devildog27

I want to paint my boat a different color what is the first step to getting this done. I was thinking to wet sand it all down and then apply my base coat then color. Excuse my ignorance but what is gel coat? is it the type of paint I have to use?

stevblutu15

steps for me would be prime and paint- however NOT WITH GELCOAT. gelcoat is not a paint- it is a coating( im not sure the specific name) used to cover up all imperfections on most real boats and a lot of premade hulls. They first shoot the mold with gelcoat then glass on top of that therefore there are no imperfections on the outer surface. It eliminates all the sanding and filling charcarastic of building a boat- to get it smooth. Shooting a boat with gelcoat would probably be expensive and not worth it. I used automotive paint. Its a little expensive but nothing like gelcoat. Gelcoat is however alot more durable than paint. It will hold up better to sun and salt on the hull. It is also stronger than paint allowing it to flex when in impact with a wave. On model boats this is a minor issue, but on big boats its necessary.

Quicksilver1

yep, paint just like a car, and don't forget the gloss coat.