I need to re-paint the rear of my Nacra. Many Nacras have sterns that have a flat black paint of some type rather then white gel-coat. The fiberglass texture normally shows. My paint has rubbed/faded off and bare fiberglass is showing back there. Boat is a 1991.

Any ideas on what type of paint to use?

I was thinking of some black Interlux Brightside since it is available in pint size from local West Marine store. It is single part polyurethane meant for top sides but boat is not kept in water. Any drawbacks to this, or things I need to be aware of? Any special primer needed?

Found this forum discussion on hull painting in general, with normal differences in opinion:

http://www.catsailor.com/forums/sho...=&sb=5&o=&fpart=all&vc=1

Thanks,

flat black Krylon in a can. If you are just doing the sterns (and they are recesed like on my old 5.2) why go to all that trouble? I painted my 5.2 sterns with it and it looked great for years. The recessed sterns are simple to mask off (just run the tape around the outside) so even if it needs another coat in two years, it will take you 15 minutes and $2.00. After repairing a nearly dismembered stern on my 6.0NA (this stern is not recessed) I shot it with gloss Krylon and it's holding up fine. Would I paint a whole boat like that? Heck no. Sterns only? yep.

I used the very paint you're talking about on a big repair I did on one of my black Hobie racing rudders - paint worked really well and I didn't do much at all to prep the area I painted - just roughed up the new fiberglass with sand paper. Even though it's not for under water use I figure they meant the extended under the waterline keelboat sitting in the water all season kind of a thing. It's held up fine on the rudder, probably great for what you want to do.

Back in the old days, around 1980, I painted the sterns on my Nacra 5.2. I went to K-Mart and bought a can of the cheapest, flat black paint I could find for $1.19. Painted both sterns --- looked great until it was sold in 1984. Did the same thing again on an old 5.2 my brother bought in 1999. Same results. From my experience, I certainly wouldn't go overboard with the paint selection.

Just my 2 cents.

Just wondering... why are they black anyway and not gel coated like the rest of the boat????

During that time, the sterns were added after the two hull halves were joined (the two halves left a big opening for the stern). Later they changed this (as did Supercat I believe) so that the stern was part of the main mold to make it a more efficient assembly process with less finishing required.

I believe the type of paint on the sterns is completely irrelevant - it won't slow you down if it's the "wrong" paint, will it? As long as it isn't "heavy", and stays there, go with cheap.
So why go with flat black, why not make a statement?
My boat has one stern green, one stern red - guess which is which?
If you trailer your boat, why make the sterns black? Why not white? or even some highly reflective paint? The more visibility on the highway, the better!!