topside paint

[Joe Antin]

Does anyone have strong feelings about the best topside paint for the CS17? I have been looking at Perfection, Brightsides, Epiphanes monourethane, and System 3. All have pros and cons.

Joe

[ecgossett]

Perfection must be applied in perfect weather to look good (low humidity, right temp). Talking to several professional painters/fiberglassers at local boat yard it also sprays very badly, they said it one of the harder paints to spray but rolls nice. Personally it goes on decently with right precoat.

I did wind up using Rustoleam Topside paint from Lowes, it goes on nice and is a flat so it hides the imperfections that exist on deck, cheap and easily repaint-able. I also used some on the rudder to try it out and it worked nice. I did primer everything with the two part Interlux primer.

[Jim Stumpf]

I have used Brightsides with a foam roller and have had good results. I used the 2 part epoxy primer barrier coat over top of the cured epoxy before applying the Brightsides.

Here is Primrose freshly painted in 2007, still looks almost that shiny today.

[Joe Antin]

thanks. i am thinking about the system 3 WR-LPU because it is water soluble. I have had pretty good luck with system 3 primer

[Charlie Jones]

Brightsides is fine in white. I've used it on three boats in colors though (blue, green) and I really didn't like it. Did not cover well and had a strong tendency to sag.

[Scott Dunsworth]

I did some research on the water base system three paint and most said you have to spray three or four very thin coats to get good results. Then if you want gloss you have to spray their clear coat over the paint.

I personally like Epifanes 2 part. It always gives great results in two coats. Its very tuff and stain resistant. I had left a one pound propane tank in the cockpit of my Belhaven and it left a very nasty looking rust ring on the paint. It scrubbed right off in a few minutes without any trace that it was there. The only down side to Epifanes is it doesnt come in gallons. Jamestown will discount it by the case which is what I'll do on my 28 when the time comes. Their also very helpful when you call their tech center. I never could get anything from interlux tec's but yes or no answer and they always made feel as if I was bothering them.

I would make sure what ever you use is two part. Graham told me this and I had to learn the hard way by repainting my Belhaven after three years. Also when I repainted her there where some folks on this forum that couldn't believe I didn't change the color. :)

Scott