Help needed with paint

[Blacksmith]

I was finaly able to get my MicroTrawler unwrapped. It has been a long nasty spring for our house, but that is another post. When I got it undone, the whole thing needs paint! I am asking for suggestions. I used Valspar, top side marine paint when I built, and I primed the ply well and painted. But now, there are lots of checks, cracks and peeling. What would you suggest for paint?

Thanks, Stephen

[Blacksmith]

Ray, thanks. I was afraid you might say some thing along those lines. I used meranti (sp?) on the whole thing, no fir. I guess I will have to break out the sander. Again :-\

Stephen

[PAR]

Meranti is a pine and will check to a much lesser degree then Douglas fir, but check none the less.

Even a 'glass sheathing may not stop Douglas fir from checking. It usually has to be a really good encapsulation job (minimum 3 coats) and at least a 10 ounce fabric, to insure it stays put.

As a rule Meranti will not check if well entombed. If the epoxy coating has some thin spots, then it will check eventually. This is why my minimum is 3 coats.

[Hirilonde]

Its amazing sometimes to research a wood marketed and find out what it really is.  Probably the most abused name is mahogany.  Because it is so recognized and desired for many applications harvesters and distributors will use it to sell something that looks like it.  Meranti is one such wood.  It has the look of mahogany, and even some of the characteristics of true mahoganies.  This is not to say it isn't desirable, just that the marketing people for woods are no different than many other marketing people, honesty is not their best trait.

[PAR]

There are over 40 different species of mahogany, which could explain part of it . . .

[Konrad]

Back to the paint part of his question.. 

I used Interlux Brightsides on the Vacationer 9 yrs ago, and it's been a champ.  WAY more expensive than box store paint, though.