (only) tends to make the spider cracks still visible. A coat of paint covers very well.

I think my "spider cracks" inside the cockpit floor leak rainwater into the hull, so those are not just "cosmetic". :oops:
 

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