Marine or auto paint?

I have a fiberglass boat im restoring. Im wanting to know if i can use good auto paint with a clear coat or do you have to use marine paint? my boat is in water maybe in water 2-3 days at a time, 3-4 times a year. Not alot. Also while doing some sanding ive noticed hair cracks(like stress cracks throughout the boat) in the fiberglass, is this something i should be worried about. Who ever owned boat before me looks like the slapped a sloppy paint job on it and painted over everything. I tested a area with some filler and primer seems that cracks cover with little work.Marine or auto paint?
marine paints %26amp; other products sold here:Marine or auto paint?
awlgrip the hull. It is the best thing for it and will not have to be redone for many years.
Check out DuPont Imron paints, I think you will be happy with that. Also you won't have to clear coat it.


You will have to spray it with a gun and watch out for the fumes very bad for you.


the cracks are jelcoat cracks from to much sun, you need to get a gelcoat repair kit try Boatersworld.com ?


http://www.boatersworld.com/resin-filler鈥?/a>
you def have to use marine paint. Anything else will not only fade but also attract alge
Most boats are not painted but the color is manufactured in the gelcoat. But you can prep it and paint it just like they would a fiberglass car. Before sanding make sure you use a good degeaser and wax remover
May I suggest that, as it is a fiberglass vessel, then why don't you see about cleaning off the paint and reapplying ';gelcoat';, which was the original finish on the vessel.


It is far superior to just painting.


A local fiberglass business should be able to advise better on costs, etc., and they should also be able to advise if those cracks are from 'osmosis', which is a rot in the fiberglass.
Not mentioned in any of the other posts...gel coat cracks are also caused by it being applied to thick and not being able to flex with the fiberglass. Stress,(rough water is one example) exposure, etc. can cause/create cracks in gel coat. Also no one else mentioned wet sanding your present finish before redoing the paint job. I would also strongly suggest you reapply the gel coat...it is done for a reason, it acts the same way as the clear coat finish on the automotive paint. Also USE marine paint. Call a reputable marine repair facility and ask them for a recommendation.
I just painted my boat. It is aluminum though. I was an auto painter for about 5 years, and I do know automotive paint is pretty durable. I am not familiar with marine paint, how much it costs, or how durable. But when I bought the paint at the paint supply store, I asked about marine paint, and he said auto paint would be the best bet. I used Dupont. It's an easy paint to work with. I went with 3 coats of clear coat. I could have gotten away with 2, but I had enough in my gun for 1 more. I would be concerned about the sloppy paint job it has. I would recommend sanding as much paint off you can to get rid of the old paint job. Why spend your precious time painting it just to have it flake off from the last guys bad prep and paint job. As far as the cracks, you should be able to get away with sanding and filling them. There is a slight risk that they might come back or show thru the paint. The paint and supplies for my boat cost about 385.
I would definitely go with a urethane, marine paint for the hull. While Imron sounds nice from the other guy, bear in mind that the paint they are suggesting is normally for aircraft and a gallon kit alone is probably as expensive as what you paid for the boat used. Unless you have more money than sense, steer away from the Imron. 5-Star paints have done me pretty well in the 6 years I've painted glassed hulls.





Now as for those cracks, if you said it was just here and there, then I would have suggested a gelcoat glaze. But if they are everywhere, this could be big trouble. Fiberglass hulls can rot, especially if they are not sealed properly. But don't be confused with the term rot. Rot in fiberglass is where the glass and resin have become brittle due to exposure. Such as a hairline crack allowing moisture in, winter comes and it freezes. Ice exapands the fibers and cracks the resin and the process repeats itself year after year until the hull is re-finished.





Sometimes though, rot can be too extensive to fix. However, since you have already taken her out and the hull hasn't caved in on you, you may just have to do a little repair work over a weekend or two or three.





First off, strip off all of the paint to the glass. Be very careful not to sand through the hull or allow the sanding pad to get so hot it burns a hole in the glass. The gelcoat color I normally see on most stock, glass hulls is white. Usually a semi-gloss color, sometimes dull.





Next, you'll want to get some gelcoat glaze (which you can get online from US Composites Inc.) to fill in and seal those cracks. Be sure your environment is as dry as possible (humidity under 50% is desirable). You can always make a visquine tent over the work area to keep bugs and dust away if you are working outside. The glaze doesn't shrink hardly at all, so be sure to squeegee that stuff nice and flat and remove the excess off asap.





Next, you need to buy a filler primer. This primer will naturally fill any small cracks you missed as well as prime your hull for painting. The primer is tan in color. Sand it until it is really slick. I usually wet sand with 220 grit first, then 300 grit, then 400 grit. The gradual reduction in grits has always made for an outstanding slick texture on my primed hulls.





Next, be sure to use some ';wax remover'; (ask your local paint shop what brand they carry). The stuff removes any chemicals such as human sweat, fingerprints, and even chemicals from your breath off the surface.





Next, you are ready to put on your urethane, marine paint. The mix includes the paint, hardener, and reducer. Be sure to follow your paint shop's suggestion on this. They know their paint better than anyone. Just spray on 3 coats. Wait 15 minutes in between each coat as well. It takes about 90 days for the stuff to fully harden, but you can use the hull in a week. I would suggest waiting two weeks. After day 90, you are free to clean and buff the hull.





If you wish to make the painted finish smooth and shinier, you can use a 600 grit then a 1200 grit wet sandpaper.
NO PAINT WILL STAY ON A FIBERGLASS BOAT BELOW THE WATER LINE (BUT) JELL COAT.you WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO THIS ( I ASSURE YOU)