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When I purchased Quest #433 in 1998 and she had beautiful Navy Blue Awlgrip topsides finished with a final coat of clear Awlgrip. Twenty plus years later the clear coat had deteriorated on the slip side with the most UV exposure. As many of you have found, a professional Awlgrip paint job is quite dear and can approach the overall market value of our boats. I retired last year which afforded me the time to take on this project including uninterrupted paint days and the luxury to find the ideal weather window. The job can be broken down into segments however to avoid full sanding between paint coats it is best to have four days of fair daytime weather. The following write up was derived from an article originally published by Good Old Boat Magazine in 2010 and written by Ann Jackson. It describes the method they used to repaint the topsides of their Bruce Roberts 45 foot sloop. I generally followed their recommendations with a few exceptions that are noted. It is a bit long winded, but attention to detail is essential to get the best results. I found that most of the effort is in the surface preparation which must be properly done regardless of whether you are using a single part or two-part polyester urethane paint product (Awlgrip, Imron, Perfection). The additional complexity of the two part product is well worth the effort and is exacting but not difficult. The manufacturer has an extensive online product guide but is quick to point out that it is not a how to guide for do it yourselvers especially regarding the spraying of the product (clearly not an amateur undertaking) as well as how to roll and tip. You would be advised to download those parts of the document pertaining to rolling/tipping as it provides lots of useful information for doing this job. A note of encouragement; the beautiful shear, low freeboard and narrow sterns of our boats not only make them beautiful but also present a relatively small canvas for the painting of the topsides. There is simply not a lot of surface to paint and as a result the job only requires about 11 ounces of mixed paint per coat. I would suggest that no matter which one or two-part paint product you may choose, most of the effort involves surface preparation which will be similar for any paint type. I assure you the modest additional complexity of two-part paint is worth the effort. My wife and I took a short four day cruise last June upon the completion of the job and not a day passed that at least one person came up to us on the dock or by dinghy to comment on the paint job. This write up involves a rolling without tipping technique that provides excellent results when properly thinned and applied to a well prepared surface. The manufacturer recommends the use of specific brand-name products for wash-down, solvents, tack rags roller covers, paint brushes and so forth, I used used good quality supplies as shown in the materials list but not necessarily all of those recommended by the manufacturer. I did however follow the recommendations for the items unique to their paint system including the primer, top topcoat, brush converter, bush reducer, etc. These are also shown in the materials list. The product guide includes information such as product number, description, sizes available and application information for each of these specific Awlgrip products. A final note, the chemicals used in mixing and applying the paint and primer are toxic to the skin and lungs. The use of a 3M 6000 series respirator is strongly recommended. Preparing the hullIt is necessary to first determine what is currently on the top sides whether it be original gelcoat or paint and if it is paint you have to determine whether the primer will properly adhere to it. I was overcoating existing Awlgrip so it was a matter of determining if this substrate had sufficient adhesion to be overcoated without being removed in its entirety. In those sections of the hull where the clear coat had deteriorated badly these areas had to be sanded down to get to a layer of clean paint or in a few areas the original gelcoat. The Awlgrip guide has a thorough section regarding compatibility with the prior surface. Prepping the hull turned out to be about 70% of the total project. I first removed the boat name which were vinyl lettering using a plastic scraper blade to lift the edges and being very careful not to nickel scratch the surface. A heat gun can be helpful with the vinyl removal. Before sanding, the hull was thoroughly washed with a household scouring powder. It is important to start with a clean surface as the sanding of any old wax into the clean surface can lead to later adhesion problems. To remove the old damaged paint and clearcoat I sanded initially with 60 and 80 grit sanding pads in those areas on a 5 inch random orbital sander then hosed off the hull and let it dry. The next stage involved sanding using 120 grit sanding pads on the sander replacing the pads often. It is helpful to use broad strokes with the sander to achieve even surfaces. it is also advised to wear a general purpose respirator for this portion of the job. A more substantial respirator is recommended when mixing and applying the paint especially the the thinning agent. Once the sanding is complete I hosed the dust off the hull and let it dry.
This is the point where any damaged areas of the hall should be spot cleaned with acetone and faired. It is important to use a two-part fairing compound as the paint chemicals will eat through one part fairing compounds. Awlgrip has a product for this purpose however I had good results using a two-part compound that I had on hand from Total Boat. After the fairing compound had cured a light sanding with 180 grit paper was sufficient in most cases however several deeper gouges required a second fairing to ensure a smooth finish. I found it useful to keep a wet sponge nearby while sanding in order to wet the surface which when you look across it will highlight any imperfection in the fairing work. The first image below shows the first pass at fairing (light colored areas) and the second after a second fairing had been completed and the surface cleaned. This second image is actually very fair. The third image shows the boat after a complete sanding with 180 grit in preparation for the first prime coat. It is important to note that throughout this process be careful not to allow any sunscreen or oils from your skin to contaminate the surface as the primer/paint will not adhere properly to those areas.
This was followed by a a thorough cleaning to ensure I had removed all the oils and dust. The routine for this procedure involved a clean towel to wipe the sections with acetone and a second clean towel to wipe the area clean. I next applied 1 1/2” inch blue painters tape to the teak rub rail and the boot stripe. Preparing to Apply the PrimerGood organization is essential when preparing for the primer or topcoat. Having a second hand and set of eyes for this portion of the job was valuable. I had all of our supplies at hand before beginning and laid everything out on an old shower curtain near the boat This kept all supplies clean and near at hand in case of an accident like dropping the roller or brush in the dirt. Once you begin the priming/painting on our hulls there is really no place to stop without losing the wet edge. You probably have 10-15 minutes before the paint thickens beyond the point where the edge can take new paint. If this happens it is necessary to let the entire paint dry followed by sanding of the hull. The same is required if the paint gets rain or dew within 4-5 hours of application. The guide suggest 8 hours or more but in my drying conditions it appeared to be less. The guide provides information on this subject. Prior to the application of the primer it is necessary to thoroughly clean the hull with acetone and clean rags while wearing a 3M respirator. Once complete I mixed the Awlgrip primer per the instructions at a ratio of 1 to 1 primer/converter plus about 10% reducer and waited about 15 minutes to allow induction. Note: there are two choices in Awlgrip primer, a regular coating and a high build coating. There is also a white or gray color. The darker paint colors use the gray. Because my hull was relatively fair I chose the regular primer over the high build. Information on this choice can be noted in the user guide. I recall using approximately 1/3 quart each of the primer/converter for each of the two recommended primer coats. I rolled the primer in 3'-4' sections being careful to maintain a horizontal wet edge between sections. A helper is useful at this point to refill the paint tray and add small amounts of reducer as you go to maintain the primer consistency, especially in hot weather. The helper can also maintain two clean, cut-in brushes which are cleaned in a container of solvent between uses to prevent the paint from curing. These are used in places where the roller cannot reach such as around the boarding ladder hinges, thru hulls, edges under the caprail, etc. The same brush technique will be used for the topcoat. It is recommended that the final roller passes for both primer and paint be in a vertical direction especially for the lighter colored paints. Apparently over time any dirt or environmental contaminants can be washed down the topsides and evaporate on any tiny horizontal roller or brush strokes leaving stains. Note on the cove/boot stripe - I had sanded inside the cove stripe indentation and made sure the primer was evenly coated in the stripe. I also made no attempt to keep the blue topcoats out of the indentation as it will interrupt the flow of your work and any tape will induce runs. After the final topcoat I eventually roughed the cove stripe with 180 grit and taped it off for two coats of single part Total Boat gold leaf paint. If you plan to also repaint the boot stripe make sure you thoroughly sand any buildup of bottom paint along the tape line between the bottom of the thin boot paint and the thicker bottom paint. Otherwise the little edge will show the new boot paint unevenly especially when looking down toward the bottom of the stripe. Note on Priming Instructions - The instructions that I had been following suggested applying a guide coat once the second coat of primer had cured. This is essentially a very thin alcohol based dark stain that is brushed over the final prime coat and aids in the fine sanding of the final prime coat. It accentuates small imperfections that are proud of the surrounding surface and indicates when a smooth surface has been achieved. The stain remains in the low spots as any minor brush marks and stippling are sanded down. you then lightly sand the entire hull until all of the darker surface disappears. The writer that I followed did this work in Trinidad and made his own guide coat using old printer cartridge ink and alcohol. It is a product used in automotive painting and also available in auto parts stores. I did not use this technique since I found the gray primer was able to provide the same visual clues without the need for a guide coat. I cannot speak to whether the white primer provides the same but I suspect it might.
Final Sanding of the Prime Coat - I chose to apply two coats of primer without tipping or sanding between coats. I will discussing the option of tipping in the topcoat discussion.
Top Coating the TopsidesPainting the hull take some advance preparation including an eye on the weather forecast. You do not want to begin painting if rain or dew is expected in the next 5 to 8 hours. The technique discussed here involves the application of the topcoat in four very thin coats one day apart each. If this paint consistency is maintained it is not necessary to tip the paint after it has been applied with the foam roller. And if the paint is reapplied within 18 to 24 hours no sanding is required between coats other than to correct any minor runs or roller marks. The source article I followed discussed the writer's concern about not tipping the rolled on paint. For his first coat he did tip the paint using a quality badger brush. The following day he had to thoroughly sand the hull with 320 grit to smooth out the brush strokes. After that he opted to try the non-tipping method and found it to provide the same or higher quality finish without the need for extensive daily sanding. I found that when carefully applied the thin coats of paint would settle out and leave no visible marks. You can note this effect in the image below of the starboard hull. If you look near the fresh paint (reflection of my hat) and even to the right of the wet edge, there appears orange peel which magically disappeared within a few minutes of this photo and settled to a mirror finish like the area closer to the bow. The materials I followed had the writer not tipping or sanding after the first coat. He did however chose to sand 320 grit prior to the final top coat for his white paint application. I found that for my darker color the several small spot-sands for bugs or drips using 320 grit were not completely covered on the next coat and were a little dull relative to the areas around it. So I chose not to sand the entire hull even prior to the final coat and found the results to be excellent. Considering that darker colors are harder to hide imperfections, I feel like this was the best choice and may be even less necessary for lighter colors. I will again mention that if you are unable to recoat within 16-24 hours of the prior coat the next coat will not chemically bond and it must be sanded prior to a recoat.
Paint Consistency
Applying the paint - Unload the roller on unpainted/dry area using vertical and horizontal strokes. You should make multiple passes to ensure the paint is even and not too thick in any one area. The initial passes will show bubbles in the paint that becomes smaller - but not entirely disappear for a few minutes- as you proceed with multiple and lighter passes. Do multiple horizontal passes followed by vertical ones. Once it is covered go back to the last wet edge and with ever lighter vertical strokes move across to the new wet edge. The wet edges cannot be allowed to tack up or they will provide a dull surface that will need to be sanded. Do not lift the roller at the top and bottom of those strokes. The sound of the foam roller should get quieter as you lighten the pressure. At the next wet edge apply a little more pressure to wet out this vertical line. It will also help you find the new wet edge against the very shiny prior coat. This slightly thicker new wet edge will be smoothed out as you work the next section. The small bubbles will disappear over the next few minutes provided the paint is properly thinned. Maintaining a clean brush(s) by the assistant is helpful for cut-in. Only the very tip of the brush has paint and they should be soaked in solvent and allowed to dry between uses. Once the paint starts to tack any drips or runs should not be touched, rather they can be spot sanded prior to next coat. Prior to applying subsequent coats of paint it is necessary to wipe down the hull with acetone followed by a a wipe down with a tack cloth. Painting in direct sunlight is to be avoided as best as possible. I found that an early morning start after any dew had dried was best. This allowed me start before the sun was too hot on the hull. By the time the sun had risen further I was able to round the stern and complete the coat on the shaded side of the hull. This is probably a good time to remind the reader to make sure that any upwind boat neighbors weren't getting ready to commence on a sanding project. The writers that I followed for this project indicated that they had no issues painting in direct sunlight nor did they see any deterioration on the occasion of rain within several hours of coating. They were however in Trinidad so your mileage may vary. Cure Period - The application guide provides detailed descriptions of the curing of the topcoats. There are three cycles. 12-24 Hours - The paint appears dry and can be handled including masking tape. 72-94 Hours - the paint becomes much harder with increased resistance to abrasion and chemicals. Full cure is 14-21 days. When launching he boat prior to final cure it is recommended that padding be placed on the travel lift straps. Bottom LineAs stated earlier the hard work is in the preparation that will be necessary for a quality job irrespective of the paint type used. The actual mixing and application of the paint while it is exacting was not difficult and the learning curve comes quickly. Any mistakes in the initial coat(s) can be easily corrected in the subsequent coats. I had about $600 in materials plus the cost of the haulout. Compared to the cost of a professional job, I figured my time was worth about $250/hour, something I never achieved in my professional life. Materials ListAwlgrip Products:
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