boat painting questions

[ahs46]

Hi, i have an old boston whaler montauk(i think its late 70's or early 80's), it had some cosmetic damage after katrina andi need to paint the inside of the boat, could anyone give me some tips on how to do it.
Also cannot locate my hull identification number to register my boat, what should i do? Is there any way to find out what year it might be?
thanks,

 

[sdunt]

Re: boat painting questions

Sorry I can not help on the HIN, some boats had it molded in to the plastic around the splash well some where.

As for painting, boats are really no different than any other paint job, actually much like a car. Preparation for the paint job is 110% of the job. For an above the water line job like you describe, you really don;t have to use a 'marine' paint. You can use automotive paint, or tractor paint or rustoleum, etc.

But the paint job will only look and LAST as good as the prep job you do before you paint. Clean, clean clean and sand everything to 120 grit or so before you paint. Make sure you use a wax remover, check the other threads today for a discussion on wax remover.

 

[rebuilt]

Re: boat painting questions

Montauk is a nice boat. Your HIN should be stamped somewhere on the upper right side of the transom looking from the rear. It might be a metal plate affixed to the hull, or it could be embossed into the fiberglass. Plenty of info on paint in this forum. Yesterday an excellent description was put up by drewpster. Info is the key. Good luck. KR

 

[drewpster]

Re: boat painting questions

Yes you can use automotive type paints to do the job, but there are some trade-offs. The biggest one I would consider is wear. Automotive paints can be very durable however a marine paint is specifically designed for durability. Ever notice how easy it is to scratch your car's paint? The deck of my boat is painted with Interlux Brightside. I am considerably rough on it considering I am climbing all over it doing other resto work. The initial coat of paint has been in place for over a year and I have only washed it with water alone. I am scared to use soap until the rest of the paint work is done. It cleans up very nicely and still has a noticeable shine! When I finish coating it it will be even more durable.
Marine paints are also easier to apply in my opinion. Automotive paints need to be sprayed, some using specialized equipment ie: compressor and spray gun. Marine paints can be applied using a roller and a brush. And if you follow the correct system for your paint and only paint in the right weather conditions, you can get a finish that rivals the shine and depth of automotive paints. I don't want to step on anyones suggestion, but I have been down this road. Use auto paints on the hotrod, use marine paints on the boat.
My2cents