Preview: Painting a Wooden Boat: Simple Techniques for a Professional Finish

59 Responses So Far to “Painting a Wooden Boat: Simple Techniques for a Professional Finish”

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  Neil Henderson says:

  I just applied the first coat of primer/undercoat to my CY build (Uisge Beatha) – my word it looks large!
  I am fascinated by that top strip of colour you have along the sheer plank of Ned Ludd (did you know there is a wine called Luddite? A nice red) – and I would like to copy this on my CY. Is the colour strip half the width of the sheer plank so it changes width as you traverse along the length of the boat or is it a fixed width all the way along? It looks to me in the video that the colour strip narrows towards the bow but this may be my ageing eyes……………

  Would be grateful for some information on how that lovely colour strip was done – and was it dark green?

  Thanks Neil Henderson (great video btw)

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    Geoff Kerr says:

    Neil, The stripe is an important element of this paint scheme, particularly in the four plank per side version of the Caledonia as it disguises the wide plywood sheer plank. My standard layout for this stripe doesn’t follow any formula but was derived by tacking a batten to my own boat many years ago and playing with it until I liked the result . I have a carefully preserved table of offsets for this stripe. It is less than half the width of the plank, and it does indeed taper to the ends. A reasonable approximation would be to lay off 40% of the plank width every 50cms or so and lay on a fair masking tape line to see what you think.

    On the 7 plank version I’ve seen boats with the full sheer plank painted a contrasting color. That is certainly easy to do, but looks a bit “heavy’ to my eye. Maybe that plank gets a half width stripe?

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      Neil Henderson says:

      Many thanks for the rapid reply Geoff – I have built the 7 strakes per side version of the CY design so I will try the 50% of strake width. I was planning the paint the entire sheer plank but agree with you that it can look a bit dominating. I am lucky to have friend who is an ex-architect with a very good aesthetic eye so will test on him before painting.

      Regards Neil

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  Stephen Koral says:

  Hi Geoff,

  In painting a small lapstrake dinghy, should I do a plank at a time, or a section? If I paint a plank, painting edges with a brush will coat an adjacent plank. Is it ok to have this overlap and just smooth it until I get there? If a section, will the paint dry too quickly for a smooth overlap? I suppose I could discover this on my own, but your comment could save me some time.

  Steve

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    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Stephen. No need to paint one plank at a time, that’d be a killer. Here’s a good video to watch for painting/brushing technique/process (you can ignore the grinding and fairing process), and although this is a carvel planked boat, the principal is the same. Just paint the laps as you go. And remember, just a few hours later nobody is going to ever notice any little flaws, including you. Paint simply protects the wood and if the boat is pretty the paint will look pretty too from 10 feet away no matter any flaws, so just get the paint on and get out on the water. Geoff went 17 years before repainting Ned Ludd and nobody ever critiqued his paint job. :)

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  Geoffrey Adams says:

  I have previously thrown together (almost liturally) a little flat bottom skiff using big box store plywood. I put two coats of epoxy (bought from Duckworks) on the exterior of the hull and then it got left upside down on horses for several weeks in the florida sun. The epoxy did not prevent the cheap ply from checking. As the ply checked it also opened up the epoxy right down into the grain. Sanding and painting has only repeated this occurance. I’m not sure how to procede from this point. Grind it all down to bare wood, fill the checks with some kind of goop and recoat with epoxy and then paint? Or just cut the bottom off and start again?

  A little help here please.

  Geoff

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    Geoff Kerr says:

    There are two possible solutions: Ignore it and have fun, or grind it clean, fill the checks and sheath it in fiberglass and epoxy. Epoxy alone can’t stop the checking. In cheap, non-BS 1088 marine plywood you are fighting inappropriate species, bad moisture control during manufacturing and poor quality control in veneer selection. The eternal Catch-22 is that one ends up spending the money saved fighting the checking battle.

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    Paul Briggs says:

    I took cheap house plywood from Lowes, painted 2 thick coats of epoxy onto it and left it out in the weather of New York State for a bit over one full year, most of it facing up. Partly shady spot but after a year, there was darkening of the wood, checking, and weathered away epoxy near the edges which were never sealed but left bare. Other than that, away from the edges there was nothing. Not even checking or the wood underneath darkening form moisture. The color of the bare epoxy was amber but still clear. I realize you asked 9 months ago but I would strip the paint and add more epoxy or add a 6 oz cloth in more epoxy over it.

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  Tom Arntzen says:

  I just laid fibreglass and epoxy on my cabin top. I want a non-skid finish. I was planning to use Interlux Brightsides paint, and add either the Intergrip non-skid stuff or use sugar sprinkled on. However I am worried about the amount of gloss, that it will cause glare. Is there a better choice? Have you ever used Interdeck? I could just add the flattening agent.

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    Tom, Brightsides and similar products are super glossy, and if the cabin top is in your line of sight while steering you are smart to be concerned. One tactic is to use “softer” colors. I think non-skid additives will significantly reduce any glare. I would tend toward a commercially prepared non-skid just for the superior consistency. I have used flattening agent, and it does seem to work, although I am always mystified as to how much additive it takes.. May I suggest the prudent, low risk tactic of prepping up a test panel and trying out your chosen strategy on a couple of square feet. Might take a day or two, but always comforting to not have to undo a large scale failure…

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  Jon Morris says:

  Thank you Geoff, great stuff. This is exactly how I’m going to tackle my boat. Questions: Is a full cure on the first coat of epoxy necessary? Are you sanding between epoxy coats? Thank you!

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    Geoff Kerr says:

    Hi Jon, In my shop a full, multi-day cure isn’t necessary before the second coat, but surely is before sanding. Please read the fine print on whatever brand of epoxy you are using to be sure. I routinely use MAS LV Resin with Slow hardener…not so familiar with the practices for other brands.

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  Eric Child says:

  So much awesome information on topside painting…why is there so little information on bottom painting…?

  thank you

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    Bottom painting wasn’t part of the brief for this video, and perhaps should be the subject of another effort. Most of the boats I build are trailered and rarely require bottom paint. Bottom paint needs vary greatly by location, type of storage and usage. The market is flooded with different technologies, and just to make life interesting the paints are all rather expensive. The good news is that other than masking the waterline applying bottom paint is generally a quick and dirty process…not much worry about brush strokes showing, etc. May I suggest working your way through the copious product reviews and testing offered by Jamestown Distributors?

    • 

      John clements says:

      Many thanks for the pointer to Jamestown Distributors! Extremely helpful. (As a very minor aside, I’m also pleased to see that they use Dozuki, the awesome instructions platform built by iFixit, another great group of people.)

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  Clayton English says:

  Geoff,

  I live in Houston TX, and applied a coat of the Pre Kote over sanded MAS Epoxy. Following the directions both off CLC light Craft (the Chester Yawl kit Manufacturer), and the Pre Kote product instructions, waited the 16 Hours before sanding. When I went to sand the pre kote was like a cold gum. I’m having a miserable time trying to sand it, and it is not sanding smooth.
  This I’m sure is my fault, due to the fact it was 90+ deg that night and 80%+ humidity when I applied the Pre Kote, but in my defense… Its Houston TX!, Its never below 75% humitidty!

  Any Suggestions?

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    Clayton, I feel your pain. I know how frustrating this must be. In the rare instances I hear of such things the culprit has usually been some contaminant on the surface. Tales of the HVAC guy using silicone spray or WD-40, or most recently dryer sheets in with the rags when they were last laundered. If Pre-Kote failed to dry I would suggest keeping a fan blowing over it to keep the air circulating.

    Pre-Kote should certainly easily sand to a fine dust. If you have exhausted reasonable patience in waiting for it to dry you may want to strip that coat off with a solvent and a Scotch-Brite pad. I would check in with the Interlux help line for a suggested solvent.

    I trust the epoxy undercoat was fully cured and sanded smoothly and to a fine dust?

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  Gary Henshaw says:

  You brought to mind the old story, how many coats of paint is not as important as how the last coat looks !!

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  Gordon Heggie says:

  Hi there from Melbourne Australia
  Just put the second coat of Toplac on my CY today on a 15 degree winters day.
  One more to go.
  Thanks for the inspiration Geoff.
  Gordon

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  David Robbie says:

  After watching Geoff’s video series on building the Caledonia, I was disappointed he did not have a video in that series on how to paint it. Then I did a search and found this video and I am so glad he did one. Excellent instruction as he always does. Love how Geoff is so thorough in his explanations. That Caledonia behind him looks like it was sprayed! Beautiful. Just seeing that in the background is proof to me to listen closely to what he is saying. Thanks!

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  jim rinaudo says:

  I am smiling with your point on sanding everything after every coat. My wife wanted clear finish trim in the kitchen and so I gave her the finishing schedule and got the “do I really need to sand it THAT much”.

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  John Simlett says:

  You have no idea how lucky I feel to have found this video. I’ve built the boat, fibreglass sheathed and put two coats of epoxy on it…. but painting boats is beyond my experience. I feel better equipped now to move forward …. great video; many thanks

  • 

    Daniel Stewart says:

    I have built my boat. I am about to prime. I’m scared! How did your boat turn out? Tips? Anything you would like to share?

    Thanks in advance.

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  mark bratton says:

  two questions I have applied 2 coats of epoxy and 1 primer to the outside of my caledonia hull before turning over to outfit the inside after this is done should I epoxy coat the inside as well or just prime and paint ? also masts and spars I want to finish bright should I epoxy first or just varnish? Never dreamed I would build such a boat thanks so much for the videos I am having a blast

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    I seal/prime the interior with epoxy as well, and also any brightwork. Some shops don’t bother to do so, but I am convinced that it dramatically extends the life of the paint/varnish.

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  Dana Cole says:

  First, thanks for this excellent video. One thing though, I have always used a good brush (badger hair or the like) for tipping off. I tried using a foam brush but, perhaps because I was painting at 77 to 79 degrees, I found that as soon as the paint got the least bit tacky the foam brush started to chatter, leaving a pattern on the paint. The only solution was to move the brush very, very slowly which meant the paint was getting tacky that much quicker, and I had more trouble maintaining a wet edge. I was down to painting only about one square foot at a time when I decided to try one of the “fooler” chip brushes instead. This worked very well for me–no more chattering and the fooler brush actually left fewer brush marks than the foam brush. Things went much easier and faster and I was able to go back to two square feet at a time. I plan to use the fooler brush for the second coat and maybe the third or else the badger hair for the third coat. I really don’t think the badger hair does any better than the fooler though, and I don’t have to clean the fooler chip brush. Again, it may be because of the heat but this method works much better for me, and looking at the results side-by-side, it actually gives me a smoother finish.

  • 

    Dana Cole says:

    I was able to paint in a bit cooler temperature early this morning and in this case the foam brush did work better. You have to move it very slowly to avoid chatter, and press down fairly firmly, whereas with a bristle brush you should use a very light touch.

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  Dana Cole says:

  One thing I noticed when watching this is that you mention the possibility Pre Kote has talc in it to help build-up. I know the Pre Kote I used about 10 years ago had talc in it. I had some problems with the paint sticking and I think that was partly due to the talc content and partly due to my not knowing at the time that you are supposed to sand most of it off.

  The newer version of Pre Kote contains microspheres. I do not know if the microspheres replace the talc entirely or not. What I can say is that the Interlux literature only mentions the microspheres. Nothing is said about talc so I’m hoping that means it is no longer included in the product. It might be worthwhile to confirm this and perhaps edit the video.

  • 

    Dana Cole says:

    Today when I was sanding some Pre Kote I’m pretty sure I smelled talc. So I guess they are still adding it. Perhaps now that they have also added microspheres there is less talc. I hope so because I think it keeps the Brightside paint from adhering as well.

    • 

      Andy Jarman says:

      Dana, not sure if you’ve read about the bad press talc is getting these days? No longer considered safe for powdering babies with! Trust you are using a good respirator. Best do some Googling just to be sure.

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  Peter Hrabchak says:

  In the midst of refinishing a Shellback and two more ready to paint, let me add my thanks to Geoff for a clear, concise refresher on technique. Everything he covered (pun intended) was validated in my experience.
  How does Geoff handle refinishing a bottom that is coated with epoxy, pre-cote and Brightside that has bubbled? I’m sanding down to the epoxy and finding pin-holes. Recoat with epoxy first? Or just prime and paint? I know Interlux doesn’t recommend using Pre-cote and Brightside below the waterline. Is there a better primer or is epoxy the way to go? The boat is dry-sailed and does not stay in the water.

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    I don’t think you’ll have any trouble with PreKote below the waterline on a dry sailed boat. I’ve managed several weeks at a time in the water with no ill affects. I’m afraid I don’t have any particular insight regarding bubbled paint. I suspect I would blindly sand it well, reprime and paint.

    • 

      Peter Hrabchak says:

      Ok. Thanks for the quick reply, Geoff. I will do that. If it bubbles again, I’ll try CPES after sanding.

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  Jim Shula says:

  Thanks for the video. I see that you sand after the epoxy coat and after the primer coat, but do you also lightly sand after the first and second coats of the final color?

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    These high gloss, hard finish paints certainly do require sanding between coats, just like varnish. The concept is to imagine knocking off the gloss, not smoothing or removing the coat you applied the day before. Something in the range of 180 grit, (maybe 220) works.

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  Walt Ansel says:

  My Dear Friend:
  That was a stunning job! Clear, concise, practical and efficient. To me you have a git er done and right too, approach that shows true mastery of the paints.
  Sticking (ha) to the paint brands you know and trust is important. That primer is fantastic;
  it builds quickly, comes in gray and white (we mix to get closer to top coat) and if by the odd chance is not top coated will weather fine for two years!
  THANK YOU GEOFF & OCH Cheers Walt

  • 

    Geoff Kerr says:

    Thanks for the vote of confidence Walt. It gave me the courage to spend the weekend painting the interior of a Caledonia. This boat is white, and recoating with white on white may well drive me crazy…it makes me long for the fun of painting black on black as I did last month on the new Southwester Dory for Chesapeake Light Craft. Painting must be why shops had apprentices back in the good old days.

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  Kelly Williamson says:

  Thanks for this very clear and informative Video. Nicely Done.

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  Rod Sipe says:

  Thanks, Geoff, I needed that, just finished planking Walt Simmon’s Christmas Wherry, so I’m taking notes, here, as I watch the video for the third time, setting my expectations. I’m one of these “ready, fire, aim” guys and your video will help me to do it right.

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  Alan Brothers says:

  Thank You. I found that very useful.

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  dan anderson says:

  Nice to hear an expert’s advice on painting. I have painted by 32′ wooden sailboat twice, not including touch ups, but complete paint jobs on the hull. I have found that thinning the Interlux paint with 333 brushing liquid and dipping the tip of my brush in the 333 while tipping really helps to get a smooth finish. I do whipe the brush off with a lint free rag to get any excess brushing liquid off before tipping. I would be interested to hear his or any comments regarding thinning the paint, which he didn’t mention. I’ve found it’s too thick to paint with right out of the can.

  • 

    Steve Stone says:

    Hi Dan. Nat Bryant gives some great detailed advice on thinning in his Fairing & Painting Topsides video.

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  Joe Berini says:

  Excellent video. I use three coats of Smith’s CPES for the epoxy coat and then follow up with a couple coats of Pre Kote. Seems to work pretty well.

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  Steve S - RestHarrow Boatworks says:

  Thanks Geoff – Once again another great video from OCH.

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  David Tew says:

  Thanks Geoff!

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  anthony dellechiaie says:

  Amen,

  So now when everyone asks why its taking over a month “just” to paint the kayak, I’ll ask them to watch this video.

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  Bill Theurkauf says:

  Great advice. The hardest thing for me was learning to be patient. You really need to let the epoxy fully cure before sanding. If you don’t, sanding will produce blobs of partially cured epoxy on the boat and on your sand paper. Cleaning this mess up is no fun. You also need to resist the temptation to lay on a thick layer of paint to improve coverage. It will invariably drip, and drips take a long time to dry to the point that they can be sanded. A heavy handed attempt to get full coverage will take longer and look worse that many thin coats.

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  william greene says:

  Great article, have been painting Pettit Easypoxy but not tipping with the foam brush.Will give it a try to see how much better it looks.

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  William McIntyre says:

  Very helpful and informative

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  Alexander Knowles says:

  I am curious to know if the suggested steps as described in the Simple Painting Techniques video would apply for finishing a boat with varnish? Is using a clear urethan as a finish coat preferable to varnish?

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  Steve Cormack says:

  Thanks Geoff and the OCH gang. Always interesting, informative, and entertaining at the same time. Keep them coming!!!

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  Ken Sloan says:

  Excellent. Now I can show it to my wife to help her understand why I am so slow….

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  John Simpkins says:

  Great info. I’ve got a HUGE project to tackle, and this video helped me adjust my expectations. My Chesapeake Bay Bugeye has a beefy solid wood toerail that needs painting a little worse than the rest of the boat, which desperately needs painting. Can anyone tell me whether the epoxy coating Geoff describes would be appropriate for solid wood components? (or just plywood) If not, is there a method that might make the paint stick more than a year or is that too much to ask? (it started peeling within a year of having it “professionally” painted.) Thanks for any help.

  • 

    Patrick Walker says:

    I have an 11 foot Sand Dollar (Arch Davis design) and on some of the solid wood, I put a coat of epoxy and some of it I either painted or varnished without putting the epoxy. I switched back and forth during the project because I had no idea which method would work better. In the six months since I have launched her, I have found the epoxy coated parts seem to have more durability. In particular, the keel runs down the inside of the boat with a false keel on the underside. It (the keel) is coated with epoxy and then varnished. Since I step on it a lot and throw all my junk on it during a sail, it gets a beating. It is holding up much better than the bits of the center board trunk that were not coated prior to either painting or varnishing. I am certainly no expert, and I don’t know the long term affects, but I am happy with the increased durability that coating the solid wood created. – pjw

  • 

    Korey Ruben says:

    Sounds like there might have been some poor prep work if your paint peeled up after a year.

    Remove all flaking paint and or ALL old paint, allow wood to dry, feather in edges of any remaining paint if any, prime all bare wood with appropriate primer, sand and fair primer and apply finish paint as said in the vids.

    When it comes to epoxy if I cant ENCAPSULATE I dont use epoxy. Just paint… and then maintain the paint regularly.

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  Michael McClure says:

  Hey- great tape…very useful. Watched it twice. Tips will help as I paint the boat I just built. Thanks Geoff.

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  Tom Greaves says:

  Excellent. Thanks. You have helped me re-calibrate my expectations about how long and how many. I was concerned that after two coats of white finish that I was still not done. I am relieved to hear that this may be 5 coats.

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  David Satter says:

  Good video Geoff, You explained it clearly. That’s the same way i paint my canvas canoes, except without the epoxy. all your videos are good, can’t wait to make myself a pair of manning benches.

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  Peter Marshall says:

  interesting and well said.