Painting Fiberglass - resources for cruising sailors

The Two-Part Solution

[Offline]

Brief how-to By Steve D'Antonio
The Two-Part Solution

A professionally-sprayed two-part linear polyurethane paint job can′t be beat, but only if you choose the right surfaces, the right colors, and the right preparation methods. 3 pages with photos.

[Cruising World, April 2002]
- Order the Cruising World back issue

Latex Point for Boats

[Site]

By Dave Carnell

An argument for using semi-gloss acrylic latex paint, with a painting schedule for new surfaces.

[Dave Carnell's Boatbuilding Page, USA]
- Visit the page

Tips for Painting Fiberglass Boats

[Article]

Brief How-To By David Pascoe

Why you might want to paint over your gelcoat, how to choose color, and what the stages of the actual job are. Interesting advice on how to select a painter and write up a contract or work order.

[Yachtsurvey.com]
- Painting topsides

Making an Older Hull Look Like New

[Offline]

Brief How-To By Diane Selkirk

Painting old gelcoat is not difficult but requires good surface preparation and two-person application. 3 pages with photos and a sidebar on adding stenciled lettering.

[Sail Magazine, April 2002]
- Order the Sail Magazine back issue

Topside

[Site]

Personal resource list By Bill Dietrich

Grab bag of facts and commentary on how to paint fiberglass topsides and what paints and equipment to use. Contains excerpts from hard-to-find bulletin board and newsgroup postings, as well as links to useful sites and vendor pages.

[Bill Dietrich, USA]
- Thoughts on maintaining your topsides

Boat painter's guide

[Site]

By International Paint

Thorough and up-to-date manual for boat painting projects. Covers virtually all parts of the boat and all materials. Filled with tips for painting and choosing paints. Downloadable in English, French or Spanish.

[International Paint Inc., Union, NJ, USA]
- Read the boat painting manual

New Shine for an Old Hull

[Article]

Brief How-To By Don Casey
New Shine for an Old Hull

How to apply polyurethane paint to your topsides yourself, potentially saving big money.

[SailNet, 9 January 2001]
- Painting it yourself

Curing Spider-Webbed Topsides

[Offline]

Brief How-To By Ted Hugger

How to grind off cracked gelcoat, roll on new gelcoat, sand and fair, and then protect with modern a paint system. Doing it yourself can save a lot. 6 pages with photos and diagrams.

[Sail Magazine, April 2001]
- Order the Sail Magazine back issue

Don't Rush the Brush

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Detailed how-to By Tom Neale
Don't Rush the Brush

Advice from professional painters to the do-it-yourself hull painter, with an emphasis on removing, filling, fairing, and sanding before painting. 4 pages with photos and a list of paint sources.

[Cruising World, April 2002]
- Order the Cruising World back issue

Cleaning Fiberglass Hulls and Decks

[Article]

Brief How-To By Sue & Larry
Cleaning Fiberglass Hulls and Decks

How to keep your gelcoat from deteriorating, including rinsing, cleaning, removing organic, waterline, and rust stains, waxing and polishing, and removing names and graphics. Includes contents of authors′ fiberglass cleaning kit.

[SailNet, 8 March 2002]
- Polish your hull to a shine

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