Need advice on painting 12 foot boat.

[Spawn Sack]

First off, I apologize if this is a redundant post. I tied to search for the answer I'm looking for in old topics and could find anything.

Anyway, so I have a 12 foot riveted aluminum V-hull. It's about 20 years old but in fine shape. Doesn't leak/seep one drop. No patches, no noticable dents, just an overall well kept boat. I bought it this year and so far have just replaced the transom wood with new treated plywood. When I get around to it Im going to do a painting project on it.

For the outside Im thinking of redoing the red strip that runs the length of the boat. Its all faded, chipped and scratched here and there, just looks overall pretty shabby. At first I was thinking strip the old paint primer off, sand and prep (clean) the surface, then prime and paint it nice new red. Then I got to thinking...how long will it be before this nice new exterior paint job gets all dinged up :? Im thinking it would look great for a while then after a few months of it going on and off the trailer, having tie down straps rub against it, and so on, it would start to look crappy again. So, I have 2 new ideas:

1- Just strip it down to bare metal and leave it. I think it would look good and cant think of any reason not to do this. No paint to scratch thats for sure! Can anyone think of a reason why this would be unadvisable? Is there any type of sealant I should apply to the bare metal if I do this?

2-Instead of using paint on the exterior strip, using a truck bed liner like GrizzyGrip. It comes in 15 or so different colors, I think would look good when done like a paint job, but would be much more durable. Grizzlygrip comes in fine texture so I donèt think it would look to rough on the exterior.

Alright, now to the inside of the boat. Currently there is a super ugly pea green paint that is worn down to metal over several spots. Mainly over rivets and spots here and there on the floor. My ideas here are:

1- Paint it with a durable paint suitable for marine applications.

2- Paint it with truck bed liner. Again I like the idea of the bed liner as it should be the most durable.

A few things Im wondering are....Should I strip the inside down to bare metal if bare metal is showing here and there? The manufacturer of G-G says it can be used right over paint, but bare metal must be primed. Alright...I have a bit of both. I think to err on the side of caution I would just strip all the old paint and primer off, sand and clean the bare metal, then prime and apply the bed liner.

The only down sides I can think of the bed liner is it is heavier than paint, and it is expensive. I dont care about the money, but the added weight does concern me a bit. Or maybe the boat will ride a bit smoother with the added weight? I have never done a project like this and, if Im going to put in days of labor prepping and painting, I want it to turn out looking nice and performing well on the water.

Yes this project is strictly cosmetic as the boat is fine the way it is right now. I just like projects and want this one to turn out A+

 

[user 10949]

bedliner is heavy. It would be good on the inside because it's super durable, seals leaks and provides good grip when wet but it does add weight. I would not put it on the outside, at least not on the bottom because of the texture. I guess you could line the inside and halfway down the sides too.

I like the way a shiny aluminum boat looks, just not on parts that will reflect sun while I'm fishing. I considered polishing mine. I don't think you have to seal it with anything if it's polished.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Just remember that if you strip it down to the aluminum and polish it up, you will lose the shine once the aluminum oxidizes. I've seen many boats without paint on them, the only thing you lose is the color. It's not hard to sand it down nice and give it a fresh coat of paint. If you dont sand it down to bare metal you might have some texture, but it will still look great.

 

[chevyrulz]

Spawn Sack » Today, 01:02[/url]"]I bought it this year and so far have just replaced the transom wood with new treated plywood.

WHAT?!


if treated lumber touches bare aluminum, it can eat it, you're supposed to use non-treated lumber & seal it with something like spar urethane or epoxy

that being said, i used 2 treated pine boards to support the floor in my tinboat. i sealed them up with several coats of bedliner before installation though to ensure no treated lumber touches aluminum, and the aluminum still had perfectly good baked on factory paint on it, so i'm not worried about the metallic chemicals leeching & causing corrosion :mrgreen:

the same problem is created if you use galvanized hardware to fasten things to your aluminum hull. the dissimilar metals cause corrosion, so no treated lumber & only aluminum or stainless hardware

for painting or any coatings on aluminum or other metals, you need to use a "self-etching" primer. it costs more, but it's necessary for good adhesion. you can use vinegar to etch if you're on a budget. to etch my aluminum diamond plate, i hit it with a wire brush on my drill & made sure every inch was dull & not shiny. i didn't prime & used the bed liner right on the aluminum. it probably would have stuck even better if i had used a self etching primer. i just made sure the 1st coat was very thin so it stuck well. then i built up 2 more coats on top of that because the stuff sticks better to itself than it does to metal.

i used the rustoleum truck bed liner in a 1 qt can from lowes, it was like $18 if memory serves, plus a couple roller naps

as far as the bedliner idea, bed liner is designed to adhere to more rigid steel on truck beds, not flimsy aluminum on boats. it will work fine for a while, but after it gets old it gets brittle & can flake off. as far as extra weight that's negligible. think of the weight of the 1 gal can of the bedliner, not that significant, only 10lbs @ most. so bedliner will work great if you prep well & are prepared to touch it up over the years. it's sticking like glue to my 1/4" diamond plate floor, but that 1/4" thick diamond plate is a hell of a lot stiffer than the hull of a tinboat....

 

[FerrisBueller]

WHAT?!

x2 uh oh

 

[Spawn Sack]

Chevyrulz and FerrisBuller, sorry guys I know I typed "treated plywood" but what I used was just regualr plywood and I treated it with a brush on product I bought from my local marine store. I forget the exact product...spar urethane I think. It turned out really nice.

 

[FerrisBueller]

Thank goodness! I think treated plywood would have caused some severe damage over time. I just would hate to see someone do that without knowing. Believe me I have used my share of treated ply in my boat but never anywhere it would cause any damage (at least thats what I tell myself).