paint to seal out water

[gator79]

the gel coaat has rubbed of on some parts of my keel. what is the best paint to put on it to seal the fiberglass? it is a trailerd boat and has been out of the water for 6 months. could you use just regular exterior enamel?

 

[Boomyal]

Re: paint to seal out water

If you want it to stick, I would recommend using a marine polyurethane, like awlgrip or interlux. They are not cheap but you will waste your time with standard enamel paints.

 

[Tinkerer]

Re: paint to seal out water

Why not use a gelcoat repair? <br /><br />It'll bond better than paint.<br /><br />I've got a two pack kit that's made here so there's bound to be equivalent products in the US.

 

[ThomWV]

Re: paint to seal out water

You can buy matching gel coat in spray cans actually. Its a bit on the expensive side, particularly if its for a shade they don't have off the shelf, but you can buy it. Awl Grip, the color coat, is made for above the waterline use only. It will blister if used for prolonged soaking. From the waterline up its OK for years, but not below. Any exterior paint will be even worse than Awl Grip. Same thing goes for any of the other paints that are not specifically bottom paints. There is one exception, and its sort of obscure.<br /><br />Awl Grip makes a paint that is called "Barrier Coat". Its a 2-part paint, hard as nails, white in color. It is waterproof and in fact is made for waterproofing hulls. Normally it would act sort of as a primer for a further application of an anti-fouling bottom paint. However it can be used alone up to the waterline and then a bootstripe followed by either your existing gel coat or if its banged up and ready for repairs and painting then an Awl Grip (or whatever) top coat.<br /><br />Thom

 

[prockvoan]

Re: paint to seal out water

Gelcoat it,not hard to work with.

 

[Realgun]

Re: paint to seal out water

ThomWV where do you get the gelcoate in a can stuff? I also have a worn keel. I was going with a keelguard but its at least 120 dollars! I would just want to repair mine as it leaks a little water at slow speeds. The wife was surprised to see a little rivlet of watter slosh down the bildge. She could see it through the hole in the floor! Good thing I don't moor the boat!

 

[cc lancer]

Re: paint to seal out water

You can buy matching gel coat in spray cans actually.<br /><br />Can you recommend a source, for gelcoat in a spray bomb?

 

[prockvoan]

Re: paint to seal out water

Ya'll can get pint size cans or bigger at west marine or other marine stores,it comes in white,get a tube of color agent to tint out to the color you need,around $20.00 for all.Very easy to work with.

 

[ThomWV]

Re: paint to seal out water

There is a place down in Florida that sells gel coat to match hulls by all the major manfacturers models that go back for years and years. They will also match your own color sample with a spray can gel coat, but the match service was $75 the last time I talked to them and then the cost of the spray can on top of that. The can mixes the gel coat with hardner as it sprays, it costs something like $25 a can. Let me look around through my links and see if I can find their web site. I don't recall the name of the company becaue it was going to cost me $100 for that first spray can and I just couldn't bring myself to do it - so I spent a grand painting it with Awl Grip instead.<br /><br />I"ll come back and edit the post if I can find the URL.<br /><br />Sorry, couldn't find it. Must have been two or three hard drives ago. They shouldn't be hard to find, I believe they were located in Palm Beach or somewhere near there.<br />Thom

 

[jimmythekid]

Re: paint to seal out water

ThomWV: and everyone else,I was just there yesterday!! Its called Fiberglass Services they are awsome!!! <br /><br />www.fiberglassservices.com