How to Paint a Sailboat
Sailboat paint can wear and age just like any other surface paint, only more so since it sits exposed to the elements and suffers water contaminants. Sailboat hulls can suffer deterioration from marine organisms, oxidation, UV sunlight and object impacts. Sailboat decks can wear from heavy foot traffic and saltwater contamination. There comes a time when all sailboats must be hauled from the water, inspected and repainted. New paint offers the best protection against serious hull deterioration. New paint also increase aesthetic value and increases performance.
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Things You'll Need
- Socket set
- Ratchet wrench
- Screwdrivers
- Masking tape
- Masking paper
- Fiberglass or wood degreaser
- Scrub brush
- Terrycloth towels
- Hook scrapper
- Particle mask
- Orbital sander
- Sanding disks (80- 220- and 400-grit)
- Boot stripe paint (contrasting color)
- Paint brush
- Hull paint (polyurethane, acrylic or enamel)
- Bottom paint (copper-based)
- Topside paint (polyurethane, acrylic or enamel)
- Paint roller (long extension, foam)
- Paint pan
Instructions
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Haul your sailboat from the water, properly rest the keel on blocks and set your hull support frames. Have professionals do this. The sailboat must be stable. Use a socket and wrench, or screwdrivers, to remove any hardware that will impede the painting process, such as cleats, stanchions and other deck-fastened items. If painting the upper deck, mask off all areas, particularly wood, steel and plastic items with masking tape and masking paper.
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Use a hook scraper to pull and lift off the largest peeling sections of paint, if the deterioration has progressed to this stage. Pull the hook scraper back to you, starting at the edge of the peel. Remove all loose flakes. Scrub the hull with a brush and use a fiberglass degreaser on a gelcoat surface. Use wood solvent for a wooden vessel. Wipe away all traces of oxidation and wax. Dry the surface with clean terrycloth towels.
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Use 80-grit paper on an orbital sander that has a foam pad. Wear a particle mask for protection or use a sander with a dust catch bag. Sand the hull from the top down. Scuff the outer layer of paint with medium pressure until smooth. Watch sharp seams and corners; reduce pressure in these areas. Do not sand down through the paint and into the laminate structure, such as fiberglass. Stop when you have reached the primer coat on a wood hull.
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Sand the top deck with the orbital sander, but only on the flat surfaces. Avoid running the sanding disk into corners and against supports. Use heavy grit sandpaper and sand the tighter areas by hand. Change out disks and sandpaper pieces when they load up. Use towels and degreaser to clean the surface; change the towels frequently. If you wish a smoother gloss finish, run the orbital sander over the hull with a 220-grit disk, then graduate to a 400-grit fine grit. Hand-sand where appropriate with the 400-grit.
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Agitate the paint can on a vibrator or mix it thoroughly by hand. Pour enough paint into a roller pan to cover a large area. If you intend to add a boot stripe to the waterline, use blue masking (painter's) tape to run two equidistant tape lines around the hull and then use a brush to paint a contrasting color stripe on the hull. Dip your extension roller in the pan, and roll over the hull surface, beginning at the top and finishing at the bottom.
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Roll the paint until you have covered the hull. Use cross-hatch motions with the roller to remove runs and tiger striping. While the first coat dries, and if you are painting the top deck, use a roller to paint the large flat areas and a brush to cover the corners and seams. Wait for the paint to dry according to directions. Lightly sand and with the 400-grit sandpaper. Apply a second coat of paint with the roller and brush in the same fashion. Two medium-thick coats should be enough, but you may apply three thinner coats for the same protection, but lightly sand between coats with the 400-grit.
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Wait for the paint to dry for at least 24 hours, or according to directions. Remove all masking tape and paper. Use a socket or screwdriver to reinstall all of your deck and hull hardware. When the time comes to relaunch the craft, sand and paint the areas that were covered by the hull supports and allow them to dry.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are applying bottom paint separately from the hull paint, which is usually a copper-based paint much different from the hull paint, apply the bottom paint below the boot stripe (waterline), using several coats. Make certain you mix or agitate the copper bottom paint thoroughly before application. Let it dry according to instructions.
You must know the type of paint that exits on your hull before you begin painting. You should not mix paints, since different type paints will not adhere to unlike brands and types. Typical hull and topside paints come in polyurethane, acrylic and enamel. Identify your existing paint.
References
- Photo Credit Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
