Will painted hull fade as fast/bad as original gelcoat?

[DN]

Have dark red/maroon hull which is the original gelcoat color...has faded so bad that even after wet sanding it still deteriorated pretty quick.

Want to paint hull same color and hope that is more resistant to fading.

Any input would be appreciated.

[c_mccann]

Painting hull maroon will be a wise investment. Gelcoat fades fast, period. Darker colors exasperate that characteristic. My hull is dark blue Awlgrip and gets waxed once a year, never has been compounded- it was painted in 2004, and looks great. Guys also paint with Imron, very durable and stable stuff as well.

[thomas70]

It will not fade if you use Awlgrip. I've had some that we painted 15 years ago then put clearcoat over them, the clear starts to breakdown we just sand them a little and shoot fresh clear agian good for another 15 years.

[thomas70]

It will not fade if you use Awlgrip. I've had some that we painted 15 years ago then put clearcoat over them, the clear starts to breakdown we just sand them a little and shoot fresh clear agian good for another 15 years.

[kerno]

I had a great job done on my Jupiter using automotive materials. Cars sit outside all the time and seem to hold up pretty well now that the manufacturers have figures out how to use the new low emission paints properly. You do color and clear and they come out stunning.

[DN]

Thank you for the responses.
I wonder why the gel coat loses it's color fastness so quickly? Are their different quality gel coats that do better than others or just an inherant problem of all gelcoats?

[DN]

I checked the awlgrip site and it says "above the water line only"...I have a flats boat and part of the sides of the hull are under water when boat off lift...is that ok?

[c_mccann]

Yes it is, but if you have a part of the hull that is underwater while the boat is at rest in the water, you need to put your bootstripe there at that level, Awlgrip above the bootstripe, gelcoat/barrier coat below.

[DN]

c_mccann - 6/17/2008 7:00 AM

Yes it is, but if you have a part of the hull that is underwater while the boat is at rest in the water, you need to put your bootstripe there at that level, Awlgrip above the bootstripe, gelcoat/barrier coat below.

Not sure if I can use awlgrip then as on the flats boat there is only about a foot of total freeboard and when boat setting in water there is about 6 inches under the water?

[ali'i kai]

DN - 6/17/2008 5:33 AM

I checked the awlgrip site and it says "above the water line only"...I have a flats boat and part of the sides of the hull are under water when boat off lift...is that ok?

Awlgrip is not intended for continuous immersion, preferably less than seven day's. Appears you are on a lift which would be fine.

About your gelcoat questions, uv light and contaminants in the atmosphere along with saltwater basically attacks the microscopic pinhole surface. This is a corrosive process which is enhanced with lack of regular maintence such as wash, wax. etc.. Of all the colors, red is the worst to be affected. Yes, there are high quality gelcoats but they will still need care. Also, proper mixing and spraying the mold is very important to gelcoat longevity.

[DN]

Thanks Ali...
Yes the boat is in a lift and never in water for more than 3-4 days at a time...mainly for tournaments.
I have tried waxing and 303 protectant over the yrs but still the hull sides which are under water fade out quickly. Even after wet sanding and diligent care the areas that are under water seem like they haven't been waxed or cared for at all..ie turn chalky white.

I have resigned to the fact that I will have it painted...just want to know what the very best product (paint) is to use.

[Fletch]

A good two-part linear polyurethane paint is what you need. Imron, Awlgrip, Signature, Sterling - all are very good paints for this task.

http://www.trailerboats.com/output.c...&sectionid=317