CONTINUOUSWAVE

[H]ello all. [M]y son and [I] are in the process of rebuilding his [1981--always use four digits for years] 17-footer. A prior owner painted the upper part of the gunwales deep flag blue. We stripped the paint and sanded down [the gunwales] to almost bare gel coat. We are not going for original and plan to re-paint with TotalBoat TOPSIDE paint in either Hatteras White or Oyster White.

Q1: [to any reader who has used TotalBoat TOPSIDE paint to paint a Boston Whaler:] what color did you use[?]

Q2: did you paint the non-skid?

Q3: if so, did [the paint] wipe out the non skid[?]

Any help is appreciated

I just received color chips from TotalBoat. Oyster White is the closest match.

I beleive the TOPSIDE brand paint is a one-part moisture cure, meaning there is no activator or catalyst that starts a chemical reaction which would result in a more robust painted surface.

TOPSIDE may be decent stuff if the boat will see light use, but I'd still lean toward and IMRON, AWLGRIP, ALEXSEAL or other two-part paint if looking for something that will last a long time.

AWLGRIP Desert tan is a near perfect match [to Boston Whaler Desert Tan gel coat].



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heatxcape wrote:I just received color chips from TotalBoat.

Using color chips and viewing them in daylight is the best means of determining color match. You cannot match colors off a random computer display screen to a real-life product. It's very good you got the paint chips to make the match.

heatxcape wrote:Oyster White is the closest match.

Closest match to what?

On the 15-foot hull there is a subtle difference in the hull color and the deck and cockpit color. And the boat being repaired was painted blue. Exactly what hue are you seeking to match?

Jim is right on color match, camera capture and how color is displayed on a computer can vary. The ideal way to match paint is by going to a supply house that has the color analyzer. In this pic, I cut a piece of the inner hull liner out and cleaned it up and then had the exact color matched by using this tool. It's not something that the project person is going to have kicking around since the tool runs about $8,000.





The best next step is to use the color chips and see how close you can come. For me, the match was near a 100% match as the hull stencil number I left visible and there's no notiable differnce on the color other than the painted surface having more gloss.



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Also, the worst way to match paint chip to hull color is to have the boat in the garage or workshop with florescent lighting when you are judging the color match. You need daylight, and preferable not direct, deep shadow, pure sunlight. Sunlight with some white clouds to diffuse the sunlight is better.

Evinrude/Johnson White engine paint prior to 1977 is a dead ringer for the hull, found that out by mistake.

Thanks for the advice and recommendations.

The TotalBoat hue "Oyster" still appears to be the best match [to the original gel coat color]. I will get other chips from AWLGRIP to insure i have best fit.

I want to paint once and properly, but I also want to get the best match, as i will NOT be painting over the non-skid areas. The paint will be applied to the area from the gunwales to the deck.

In February 2020 I painted some fish box hatches with TOTAL BOAT Topside primer and one-part WetEdge products. I have been underwhelmed by the durability of the product and wish I had chosen another solution. I should also add, I was precise in my preparation and painting, according to the manufacturer's directions.