Repainting fibreglass dinghy

[charliebrown]

Hi Guys

I've just bought a small (10') fibreglass rowing dinghy for freshwater use, its got a sound hull, but the paints in very bad nick. Im looking to repaint her but know very little about what paints to use.

I was thinking sand her back to remove all the loose/cracked paint, undercoat (not quite sure what to use), then a couple of coats on top (again not really sure whether I need to use a special boat paint, or just a cheapey gloss with a hard laquer over the top). Has anyone got any ideas if im on the right track? Reckon I need a bit of advice!

Cheers

[Pinchers]

Heres what I have done for years and Find it ok. DULUX WEATHER SHIELD. Undercoat and gloss. Let it harden well and its fine. Cheaper than marine paint. Easy to touch up. For a 10 ft dinghy that needs painting I wouldnt waist money on any thing more than that. all the best Pinchers

[charliebrown]

You star mate Ive got buckets of the stuff in the garage!

Is it worth using a laquer or varnish over the top as well, or is that just a waste of time? And is a brush goin to give a reasonable finish do you think? Im still in shock, wasnt expecting a reply so quickly!

[Salar]

Pinchers advice is fine for a low-cost solution, but it will not be as resistent to knocks and scrapes as marine paint (when did you last drag a front door across shingle? ) If you want a stronger finish, that will be even more glossy, use a two-pack marine paint and follow the instructions to the letter. You can download guide sheets from marine paint manufacturers like International. In either case, remove the old paint if you possibly can, and sand everything dead smooth. Fill any scrapes with a gel-coat repar kit and sand smooth again. Wipe over with a tack cloth. Paint in a warm garage, with no dust, and use a brand new good quality brush. Keep the paint flowing and keep the edge wet, which means paint down one side from top to bottom so the new brushful of paint flows into the still-wet paint from the previous pass. That is the way they used to paint before spray was invented, and you can, with care, get a mirror finish (until the cat walks on it). Once finished, get a tin or two of beer and an air rifle and sit by it for a couple of hours, and shoot anything that looks like it might land on it before its dry!

[scottonjayne]

if its a gass fibre boat you might want to use plastisize in the 2 pack mix,it keeps the hardened paint pliable so if the hull flexes the paint doesnt crack,i spraypaint bigtime and use both 2 pack and plastisize every week ,IT WORKS!! if you come unstuck PM me oe E/MAIL me

[charliebrown]

Excellent advice, cheers all! Its only going to be used in freshwater, and its light enough to avoid dragging to launch, just pick it up and carry it, so im not too worried about the paint scratching. Itll only be used every now and then for a bit of Piking, so I think ill go with the weathershield. Seeing as how the boat only cost me £40, I dont think its worth the extra for marine paint.

Salar

Thanks for the advice on preping, it was needed! I especially like the advice on the beer or two, I could get used to this boat painting lark


scottonjayne

Thanks mate, you have no idea what youve let yourself in for , but seriously Thanks again for the offer of more advice, really appreciated.


Im starting on the boat over christmas, and ill post photos of the finished job so you can all have a giggle over my painting abilities (or lack of!)

Merry christmas to you all

[fergal]

i've an 8ft plywood boat thet my dad made for me that i use for piking. i sand down the fiberglass seams once a year and touch them up and recoat it with the cheapest outdoor wood paint from Homebase. does the job for me

[JonnyR]

Hey iv got a similar problem, i have a 8ft fibreglass dighny in need of a repaint and i was wondering what would be the cheapest way of doing it. it will only be used for some light inshore fishing maybe twice a year. I was wondering if just primer and spraypaint would do? Any advice welcome!