Should You Be Painting Fiberglass Boats?
Painting Fiberglass
Painting fiberglass boats is something which is of undoubted benefit, provided it is done properly and with a high degree of care and attention. There are many pitfalls to watch out for, though, and you will need to know of these whether you want to tackle the job yourself, or hand it over to a professional. If your boat has a typical gel coat finish, it is probably of low quality. There are high quality gel coat finishes, but they are relatively rare as the price is usually prohibitive.
Most of the poor quality gel coats will be more trouble than they are worth, so it is worth making the choice to have your boat painted. Of course, painting itself is expensive, but at least you get what you pay for, provided the job is carried out correctly. Here is your most crucial task, you need to find the right dedicated painter to take on the job. You could do it yourself, but you would need some experience of the job, or at least supervision.
Assuming you have decided to let a professional handle the job, the first task is to find the right one. There are many boat painters who come and go, so anyone who stays the course and builds both a business and a reputation is going to be worth looking at. If you are part of a boating community or association, you can always ask around for referrals from other people. Failing this, or even in addition to it, the key is to ask the right questions.
By far the most important part of a boat painting job is not the job itself, but the preparation. If you have a boat whose surface needs to be painted, the chances are that the old surface is still causing problems. If you have had a poor quality gel finish, it is likely that there are deposits of wax or oil which could wreak havoc with any attempt to resurface. The thorough cleaning which is necessary is the most important part of the entire operation, so be sure that you work this out in advance with the painter.
Someone who is not a craftsman can easily paint a boat as it is, to save time and make more money, and the boat owner will not notice how damaging this is until it is too late. Make sure you examine the boat in detail with the painter beforehand, so that any special areas of concern can be noted and dealt with at the appropriate time. You should be able to tell as you talk to him whether the painter is a craftsman or just someone out for a quick dollar. If he is out to build a reputation and a career, he will do a thorough clean before painting fiberglass.