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Has anyone re-gelcoated the outside cabin sides and hull of their boat? If so how did it come out? Was it worth it?

Ix

I did lots of gel coat repairs on my X but not the whole thing. Spraying is best over large areas, I sprayed my rudders and the hinged seat. If I were to do the whole thing, I would just paint it. On a side note the Total Boat white gel coat was pretty much an exact match for color on my X.

A bunch of people just advised me to have it painted with awlgrip, but that’s expensive to hire a professional. TBH
The boats kind of a good level of scruffy for cruising the keys and Bahamas. Every once in a while I miss the shiny, though.

Hi!

Went through a whole analysis on over paint vs re-gel-coat with a couple of pros who are set up for this kind of work.
While paint wasn’t cheap the gel-coat was at a whole new level of $$$ pain…..
The pros could get the whole job done with paint in a week …. Gel-coat was more like two to three weeks.

We would really like to redo our exterior eventually and paint is gonna be our approach when we do.
Budget means we’d be doing it ourselves.

Cleaned and bleached last season after disappointing attempts to use a hull cleaner and ‘glass’ polish.
I know some have done really well with that approach but it didn’t work out for us. Not even gonna try again.
The 10-to-15% solution bleaching, scrub brush and heavy rinse worked like a charm and easily lasted all season (April to end of July) until we hauled out.

The top flat surfaces take the most solar abuse and were thinning from when we bought her.
Only a matter of time till the tape and paint comes into play… though we might just do the top half to be honest as the hull sides are in excellent shape.

OverEasy wrote: ↑Sat Nov 16, 2024 11:27 am Hi!

Went through a whole analysis on over paint vs re-gel-coat with a couple of pros who are set up for this kind of work.
While paint wasn’t cheap the gel-coat was at a whole new level of $$$ pain…..
The pros could get the whole job done with paint in a week …. Gel-coat was more like two to three weeks.

We would really like to redo our exterior eventually and paint is gonna be our approach when we do.
Budget means we’d be doing it ourselves.

Cleaned and bleached last season after disappointing attempts to use a hull cleaner and ‘glass’ polish.
I know some have done really well with that approach but it didn’t work out for us. Not even gonna try again.
The 10-to-15% solution bleaching, scrub brush and heavy rinse worked like a charm and easily lasted all season (April to end of July) until we hauled out.

The top flat surfaces take the most solar abuse and were thinning from when we bought her.
Only a matter of time till the tape and paint comes into play… though we might just do the top half to be honest as the hull sides are in excellent shape.

Did you get a quote on a whole boat paint job? I'd really like to know the ballpark we are looking at for that kind of service.

Pretty happy with 3M Restorer
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/b40066666/

Ixneigh wrote: ↑Wed Nov 06, 2024 4:01 pm Has anyone re-gelcoated the outside cabin sides and hull of their boat? If so how did it come out? Was it worth it?

Ix

Hi Herschel!

I don’t have the exact numbers at the moment … are a couple years old now so things have probably changed.. but for what I can recall…

We were only looking at getting the above the rub rail done and back to the transom… basically all the sun facing surfaces.
The challenges were not only all the contours, textured surfaces and hatches but also the black stripe and windows replacements along with the removal/polish/re-install of the lifeline stantions (&lines) which would be accomplished at the same time. It was an all up estimate. The yard was going to have to strip off a lot of the existing surfaces by sanding/grinding/blasting as they felt the existing bond of what gelcoat is there would compromise the integrity of the new surface as it would eventually pop off. Textured existing surfaces would be replaced by grip-rite type stuff. I recall they were around $8k+ and possibly even $10k. Another that was gonna do an “Earl Shibe” (a notoriously crappy midnight overpaint job) was in the $4-to-$5k range.

I’m not setup (nor do I want to get setup) to prep/clean/mask/iterate spray two colors of gel coat along with incorporating anti skid texture. More power to those that can… as it is a lot of elbow grease and detail work.

Simple professional wet-sand blast, prep & over Painting was a bit less (which still entailed the windows being removed/replaced & retexturing was about $1-to-$2k less. The “Earl Shibe” quote was the same so that is a clue not to go there…. Mind you I think that operation may have folded up and moved on..

Now there are DIY marine paints like those from Total Boat and others that are self leveling, can be roller/brush applied and bond well to a throughly cleaned dewaxed gelcoat surface. Material cost estimate came in around $2+ k. While not much less than the “Earl Shibe” estimate I’m pretty sure that I wouldn’t be wasting my money. The paint, while not near as durable as gelcoat, would allow me to do simple touch-ups as needed and should be good for at least 5-to-10 years.

IF/When we were to do something all at once it would be the DIY route under some sort of a jury rigged awning with some sort of sides. That would make it roughly 15+ ft tall x 14 ft wide by 30 ft long… no small undertaking… and then id be hoping for a good weather window of at least a month without interruptions (me or other things). I know others are faster than I but I am what I am.
The equipment and material estimate cost for the TDY shelter was about $500-to-$800 plus the time to make it.
(As I’m not as dexterous as I may have been at one time (I’d need to get a rental bucket lift to help with getting it assembled and covered as up/down a free standing ladder that tall isn’t gonna work from a solo safety hazard aspect nor the dexterity aspect.)

Anyway thats one portion of why I’m so hesitant to proceed with giving Over Easy an external makeover.
The other is the costs… I’ll admit that with the way things have been going economically on multiple fronts the past two or three months I’m in the ‘hunker-down & major expenditure avoidance mode’ (HD & MEAM) for this year (and probably beyond ). After the instability situation of late I’d personally rather get my other projects completed and see how things settle out in the future. Things are what they are & I’ve got enough APPE (Admiralty Priority Projects & Expenditures) to keep me happily busy for at least the next four years!

That said, I will however try and sneak in a prep/paint of the anchor locker hatch first and then the companionway coverings as they are simple enough to remove from the boat and bring into the garage to do during the off season for manageable costs and time.
Then there is always the potential to paint the top shell incrementally to nibble away at the problem over a couple years.
The advantages of doing it DIY. We’re also not all that into making Over Easy into a show boat but rather on enjoying her, our time on the water and travels. So the “good enough rule’ (GER) applies too! Keep her nice, clean, functional, safe and fun (within reason and budgets).

Now there have been others on the forum who have really done remarkable gelcoat and paint projects! Fantastic work that are just gorgeous. I really admire what they have accomplished!

I hope this helps…

Best Regards,
Over Easy

The Interlux brightsides paint I did the topsides with has lasted well. It’s not that resistant to physical abuse but it’s easy to apply.
Ix

Thank you both for the response. Sticker shock to say the least. No way 5-8K is worth it. Same issues for me that you stated for the DIY route. Definitely thinking of only the rub rail and up plus cockpit. I had good luck with basic West marine primer and paint for my 10-ft O'Day Sprite I painted about five years ago. It has held up pretty well. If I attempted the Mac, it would be piecemeal, a section at a time. I have one of those folding sun and rain shelters like you see at youth sports events. I thought if I took off the mast with a little help, taped the deck fittings/cleats, etc., cleaned/dewaxed, then primed and painted, it might be doable over the course of several weeks. Perhaps in the fall. Here is a shot of the Sprite. I used SeaDek to cover some areas. very pleased with that product.

I'm getting real close to painting the racoon stripes. I'm so tired of them fading/oxidizing every year.
I believe Ray used simple hardware store Rustoleum or a similar brand enamel. I might go that route.

Hi Herschel!

What a nice pretty boat your O’Day is!
A great size too!
That pop up shelter is a great idea. I have one from Harbor Freight that has really come in handy both as a sun shade and rain cover.
That was particularly true when we were finally sorting/emptying out the last of the storage lockers we had rented.
I can see that it with a bit of modification (longer legs?) could be a good approach to a piecemeal prep/painting project!

Yes, Ixneigh, that is what attracts me to paint! Easy to apply and touch up! Especially white!

You’re right Russ about the fade/oxidation of the raccoon stripes! The black fades and the white gelcoat oxide flows onto it making a pseudo grayish haze. Our annual cleanup tends to clean it up ok but it’s a perpetual process….

One of the things I’d hope to better demonstrate to myself with doing the removable hatches and cover is how the paint ages and weathers. I’d hate to go through all the effort of prep & paint only to have it do a fade-out after a year or so.

One benefit I’ve but hinted at is that the marine paints really seal up the porosity of the old bleached gelcoat and make it easier to get/keep it waxed/sealed & clean.

Best Regards,
Over Easy

I hope to practice on my Sprite with some touchup areas. That project is 3rd in my queue of major efforts behind some home improvements and a course I am teaching. If I can get to it (and that goes well), I may entertain the Mac effort in the fall.

The black stripes, are made much better with awlgrip. My absolutely horrid job is still shiny five years later. Use a really good natural bristle brush. And PPE!

Ix

Herschel wrote: ↑Fri May 02, 2025 8:15 pm I hope to practice on my Sprite with some touchup areas. That project is 3rd in my queue of major efforts behind some home improvements and a course I am teaching. If I can get to it (and that goes well), I may entertain the Mac effort in the fall.

Made some progress on my "practice paint job" to day. Put up an enclosure for working on the O'Day Sprite. Baby steps; but progress!

Hi Herschel!

Wow!
A boathouse AND a boat port!
You treat your O’Day pretty nicely!

It will make it that much nicer to work on for sure!!!

I’ll follow your lead and get our pop up out to work on the boat trailer refurbishments….I’ll have to move it around but it beats gettting rained on and scorched when the sun comes out! It that time of year in the south! (Beats the cold rain and cold breezes up north ).
Gotta enjoy what ya got!

Best Regards,
Over Easy