New boat paint

[Tom]

Hi folks, new member here from lynnfield,MA...real close to decision on having a 24'cc built by Winninghoff in Rowley,MA, about half hour from here. TO PAINT OR NOT TO PAINT,THAT IS THE QUESTION! Lots of info on RE-painting, but not much on painting new. Will paint bottom, as boat will be at the dock. Would love to paint hull and interior, but not if overwhelming cost or future hassles. Any input greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[Fisherman]

First of all, welcome aboard AAB!

There are various opinions on this issue, so you get to choose which side you want to be on. My current boat has paint, my next boat will not have any. I prefer function over paint. I currently have some chips, scratches, and a couple of bubbling spots in the paint. Each time I launch, I have to explain to the untrained to make certain the fenders get between the dock and the boat to protect the paint. Sometimes they understand, sometimes they don't.

I have talked with a number of builders who insist that the boat is painted. Some have told me they wont build a boat unless they can paint it. Those builders got marked off my list of potential builders.

Some people think paint is beautiful. Patina is beautiful in my eyes. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Best wishes to you on your new boat.

[Tom]

Fisherman, thanks for the advice...it is,sadly, as I thought. I,too, will develop an appreciation for patina. Took me a while to become enamored of aluminum, all these decades looking at pretty NON ALLOY. One day I saw pictures of an aluminum boat being built, and it looked like a wood boat process, and I connected immediately, loving the physical structure of it all rather than having a piece of plastic pop from some mold. So patina it is...thanks.

[MacCTD]

Nice to see another guy from MA. Jack and Billy build a nice boat. I would go unpainted, I would assume the hull will be all 5086. What type of hull are you having built?

[Tom]

If we go, it'll be a modified vee, what they call a Cape Ann Sea skiff..24' cc, fish box,live well,etc...should be sweet!

[goatram]

Another option is Sharks Hid. As soon as you get it before the water wipe on the sharks Hide, couple of coats and it will be pretty for ever with minor touch ups. The Maker of this product used to be a sponsor. Out here in the PNW a lot of the guys swear by the product. I Like the petina so the new boat will be left alone except for the interior.
Welcome and Congrats for the thinking on a new boat. Ya need it.

[mojomizer]

I like the unpainted look. If I had to put some color onto the aluminum. I would do what Peterbo did to his and etch it white.

[Bob5292]

If it was mine, I would paint the cabin and leave the hull raw aluminum, then do a vinyl boot stripe from the sheerline down 1-2 feet to add some color. I would avoid painting or wrapping anywhere you would expect dock rash or fender wear.

[welderbob]

I second GOATRAM idea to us sharkhide. We have used it on the last couple of hulls after we acid washed it. It is a little time consuming to do all the nooks and cranny's. The hull itself is easy.

Welderbob

[pjay9]

Welcome to AAB. Go for Sharkhide..it is good stuff...if you gotta have some color do an accent in vynil as mentioned above. The interior of my boat and many built here in the NW is a speckled stuff in a darker gray...it come in different colors too...don't know what it is...as long as it a variation of black to near white...from what I have seen on other boats. maybe someone knows what that stuff is...it is duable and looks finished on the inside...do have to say it does chip and I see a bubble around a SS bolt...but that is metal issues.

OR you could have that scale swirl pattern done...now that would cost some bucks for sure!

Ayway make sure you post pics as it is being built and you have alittle time to decide for paint. WELCOME ABOARD!
Capt PJ

[welderbob]

The speckled paint is" ZOLOTONE". Its more durable if you use the hardener. Were just starting to rig a 34' with a small aft cabin. More on that in another post.

welderbob

[Chaps]

painting alloy successfully is all about the prep and how you fasten stuff to it after its painted

[ReelSong]

I like my paint

[JETTYWOLF]

Paint is like Beer goggles. I love the look!!

-it depends on how you're using your boat.

Up-Keep
if so I vote a huge NO.

If bangs, dock rash and scratches are merit badges, forget the paint.

BTW....whats a fender

HAVE SIDE RAILS WELDED TO OUTSIDE OF HULL, A COUPLE OF THEM
BUT FIRST SUPER DOUBLE CHECK AND THEN CHECK AGAIN WHERE THAT SAME BOAT SITS AGAINST A DOCK, SO THEY AREN'T TOO HIGH OR LOW.

I wish I had these, like this big bad azz: http://www.mavrikmarine.com/gallery-of- ... 26/aid/37#

W-O-W:
http://www.mavrikmarine.com/gallery-of- ... -26/aid/37#

Now thats protection. No paint on commercial like alloy boats, please.