Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Repair or modification of Boston Whaler boats, their engines, trailers, and gear
inksails
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Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby inksails » Sun Apr 22, 2018 4:23 pm

[I have] found a nice 13-footer in great condition. The hull is in great shape, but the interior is not.

What is the exact color blue [paint] needed [to match the present color of] the interior?

Where can I purchase this paint?

I need to order and start interior restoration. My hope is to pick up the boat this week.

My thanks in advance.

jimh
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby jimh » Sun Apr 22, 2018 6:36 pm

The interior color of a Boston Whaler 13-footer, if a shade of blue, is not a paint color. The interior color is in the gel coat resin. The last 13-footers made with a blue gel coat interior go back to at least 1971 and perhaps to 1958. This means the gel coat color has now been exposed to the environment for some period between 60-years and 47-years. During this exposure to the environment for 47 to 60-years, there is a very good chance that the blue gel coat color has changed a bit from the original hue. The color may have faded. It may be badly oxidized.

Before attempting to obtain any sort of match to the color of your 47 to 60-year-old Boston Whaler blue interior 13-footer, you need to attempt to restore the gel coat layer. You need to remove any oxidization, possibly by removing the top few mils of the gel coat layer itself, use some restoration compound to get the gel coat resin back in good condition, and then finally apply some polish and buff to a nice luster. Now you will have the gel coat resin back to a color you can match. Then you can make repairs with gel coat resin that you custom tint to match

If you plant to use "paint" to make a restoration, you can just skip all those steps and buy a nice blue paint whose hue you like and seems like a reasonable match and close to the original color. You will have to prepare the entire interior for painting. Then apply the new blue paint.

Generally it is best to retain as much original hull gel coat resin as possible. You described the interior as being in not-good condition. If it is a wreck, then just prepare all of the interior and paint away.

I don't think in the epoch 1958 to 1971 there was an extraordinary precise control of the gel coat blue color. There may have been variations in the color from year to year, or perhaps even from boat to boat.

A good way to assess paint colors for a match is to use paint color strips from the paint store. Get about 50 shades of blue that you think are close. Bring them home from the paint store. When you match colors make the judgement in outdoor sun lighting with a mostly clear sky. If you yourself are not expert at judging colors, get help. Then pick the blue paint color that is the best match.

Now when you have a paint color sample, you can then use that sample to get your paint.

You make no mention of what sort of paint you plan to use, so I cannot offer any advice on where you could buy this unspecified paint. It would be helpful if you mentioned where you are. You might be far away from the particular paint store someone might mention.

There are many marine paints intended for painting boats, and if you already have made a choice of brands and paints, please mention what you plan to use.

If you have no idea about what paint to use, then solicit advice about what sort of marine paint is best for your project, and worry about the color later.

Once you have decided on a particular brand of paint, you can then make a decision to use a stock paint color or to get a custom mixed color. The paint strip you selected earlier as a good match to your boat will be useful if you ask for a custom color.

In addition to deciding on a brand and type of paint, you will also have to choose an application method. You should mention what method you plan to use, for example, spraying on the paint or applying with a brush.

jimh
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby jimh » Sun Apr 22, 2018 6:49 pm

I suggest you watch this very well done presentation from JAMESTOWN TV published on youTube that demonstrates the restoration of a blue interior on an older 13-foot Boston Whaler boat; it should give you some ideas:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUOlWPvgLfQ

Unlike a lot of the horrible stuff available on youTube, the above presentation is a well-photographed, well-narrated, well-edited presentation that has very high information content.

inksails
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby inksails » Sun Apr 22, 2018 7:14 pm

My thanks for your thoughts. wonderful information. I have a lot of work ahead of me and will post results as process starts.

Again my thanks.

jimh
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby jimh » Mon Apr 23, 2018 7:51 am

A good thread to review that shows a nice restoration of a 13-footer can be found at

My Dad and I Bought A Boat
http://continuouswave.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1063

BWbert
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby BWbert » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:08 am

Hi inksails. You can check with Jamestown Distributors for the Boston Whaler blue paint. I'm using the same paint for my 17-footer

viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3339

jimh
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby jimh » Thu May 03, 2018 8:48 am

The youTube video I mentioned earlier and recommended watching uses the Jamestown Distributors paint and demonstrates the entire renovation process in very nice detail in a motion picture and sound presentation. The presentation shows use of

--fairing compounds
--primer
--finish coat

For the finish coat the paint used is JAMESTOWN DISTRIBUTORS Wet Edge Topside Paint in a color called "Boston Whaler Blue."

BWbert: is the Jamestown Distributors paint you recommend different from the Jamestown Distributors paint used in the restoration shown in the youTube video?

BWbert
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby BWbert » Thu May 03, 2018 1:35 pm

Hi Jimh--the paint used in the first restoration is a mix of topside white/blue/green paint. The second restoration shows the use of the BW blue paint.

jimh
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby jimh » Thu May 03, 2018 10:38 pm

BWBert— you only linked to one thread in your earlier reply in this thread. Are you using the same paint as shown in the Jamestown Distributors YouTube presentation in the thread you linked to?

I am trying to understand if your linked thread and the Jamestown Distribution YouTube are using the same paint.

BWbert
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby BWbert » Thu May 03, 2018 11:03 pm

jimh wrote:BWBert—...Are you using the same paint as shown in the Jamestown Distributors YouTube presentation in the thread you linked to?


The paint used in the thread "my dad and I bought a boat 2" (restoring a 17-footer is the ["Boston Whaler Blue"] that Jamestown Distributors has developed.

To be clear the paint used on [a different and earlier] Boston Whaler 13-footer restoration was a color we mixed ourselves. This was before we knew Jamestown distributors had developed their "Boston Whaler Blue" paint.

jimh
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Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby jimh » Fri May 04, 2018 8:27 am

BWBERT--having used the Jamestown Distributors "Boston Whaler Blue" Wet Edge Topside Paint for restoring the 17-footer in your second restoration thread, how did you like the color it gave for a classic Boston Whaler restoration?

Would you use the Jamestown Distributors "Boston Whaler Blue" paint again?

BWbert
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Joined: Fri Apr 13, 2018 1:25 pm

Re: Exact Color for Blue Paint to Match 13-footer Interior

Postby BWbert » Fri May 04, 2018 12:50 pm

jimh wrote:BWBERT--having used the Jamestown Distributors "Boston Whaler Blue" Wet Edge Topside Paint for restoring the 17-footer in your second restoration thread, how did you like the color it gave for a classic Boston Whaler restoration?

Would you use the Jamestown Distributors "Boston Whaler Blue" paint again?


The paint gives a very even spread and dries up quickly.
I would recommend Jamestown over other types of paint, any day of the week.