Painting a P35

     My boat has been neglected for five or six years and without a recent bottom job and she was really starting to show her age.  The non-skid surface on the deck still had the proprietary Pearson swirl, and the gelcoat overall was in need of attention.  Other than those problems, she was structurally sound, not any rotten wood on her.

 

     I cleaned the boat thoroughly to remove any grease, oil, suntan lotion, wax, etc.  A power washer works great at getting into the tough to reach areas and down into the non-skid.  Acetone works well to pre-clean any surfaces if necessary.  Remember not to grind any sediment into the gelcoat.

 

     I began by course sanding (80 grit) the smooth areas on the hull and cockpit with a porter cable random orbital sander.  Its good to have a friend give you a hand when sanding because things tend to get a little slow..  After initial sanding wash it again to remove sanding residue.

After wiping areas down with acetone use 2part West System Epoxy and the West 410 filler with plastic spreader to fill the crazing.  Mix the epoxy in small batches, I used the handy pump things for easy measuring and spread it out on plastic disposable dinner plates to increase the working time.  You’ll get about 15 minutes of working time this way.  The West book on gelcoat blisters (pictured) is a good reference.  I filled crazing one day and sanded the next.  The rounded areas around the cabin top and cockpit were better addressed with plain sandpaper folded in thirds.  It’s a labor-intensive process that’s why they want so much money to do this at the marina.  I finished with 150 grit but don’t really think it makes that much of a difference after applying the primer and sanding it. Use a pencil to circle areas that you missed so they are easier to find next time around. The non-skid was not sanded nor filled with thickened epoxy. 

 Top

Use the 3M blue masking tape and the special yellow masking paper to cover areas.  Aluminum foil works great for covering stanchions and oddly shaped things, like the bow anchor cradle, and winches that keep breaking through the paper.  The yellow masking paper

   

holds up well even after a rain.  I didn’t have much luck with the cheap stuff at Home Depot although I did use a lot of their sand paper and acetone. I washed and reused the acetone rags in order to save money.

(It must have taken hours of work to get to his point in the project)

     At this point I was able to convince a friend who is a commercial painter to help. We used Awlgrip paints since I didn’t want to do this ever again (at least on this boat).  I sprayed the entire boat with two coats of primer. (I don’t remember the mixture but I do remember using very little thinner in the mixed paint.)  The Awlgrip web site is a wealth of information.  Use a good respirator and make sure to stay upwind; this stuff can kill when atomized out of a sprayer.   My first primer coat was grey and second was white.  I masked off the boot stripe on the first coat of primer while it was still visible and removed the mask for the second coat of primer.  This left a hairline for re-locating it later.  Very important!  Try to get a calm day so most of the paint gets to the boat.  Of course the key to a successful job is in the preparation and primer.  After the first coat of primer all the areas you missed are easy to spot.  At this point it may be easier to fill these areas with spot primer than to go back with the epoxy.  I used a couple of the little spray bottles available at the boat stores for this rather than load up the pot for a little job.  I used 220 grit between coats of paint.  I read recently that author Don Casey suggested doing the entire crazing filling process with primer.  Not a bad idea, it took days to fill the smooth surfaces with epoxy.  Spraying three or four coats of primer would be much faster.  The primer is hard stuff after it cures.  I believe Alwgrip makes a high build primer for this purpose, although this information came to late for me. 

       

     Paint the hull and smooth deck surfaces first with a sprayer.  I found it best to have somebody shoot the paint while you stand upwind and close to the hull to see the paint flow.   With a stick you can point out areas that need more paint that are impossible for the painter to see at his angle of view.  First couple of passes it has a matte finish then one more pass and it turns to gloss.  It’s a beautiful thing!

 

     Next get out the masking tape and securely mask off the edges of the glossy paint.    The non-skid areas were rolled on with the foam rollers available at Home Depot.  Use enough paint to fill the crazing in the non-skid.  Awlgrip makes non-skid granules to either mix with the paint or apply directly with a shaker.  I used a mason jar with nail holes in the top and applied it with the first coat of paint.  They make a coarse and a fine.  Too bad they don’t make a medium.  I’d suggest the coarse in areas that will be slick when wet and fine in areas where you sit so it does not cause wear in the swimsuits.  A second coat was rolled on after the initial coat had dried.They make a flattening agent to add to the paint if you like to cut the gloss.  I didn’t use it but wish I did.  My non-skid finished a little too slick for me.  Relocate the boot stripe with that magic plastic fine line 3M tape and paint.  I used Awlgrip again with brushing converter (different converter and ratios for spraying) and foam brushes.  They don’t last long in the paint so buy at 4 or 5 for each coat.

Top