Paint question

I am new and have been looking at this site for a while and finally decide to register. i have a painting question. so i have a 12ft 1979 mirrocraft v hull boat that i want to repaint and was just wondering if i should sand the boat so the new paint will adhere better or what i should do. the paint on the boat now is fine it is just faded and i just want to spruce it up alittle. so what should i do, just leave the boat and paint over it like it is or should i sand it or what ever i need to do to paint it. and what paint is the best for it.

You should sand it down. Prime it with self-etching primer. A lot of guys use Parker Duck Boat paints. I used Rustoleum High Performance Enamel and I am happy with it.

I definitely agree with cavman. If you are going to do it, do it right by sanding off the old paint first. It can be pain to sand it down but inthe long run its worth it. I know, as I just finished sanding, priming and painting mine. Check my thread in my signature, I have everything listed so far as to what i have done with mine and what type of paint I used. I'm really happy with it how it has turned out so far.

Is it recommended to rough up a non painted boat before prime & paint or can you go strait to the prime step?

Its probably best to rough it up some.

sand the boat to rough it up with like 150 grit sandpaper (thats what I used). Then prime any bare metal spots with a can of self etching primer. Make sure you tack cloth it and then paint it. I used Parker Coatings Duck boat paint. It is SUPER flat and looks awesome! just click in my signature for my build and you can see where I painted mine at