Gel coat vs Epoxy paint

[carlos515]

Hello all,
I am going to tackle the bottom hull this spring and paint or gel coat it. My boat will sit on the trailer most of the time. I will repair the hull scrapes and gouges from days gone past. I was going to order a 5 gallon pail of white spray gel coat but then saw the Interlux epoxy 2gal kit at the same value. Not sure what to get now. What are some pros and cons for gel coat ?
Also for the sides would automotive 2k polyurethane be ok ?

Thanks,
Carlos

 

[Scott Danforth]

I did my whole 26 foot boat inside and out with 2 gallons of gel and 2 gallons of 904 additive. You do not need 5 gallons for the bottom

 

[carlos515]

Thanks Scott ,
That gives me an idea of the amount I need.

Carlos

 

[jimmbo]

In 1974 our 16 ft Evinrude was painted with an Epoxy paint, it was a very thin coat, and it stuck to the Gelcoat very well, for over 40 years I have been trying to scratch it off a piece of the Dash, the Gray was covered by a piece of trim when the blue was applied.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks Scott ,
That gives me an idea of the amount I need.

Carlos

based on the pic, you would need 2-3 quarts of white for the bottom and 1-2 quarts of orange for the sides and at least 1 gallon of 904

 

[Chris1956]

High end yachts are painted with 2 part polyurethane paint. Awlgrip and Imron are two of those. They give superior shine, but are expensive and hard for us amateurs to apply.

One part polyurethane paints are very shiny and durable, nearly as durable as gelcoat, but much better finish. They are easy to apply in spray and roll and tip.

Epoxy paint is not known for its shine and finish. They can be rolled on or sprayed. Not sure if roll and tip works well.

Since you are trailering the boat, you can use any of the above, as well as enamel. I would see which one has the best finish for your taste and budget. They can all be sprayed. You can roll and tip the polyurethanes and enamels and get a good finish as well.

 

[carlos515]

Thanks Chris,
I will look into the Awlgrip . But I think I will go gel coat. Easier for me to get and apply .
Thanks Scott,
I will proceed with taking the boat off the trailer now.

Carlos

 

[Scott Danforth]

gel is easy to spray. especially with the 904 additive

1988 Rogue 2420

Sanding yesterday i apparently burned out the compressor motor......phudge That's good and bad, good you can get a bigger compressor, bad you have to buy one

forums.iboats.com

 

[carlos515]

Thanks , I went with gel and 904. My local 3m dealer has Imron for over 600 a gallon.

I looked at the Rogue link, quite interesting Scott . I will build custom boat stands to support my boat. Steel on order. I may as well change the colour to what I would like.
The top gel seems to have a clear coat on it. How coarse can I go to remove the clear coat ? 80? Then 400 to prep the old gel coat for new?

Carlos

 

[Scott Danforth]

Thanks , I went with gel and 904. My local 3m dealer has Imron for over 600 a gal.....

How coarse can I go to remove the clear coat ? 80? Then 400 to prep the old gel coat for new?

Carlos

Red is 700 a gal, why I went gel

80 grit is as fine as you want to go

 

[mickyryan]

last i heard epoxy don't have any uv inhibitors so cant take sunlight, also folks who used epoxy on bottoms reported weird growth there is a couple posts about it on internet they wound up repainting

 

[jimmbo]

I remember hearing that in the 1950s, people were being told that Polyestermites would ruin their Fiberglass boats, by salesmen/dealers selling Wood Boats

 

[mickyryan]

well i can tell you epoxy used on pool decking needs to be recoated every two years polyester resin dont have that problem neither does urethane paints epoxy garage coatings tell you not to use in direct sunlight , most epoxy built boats get a layer of paint to protect the epoxy

 

[JASinIL2006]

Gluvit, which is also an epoxy, says to paint over it if used on top side to protect it from UV.