Full Boat Paint Job

Hello Team,

So Bess and I are considering painting the entire boat. She is a 42' Navigator and they are notorious for having bad paint. Sadly, it is getting to the point that something needs to be done. I would like to educate myself a little about the process and shopping before we decide.

I have called Jarrett Bay here in Beaufort, NC and got an estimate (sight unseen) from the tech for about $1000/foot plus whatever repair may need to happen. However, I believe that was just for the rubrail up. They (Jarrett Bay) paint use Alexseal and from what I have seen and read about the product, it is what we would like to use too.

One thing I am wondering is whether it would save us money and would we get better results to shop boat yards in FL to get this done? Would it save enough to cover the move and would the job get done more quickly down there? If so, do you all have any recommendations?

Eastern NC yards are notorious for lax customer service. Yards tend to pull people off your job to attend to others and results can vary widely. Do yards in FL have dedicated paint and prep teams because I really don't want this to take a year to get done and I worry that NC yards would do that. Yes, Jarret Bay has a good reputation, but TBH, I have never done business with them.

Any help you could be would be greatly appreciated! What sort of questions should I ask before committing to the job because we are looking at spilling half the value of the boat into this and I want to sleep well knowing that we get the job we pay for.

Thanks!

I don't know if you would save money, but I'd take a look at Hinckleys in Stuart, FL. I hauled and prep'ed my boat there for shipping a couple of years ago, they were doing a couple of complete paint jobs while I was there. Their service to me was excellent - best I found on the east coast - pricing was fair. The paint jobs looked really good. That was a couple of years back, don't know if it has changed.

We painted our boat last year. I did the work myself. Lot of work but I saved a ton of money. Have not used Alexseal but Boatworks Today uses it and says it is great.

On a full paint job I would also consider how hard it would be to return to that location if the need for some touchup or further work is required after the initial job is completed.

Comodave said:

We painted our boat last year. I did the work myself. Lot of work but I saved a ton of money. Have not used Alexseal but Boatworks Today uses it and says it is great.

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Yep... That is part (most) of my decision. I like the idea of being about to buff and compound it in the future.

smitty477 said:

On a full paint job I would also consider how hard it would be to return to that location if the need for some touchup or further work is required after the initial job is completed.

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That is a good point... Thanks.

Maybe also take a look at the Hinkley yard in Thunderbolt (Savannah). They may not be cheap but they do good work and much closer to home.

I had paintwork done at Hinckley -Thunderbolt last year. If you head that way I have a couple specific tips so feel free to PM me.
Overall a fine yard.

Tom, I had a yard paint my boat with Alexseal about 6 years ago and it still looks like new. Never have done any maintenance to it and the boat is outside all year, in the weather. Send me a pm if you'd like to discuss specifics of the project. Long and short, the more prep you do yourself will save you money.

Pricing - Ultimate Boat Wraps

https://firstquarterfinance.com/vinyl-boat-wrap-price-information-cost-per-boat-type-cost-vs-paint/

Thanks y'all. I will look into the Savanna yard and PM you guys.

I just had my green paint done. Pick a yard that has a dedicated paint crew, that’s a given. Then ask about a break if you bring it in during their slow period. I got a 17% break because the crew was idle and they needed a job to fill in a slack time. Works if you are flexible. Sort of like flying standby. Of course, you are taking a chance, as they may not have a slack time.

I have lived where your looking to go with absolute first hand knowledge. I won’t disparage anyone on a public forum, only saying you mention a yard in NC where my boat was on the hard and it didn’t work out. I moved it up the Miami River to Alba’s and the attention to detail and finished job exceeded my expectations. PM me for more details.

I have a lot of personal experience and $$$ spent with Jarrett Bay, and I would not worry about your concerns. Likewise, Thunderbolt Marine (different than Hinkley) in Georgia, who did a fair amount of paint and fiberglass work for us and was the most professional yard of all the ones we have dealt with.

Overall, I'd recommend staying in North Carolina as the most economical option for a first rate job. There are several excellent yards to choose from besides Jarrett Bay, including a few in the JB industrial park: Moore's, Triton, Lightning. Keep in mind most of the boat builders here in NC, such as lightning, also do paint and yard work. In Wanchese, Bayliss and Spencer have excellent reputations. People have spoken highly of Hurricane in Bayboro. All of these are a day or two cruise from New Bern.

I’ve had a couple of boats painted and I suggest having it done as close to home if you can find a good painter. I found showing up everyday or even a few times a day to inspect the work made for a better job. I used Awl Grip and while I have heard of Alexseal I really don’t know how it compares to Awl Grip.

I had the boat painted by two guys who used a brush. A neighbor boat was being sprayed and the owner insinuated that I would get an inferior product but I said I like the thickness of the paint using a brush. Boat were close to being splashed and he said to me that “I see you sprayed your boat” because it came out better than his. I nodded and walked away. It did look better than his spray job.