Hmmm, not sue how a H 20 looks like on top of the hulls... the H 16's have some "anti slip" structure in some areas. How are those prepared prior to any painting attempt? Sanding will not work - not sure if there is some sort of sealer available.

Patrick

The H20 has the gnurled finish on the decks as well. I used a chemical paint remover to prep the area. It looked very factory after the paint was applied. The finish is not as durable as gelcoat, it is very durable but will show scratches because of the thin coat and grey primer. Touch ups are much easier with the AWLGRIP.

If you have the skill to remove the existing gelcoat and then re apply it, that would be best,otherwise, remove some gelcoat, apply an excellent primer coat, fair it perfect, and then paint. I have heard that rolling and tipping will yeild better results than spraying.(?)

I think I'm going to borrow an idea from the import tuner crowd and just have some vinyl graphics made for my boat. The more I think about it the less I want to clog up my garage with a torn apart catamaran. The back page of the 05' Hobie catalog has a picture of a tiger with some simple graphics that look really nice.

Go with the two-part Polyurethane. Most of these, such as Awlgrip, are prepped with a two-part epoxy primer. As for brushing or "rolling and tipping", it can only be done well with the proper "extra" additives for the paint. Awlgrip can provide these and has great literature on this. But, I`ve been there and done that...without sprayin, its very tough and expensive - especially if you don`t get it right. However, there is a great alternative to professional spray equipment for a small surface area like the Hobie. The Preval (disposable)paint gun at Home Depo sprays the stuff beautifully and its cheap. You`ll need about three compressed air refills for each coat depending on the paint/film thickness. They are about 5 bucks each and its worth it. The Preval sprays the two-part primer and the polyurethane VERY well. I can`t say enough about it, particularily with the high-end, insanely hard to brush paints.

Now, some info on the paint itself. Two-part poly is harder (yes harder) more scuff resistant, more UV and impact resistant than gelcoat - despite urban myths to the contrary. Applied professionally it achieves a better and longer lasting gloss than gelcoat and does not oxidize like gelcoat - hence no waxing. This is why some high-end yachtmakers are pulling boats from the mold and painting them right off the bat. You pay big bucks for this though.

When applied to fiberglass AFTER the molding process, gelcoat DOES NOT adhere as well as the two-part poly and is prone to chipping and cracking. Not to mention it tends to be very labour intensive when applied "out of the mold". Also, it will not outlast the paint when applied in this way. This is because the paint forms a significantly stronger mechanical bond than the gelcoat. Gelcoat applied DURING the molding process will, however, have a stronger chemical bond than the mechanical bond of any paint that is applied after the molding process. Manufacturers use it (gelcoat) in the mold because it is much cheaper and less labour intensive than the paint. But its advantages of cheapness, labour, and longetivity only exceed the paint if it is applied during the molding/layup process.

Don`t be afraid to feel good about a well excuted paint job with top quality paints. But rolling and tipping is likely to leave anyone but a real pro somewhat disappointed.

As for the question on how to prep the non-skid area on the top of the hulls. First, spend the money on a top quality dewaxer/degreaser from an auto body supplier. B.A.S.F makes a great one - R.M. 900 I believe. This should be the first step on the whole boat (more than one application too). Then scuff your non-skid with a stiff but fine wire brush as best you can. After that, the two-part epoxy primer will hold on just fine as long as its clean...very clean.

Best of luck.

Hope my overly lengthy shpeel helpa ya out.

Dave

Sorry guys. Something else worth mentioning. The paint remover used by one of the other guys in this thread just isn`t adequate for this kind of prep job. It will probably remove most of the oils from the surface but leave any silicones and most waxes behind. That may be the reason for the scratches that are appearing. This point is easy to prove to yourself too: Take a colored wax pencil and mark your hull. Wait one day and try the different cleaners. Paint thinners do almost nothing. Acetone smears the wax around but will remove it eventually after a few applications, and the professional dewaxer/degreasers make it disappear almost like magic...usually one wipe...just like an infomercial! Now imagine all the contaminants sun-baked into every micro-pore (billions) on your boat. The reason I bring this up again is because this is both the crapiest yet most important part of the job. In addition, it absolutely must be done before any sanding. I myself go over (dewax) a surface at least 3 times changing continuously to clean cloths, always wiping in one direction only.


Regarding the disposable paint gun I mentioned and the cost of all those refill canisters. Keep in mind it will be a lot cheaper than buying the paint additives from Awlgrip to allow proper brushing/rolling. Not to mention the badger hair brushes, or at minimum, the top-notch bristle brushes they insist upon...now those are expensive!

Enuf of me!
Best of luck

Dave