To paint or not to paint

[gazelle]

I have recently been given a 21 ft 1973 starcraft chieftain aluminum boat. Due to the age we are stripping all the paint off (currently it is an eyesore) , below the waterline there is a minimum of 6 layers of antifouling paint. We are on a limited budget so we are looking at all of our options.

We plan on using the boat in fresh water since we are 6hr from any salt. I know from visiting my brother out west that many aluminum boats out there are not painted. I was wondering if these boats have anything at all on the aluminum like a clear coat or something. We were thinking that this may be a cheaper option than painting.

I have spent hours searching the archives but have not come up with anything. Some advice would be appreciated. My biggest worry is that the layers of paint are keeping the rivets from leaking. What do you guys think?


If I do have to paint again is anyone aware of a primer that I can roll or brush on? Everything that I have seen is spray only? I have seen post of people recommending a product to put over the rivets before painting but can not find it now? Anyone know the name of the product? Does it go inside or outside of the boat?

So in summation
Can I leave the boat bare aluminum and be ok?
If I have to paint
Is there a roll on primer?
Is there a product I should put on the rivets?


Thanks for helping a newbie!

 

[j442w30]

Re: To paint or not to paint

If you do plan on painting it you'll probably need to go down to the bare aluminum and apply an etcher like Vinylux-Primewash. Then you can use a primer like Epoxy-Prime Kote and a topside finish like Brightsides (these are all interlux products). Lots of work I know, I'm planning on repainting my aluminum boat but I still need to strip it down to the bare metal. If you're looking for a product to paint the inside you should look at InterDeck, its a paint with a light texture already added. I painted the inside of my boat with this and it looks great.

 

[gazelle]

Re: To paint or not to paint

Thanks cadet

I am in the stripping process now, I have about 50% done using chemical stripper. I tried using a friends UV light stripper that he used on his house but it did not work, I am guessing the aluminum dissapated the heat to fast. Now for the tough part of the sripping the bottom!

 

[j442w30]

Re: To paint or not to paint

Hey Gazelle,

Did you use a regular paint stripper you can get at a hardware store or did you use a marine paint stripper? The price for a gallon of Interlux marine stripper was like $75. I was curious as to how well the regular stuff worked on marine paint.

 

[gazelle]

Re: To paint or not to paint

Cadet

I have been using hardware store stripper that claims it works on marine. So far it has worked great above the water line. Below the waterline it is taking multiple coats due to the layers of antifouling paint. Best advice I can give is put it on and wait 45 min. The directions claim that it is ready in 15-20 min, but it is a lot easier if you wait a few more minutes. Not sure if the stuff you are talking about will work better or not but the hardware store stuff is 1/3 cheaper. Think I paid $23 for roughly a gallon.


I have also found that it is not worth doing if it is windy. Last weekend the wind picked up and dried the stripper before it had a chance to work.

 

[iwombat]

Re: To paint or not to paint

You don't really need paint to protect an aluminum boat that's normally trailered.

However, if you're parked in a "hot" marina and need to eliminate galvanic corrosion you'll want to put a non-reactive barrier on the bottom. Or, if you're just parked at a private dock and you want to keep stuff from growing on the underside paint is a good idea too.

If you do end up painting it, use a below-the-waterline self etching paint. Interlux primocon is the last one I used and have no complaints. It's a one-part paint too, so no mixing etcher with primer etc.

 

[gazelle]

Re: To paint or not to paint

iwombat


We will be keeping the boat in the water at a marina for half the year. That being the case, it looks like your suggestion is paint the boat? I am not really sure what you mean by "hot" marina. Would we be ok to only paint the water line and below?


I quickly looked at the Interlux primocon.
Granted I have not looked at it in depth but to me it looks like it is only a primer and not a paint. It would be great if I could etch, prime, and paint all in one step since I will be doing it while the boat is on the trailer. If such a paint exist I would save a lot of time by not having to move blocks and jacks 500 times.