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Old 07-09-2016, 04:38 PM   #14
Bruce B
Guru
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 1,274
Quote:
Originally Posted by koliver View Post
Congrats Bruce, both on the new build and on your perseverance to achieve exactly the specs you want.

As for gelcoat vs Awlgrip, In a new build I would go with Awlgrip. We did a new build for our 30' sailboat, specd a dark red as the original colour. In gelcoat it looked fabulous for the first couple of years, then started going downhill. By the time we sold 11 years later, we had painted over it twice, the first with a one pt poly, but that was a poor choice, so then with a 2 pt poly. When I saw the boat 19 yrs later the 2 pt poly was still in OK condition.
My take on this is, like most things in life, there is no free ride when it comes to a shiny hull and deck. I've awlgriped a hull and deck before so I understand the cost! When I say I awlgriped a hull, I mean I personally stripped all hardware, hatches, ports, everything that could be unbolted and then proceeded to spend the next six months of evenings and weekends preparing the boat for paint. I long boarded the hull until it was fair, applied 545 primer, hi build primer sanded it all flat, filled pinholes, sprayed more 545 and finally had a friend spray the actual Awlgip. Then we sanded the color and applied a clear coat over the color. When the hull was finished, I started on the cabin and decks.
After reassembling everything, the then 25 year old boat looked new and it kept looking that way for the next 8 years that we owned it. At the end of that time, the hull had been patched from mooring ball damage numerous times and the decks were looking tired. The hull looked great! I'm sure it looksThe color was Jade Mist Green a medium dark green that got so hot in the sun that we sometimes could not stay below on hot days.

The next boat was a new one with a gelcoat finish. Having lived through the huge job of restoring a neglected hull on the previous boat I vowed to do whatever I could to keep the gelcoat looking good. We also chose a light hull color! Maintenance has consisted of cleaning and waxing the hull, deck and cabin house 2 times a season, including the non skid! Now after 11 years that boat looks great, probably as good or better than the dark green boat looked after less time...Believe me it is easier to keep the gelcoat looking good than it is to apply an Awlgrip finish later!

I will freely admit that nothing looks like a properly Awlgriped hull though. That stuff simply shines!!!
Bruce
Bruce
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