#4/ Painting. Special Refitting. Time for change. Ten questions in ten episodes.

THE PERFECT GIFT!

Give or treat yourself to a subscription to the print + digital Journal of Sailing and for only 69 euros a year you get the magazine at home plus read it on your PC, smartphone and tablet. With a sea of advantages.

sdc10840The fourth installment in the world of refitting is devoted to hull painting. The painting cycle of a boat cannot be improvised but must be based on a proper combination of primers, primers, fillers and enamels, selecting the “right” products to have protection, gloss, but also good performance and reduced processing time.

jpk-384_zpsja7nq7ex4. The hull needs a new paint job. How do I move?

Hull painting is by far one of the most complex operations: two boats with the same characteristics can have very different budgets due to different types of workmanship depending on the materials used, the types of paint used in the work, and the processing cycles involved. First of all, it is good to find out about the processes that will be done, making sure to properly compare different quotes. There are several incidental costs involved in painting: some people believe it is not necessary to de-sail and that it is sufficient to carry the boat under a tarp, with the drawback that you often cannot heat the environment well. It is worth spending more money not to have to redo this work every three years.

Painting a boat is like taking a photograph, or cooking a good dish, you have to be patient and know how to wait, since the last coat of paint is only the result of a long process. The trick is all in preparing the base; a bad base will never give a good result. That is why it is necessary to prime, sand, mask, and degrease the hull of the boat, focusing on every inch. Painting is not just about making your boat look better but protecting it from the sun, salt and weather.

Aesthetics and protection: an inseparable pair when it comes to marine paints. In fact, the entire painting cycle, whether new or refit/maintenance boats, must ensure maximum protection of the hull from agents such as saltiness, UV rays, heat, humidity, micro-organisms, fouling, rust and more, as well as giving the boat the aesthetic pleasantness provided by bright colors and homogeneous surfaces. Over the years, the nautical world has come remarkably close to the level of finishing that characterizes the auto body industry, and considerable evolution has also taken place in the area of colorimetry. But to ensure optimum protection in the marine environment, boating continues to need cycles and products designed specifically for marine use.
Primers, primers, fillers and enamels, not to mention antifoulings, must therefore have specific characteristics, and the entire painting cycle cannot be improvised but must be based on a proper combination of the various products. Therefore, there is no correct cycle, but depending on the materials to be painted and specific cases, the best combination of products should be identified.

In the world of coatings, “added value” is in fact increasingly shifting from product to service: in a mature market, where most products have reached high quality standards, concrete support for the professionals takes on a decisive role, both in identifying the right cycle, exact coloring and correct application, and in evaluating in terms of product yield, processing time and related costs. These are all dynamics that the automotive world has faced well in advance and have become increasingly pressing in the marine sector as well. In fact, to position themselves competitively in the marketplace while preserving a fair margin, shipyards must balance the books, seeking a balanced compromise between quality and price and ensuring results that are up to par.

ochs-paint-3The painting cycle consists of several overlapping layers of different products that, by combining their specific properties, create an effective and long-lasting protection and aesthetic result. Ihe first step is the application of primer, which creates initial hull protection and prepares the surface for subsequent applications. On gelcoat and fiberglass the primer performs an “anchoring” function for the base and subsequent topcoat, while on metal hulls it has a fundamental anti-rust and anti-corrosive power, providing protection according to the principle of cathodic protection or, in the case of primers containing zinc oxide, creating an alkaline environment that retards corrosion. On wood, primers instead go or clog the pores giving the wood waterproofing and strength.
On the other hand, the function of the primers, applied after the primer, is to give waterproofing and to create a protective base of a certain thickness on which, once sanded, the topcoats can be applied. Putties, on the other hand, are used to level out construction irregularities or to remedy damage from corrosion, paint chipping, peeling, and impact. The filler is generally applied between coats of primer and possesses waterproof qualities and easy sandability. Finally, the glazes, which is the final finish that is applied to the dead work (sides and deck).
In addition to color brilliance and aesthetic properties, glazes must be abrasion resistant, elastic and easy to apply, as well as having good performance. Then there are the clear paints, used to emphasize the wood and protect it over time.
All stages of the painting cycle are therefore of crucial importance, and finishing with enamels is only the last step: in fact, the surface preparation stages before enamel application account for about 80 percent of the total processing time.
What makes the difference, then, is the cycle as a whole rather than the unique characteristics of each individual product.
Do you want to repaint the boat, maybe even change the color? Know that site prices range from 250 to 400 euros per square meter. Approximate price sqm: 300 euros

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for our Newsletter

We give you a gift

Sailing, its stories, all boats, accessories. Sign up now for our free newsletter and receive the best news selected by the Sailing Newspaper editorial staff each week. Plus we give you one month of GdV digitally on PC, Tablet, Smartphone. Enter your email below, agree to the Privacy Policy and click the “sign me up” button. You will receive a code to activate your month of GdV for free!

Once you click on the button below check your mailbox

Privacy*


Highlights

You may also be interested in.

Now you have the incentive if you buy an electric motor

  Incentives are coming for the purchase of a marine electric motor. After years of vain waiting, bureaucratic delays and the feeling of being practically “invisible” in the eyes of the government in that much-ballyhooed race for “ecological transition,” a

Here are the right self-inflating jackets to sail safely

Self-inflating jackets are personal protective equipment that ensure the safety of the entire crew. Just as we wear helmets when we ride motorcycles, when we are sailing life jackets and can mean the difference between life and death. By wearing

Scroll to Top

Register

Chiudi

Registrati




Accedi

Sign in