CONTINUOUSWAVE

Other than using AWLGRIP or TotalBoat Wet Edge Topside paint, give me your first hand experience with any other product you have used to top-coat the gel coat layer on an older Boston Whaler boat.

I've successfully painted a boat with Rival which is the latest name for Imron two part epoxy type paint. Available at automotive paint supply houses. Upsides: it is extremely durable, rivals gelcoat for finish, does not need a lot of coats if prepared properly (primed and sanded) Downsides: very expensive (paint and catalyst $275.00) , need a respirator to spray,

I used Interlux Perfection two-part polyurethane paint on my old 13-foot Whaler and was very happy with the results. I followed the manufacturer's instructions explicitly. It was a tremendous amount of work, but the gloss and durability of the finish were excellent for a do-it-yourself job.

Thank you both for the helpful responses. I have nearly concluded the first inside sanding, and next up is Total Boat brand "Fairing", which is a two-part filler for repair of dings, divots, cracks, etc.

I'm very good at auto paint and bodywork and painting, so once preparation is done, I'll be choosing an inside finish. I'm considering Total Boat's Wet Edge Topside paint, Awlgrip, and Gelcoat.

I have used Gelcoat quite a bit, and am leaning in that direction, although it is harder to apply and finish than spraying Imron, for example. That said, Gelcoat is what came on the boat originally, and I hate to deviate from what Boston Whaler [used] originally.

I guess that using new gel coat to top-coat old gel coat meets the criterion that the product should not be AWLGRIP nor TotalBoat Wet Edge Topside Paint. However, I would expect that getting a perfectly uniform, defect free, and high-gloss finish with spraying new gel coat over the entire hull will end up being more labor intensive that the other paint products. Also, getting gel coat polyester resin to cure to a hard surface when exposed to air is another problem to be overcome. My understanding is that particular additives are necessary to permit that to occur.

The reason that Boston Whaler and every other manufacturer of fiberglass boats use gel coat resin for the top layer finish is the method of fabrication: the boat is laminated inside a female contact mold, so the gel coat layer is the first layer sprayed into the mold, followed quickly by other polyester laminating resins. The gel coat outside surface is not exposed to air, so it cures to a hard finish, aided by the mold having been sprayed with a release agent that further insures no contact with air.