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I am trying to decide which would fit the boat best, urethane or epoxy finish? I guess rather a glossy or dull finish? The paint will be awl grip inside and out. What do y'all think? Thanks for the help
Most around here would discourage painting any classic Whaler, but if it has to be paint, I would choose the one easiest to do touch up work on...which is eluding as to why most prefer gelcoat.
chase152 wrote:
I am trying to decide which would fit the boat best, urethane or epoxy finish? I guess rather a glossy or dull finish? The paint will be awl grip inside and out. What do y'all think? Thanks for the help
22 Outrage with 2009 200hp Verado
Awlgrip Topcoat Polyester Urethane is what I would use and likely will.
Awl grip is a great looking, hard coating that when shot by an experienced painter in perfect surroundings can come out well. However, it is not at all repairable. As Awlgrip topcoats dry, the coating becomes striated. In other words, certain components of the paint flow to the surface while others sink to the base of the coating. Due to this movement, the colouring on the surface is very slightly different than the colour beneath the surface. If a repair is necessary, it is not possible to sand or polish the finish. Also if any dust settles in the finish or a run / sag develops in the paint...@#$! You might consider a product called Alex Seal. It, like Awlgrip, is a base/converter/reducer combination but sprays much more easily and dries unstratified. Any runs or dust / bug bombs can be easily repaired by wet sanding and polishing just like gelcoat. If you choose to shoot gelcoat, consider an additive called Duratec high gloss additive. Add about 30% Duratec to your gelcoat for the first 2 coats then 2 more with 40%. This will thin the gelcoat making it flow out much better and also makes the cured coating harder. Another advantage to Duratec is that it eliminates the need of any wax additives to ensure the surface cures.
Find the person on this site who knows the least about paint and you'll be talking to me. I ordered a new Shamrock in 1992 and the factory sprayed the hull a dark blue color I had picked and used Imron paint. After 10 years the paint still looked good.
I winter in Ft. Myers and summer in St. Joseph, Michigan. It’s now about 12 years since I’ve joined this group. I gave my 1972 whaler to my daughter and sold the 17’. Bought an O’Day 28 sailboat and sailed on Lake Michigan. Yesterday I bought a 2005 130 Sport.
In 2005, I had my 1989 22' Outrage painted with AWLGRIP by a high quality boat yard in St. Augustine, Florida. It still looks as good as the first day painted, but it is kept in a boat shed out of the sun.
Pros - low maintenance relative to finish meaning no, waxing, polishing, & etc.
Cons - easily scratched and/or chipped compared to gel coat & much more difficult to repair compared to gel coat.
If given a choice today, I would probably re-gel coat. My personal page outlines/summarizes the restoration of my 22' Outrage.
Another important consideration is color. If you're going with a similar color to what you already have (factory), then Gelcoat is the most durable finish to apply. If you're going with Flag Blue or any other "dark" color, then you need to consider that dark colored gelcoats can often fade and chalk with age. Of course, this assumes you plan to keep the boat for a long time - recoating a boat is a big investment!
Traditional Awlgrip, as mentioned, can be difficult to repair with a good color match. Awlcraft 2000, on the other hand, can be sanded and polished etc with a good color match. The drawback to this coating is that it is "softer" than the original Awlgrip, so not as durable. None, if I recall correctly, is rated for use below the waterline, meaning that if you keep the boat in the water for more than a few days at a time, you'll need bottom paint or risk blistering. This is another area where Gelcoat is more durable, although it too can blister after prolonged (weeks) continuous immersion in water.
