How to paint my aluminum boat

New here and just curious how to prep and paint my carp sled. It is a basstracker 17 ft. It has never been painted.

Thanks in advance!!!! [-o<

Any pics? I'm sure the current condition of the paint dictates how much prepwork you'll need to do. From what i know you need to decide wether to strip it completely or just give it a rough sand. Either way you should use some kind of etching cleaner afterwards and a good marine paint. There are also some single stage paints that have the primer already in them. I don't know exactly step by step, but there are other more experienced members that could definitely give ou specific info. Anyone want to weigh in?

The hull is bare aluminum. I'll post pics when I get to the shop. I just welded up a polling platform and casting paltform.

I use the boat for chasing carp here in Colorado.


Thanks for the help! :lol:

Red Humpy said:

The hull is bare aluminum. I'll post pics when I get to the shop. I just welded up a polling platform and casting paltform.

I use the boat for chasing carp here in Colorado.


Thanks for the help! :lol:

Click to expand...

Bare Aluminum will require "Etching Primer". This primer is designed to "bite" into the aluminum, giving you a good base for your final top coat.

Depending on your budget, you could either go with:
1. Spray can "etching primer". I've recently found some at walmart that looks like this or
2. An etching primer wash that can usually be purchased from auto parts stores

From there, you just have to follow directions on the primer. Your product will tell you how many coats, and when to apply each one, and even when to apply your paint.

You could either buy spray cans for paint, or even purchase a couple quarts and use a compressor with a spray gun (or rent it from a rental company). Some people even suggest rolling it on.

As you can see, you just need to figure out your budget and start pricing the primer, paint, and painting accessories. If you're going with spray cans, its a simple route. If you're going to rent equipment, you'll need to gather prices to get the best deal.

Hope that helps steer you in the right direction.