Is there a good alternative to 2 part paint? I am painting rudders and boards on a Nacra 5.2 and I don't want to spend too much time, effort or money but i still want decent results. Is there a spray that will work?

No
The air dry stuff just doesn't get hard enough, IMHO. Using two part urethane and epoxies does not stop you brush applying,(probably worth doing on a small job like boards where you want A lot of build up, multiple coats and little waste) which makes it easier and more pleasant, albeit more sanding. The only time I use spray can stuff is when I need small amounts of multiple colours and then I go over with a two part clear coat, to preserve the colours and give it some toughness. To economise, maybe use a hi-build epoxy primer (white)only! It will get chalky if left in the sun a lot, but will otherwise save you buying an extra gallon of urethane top coat, and will go on thick, fill sanding scratches etc, while still glossing about like a daggerboard gelcoat. You would want something tough so the boards will not get the vertical scratches fron the sand invariably in your trunk felt/gasket sides, which are aparently real performance killers.

Just wondering,are they painted now or are they still gelcoat? I redoing mine now and I'm spraying gelcoat.

Currently gel coated, but it looks as though some one has used paint, bondo, and what ever to try to fair the foils.

Well,I did the paint thing on my last boat but even then I still used gelcoat on the flippers. It's just easier to fix and maintain.

Gelcoat is easy to work with. It can be sprayed with a Preval after a little thinning . If you decide to use gelcoat or want more info let me know.

Are your reservations about the two part paint cost? If so most people don't know that Imron is availible in an industrial version which is less costly. For example I purchased a gallon of clear with kicker for 75 dollars. The clear was ready to spray. No thinner. I'm sure white is available. Of course Imron is not something to mess with unless you protect yourself.

Sherwin Willams automotive paint divison sells a product called Sunfire which is their version of a polyurethane and is availible in quarts. Not sure if the Ind. Imron is.

Any ?'s ask away. I'm not sure how much you know about these things.

Thanx Mike,

When using the clear, was it neccessary to prime?
Is paint easier to spray than gel coat? What about PVA?

The clear is normally sprayed over a color coat or base coat. I used it to redo my mast and beams on my Mystere. It came with the powercoated white finish which was peeling badly. I removed that and used an etching solvent on the aluminum and then cleared the mast and beams. No other primer. You don't need to prime a gelcoated surface to spray Imron.

I still think Gelcoat is the best. You can use gel putty first to fill and shape and then spray with a preval.

PVA is a parting compound which is sprayed on a mold prior to lay up to help in releasing the part. Sort of a water based wax. Some people will spray it over gelcoat that doesn't have wax in it. This has the same effect as gelcoat with wax.

A little on gelcoat. It's normally used to spray into or onto a waxed mold. Obviously you want the glass layers to stick to the gelcoat,so you would use gelcoat that has no wax. It remains tacky after it has cured so the glass will adhere to it. If you ever tried to put gelcoat without wax on something and then tried to sand it you'll know what I mean. It's impossible to sand. With the addition of wax or sanding aid as it's somtimes called the gelcoat surface cures hard allowing it to be easily sanded. One thing about gelcoat with wax is it needs to be sanded between coats and I recommend useing a wax remover before recoating.

So knowing that, when I spray gelcoat I do the repairs with gel putty and I don't bother to even sand the the putty. I leave the excess there and then decide how many coats I want to spray on. If it's three coats then I will put the first two on without wax and then on the last coat I put the wax in. Then I sand and shape.

I don't use PVA as a curing agent. Since it's put on after, if the gelcoat starts to kick before your ready you can wind up with spots that cure hard and spots that don't.

Paint is easier to spray and you get a finished product when your done. Gelcoat requires some sanding and polishing depending on how nice a finish you want.

If you want to talk about it PM me here with your ph# and I'll give you a call.

Aerosol spray paints do not hold up

gel coat works, once you master it. I never did so, I will not comment.

1 part polyurethane's are light duty. They will hold up on rudders but not boards.

2 part polyurethane's, can kill you if sprayed without the proper gear. You can brush or roll in a well ventilated area.

Unless I am trying to match something, I like epoxy for rudders and boards. You have to protect it from the sun (it chalks but you can buff it out) and if you don't like it, it makes a good primer

Interlux VC Performance Epoxy (no biocide) works well on boards and rudders. It is It is a 2 part epoxy made as a racing bottom paint for monohull. You will have to protect it from the sun, it chalks over time. You will need 4 coats. You cannot use this as a primer, it contains Teflon

For cheap, try epoxy with a small amount of high density filler added. This is off-white. If you add a very small amount of carbon, it's black. If you add aluminum powder or a tiny tiny amount of carbon, it's gray. You can use colored pigment, but it will still be yellowish.

DuPont Imron has a water based 2 part polyurethane. It is supposed to be non toxic. It's rated for exposure to salt spray but, it is for industrial use. and it will not be real shiny. I have not tried it. If you try let me know. Most cities have a dealer. They will be listed under auto or industrial painting supplies.

I haven't tried any yet, but am seriously considering using this paint when I do my entire boat...... Boat Paint Link

Any body tried this paint?

Regards,
Mike

I met a fellow from Louisiana who painted an old Hobie 18 top to bottom in White DuPont Imron paint (mast, crossbars, hulls, boards, rudders). It looked stunning with a fairly shiny finish and seemed to be plenty tough. It was strange seeing a Hobie with white cross bars but it really bought the boat up to date in looks.

I have refinished rudder blades using west system epoxy with graphite and a little colloidal silicon (which helps the mixture adhere when you roll it on). I loved the finished result - stealth rudders!

Chris.

unless you are the type that wants things to be taj mahal like, just get some cans of sandable primer and touch up as necessary when it gets scratched.
paints like imron and ppg urethane are really 3 part and should be sprayed by a professional. paint, thinner, activator.
$.02

Hi Folks, Just my 2cents worth. I own several hobie 16's and wouldn't trade them for anything. The first one is a 79 that my dad owned and gave to me. it was painted about 12 years ago by a local auto shop that specialized in fiberglass. It was painted using the Imron paint. To this day after sitting outside in the weather for 12 years it still shines like glass! In the spring I use some very mild compound and a buffer to remove the oxidation. It looks great all summer long. I have another 16 I have been working on this winter. I am going to have the same company paint this one as well with the Imron paint. I have read information regarding the extra weight and such but, imo it is worth it.
This paint is very durable, my dad wasn't gentle with the boat. I have trailered it all over the midwest and it has been exposed to road grime, tar, and yes winter salt. it always cleans up well.