Cost to re-paint topsides?

Anyone had their boat painted lately? We just got a quote for $9500 to paint our Cal 39 with Awlgrip. There are a few spots of "dock rash" they'll have to repair in that quote and it also includes replacing our 4' long boat name/graphics on both sides. Does this sound about right? Thanks in advance. Paul West Adventure Kwest Cal 39

On 11/12/2015 9:08 AM, pw… [at] aol.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Anyone had their boat painted lately? > We just got a quote for $9500 to paint our Cal 39 with Awlgrip. There > are a few spots of "dock rash" they'll have to repair in that quote > and it also includes replacing our 4' long boat name/graphics on both > sides. Does this sound about right? About 10 years ago I asked the yard for a quote on painting my other boat in polyurethane, a 26' sloop. They quoted $6,000. Sounded like a lot of money to me. They had done the hull in Imron for me in the '80s and it's failing (actually, the primer is failing). But for $6,000, I figured I could keep touching-up with Brightsides each spring. I just did a quick "cost per linear foot" calculation, which probably isn't too accurate since a longer hull usually has more freeboard and hence more square footage. But your quote is $243.60 per foot. Mine was $230.76. Yours included graphics. Mine was a decade ago. Mine also needed some gelcoat repair where the old surface had some odd effects. They aren't that far apart; Chris Campbell > >

Thanks Chris - I have to convince the "admiral" this is a good price. Our issue is that everything that runs off the side seems to absorb into the paint so our boat looks nasty and dirty and can't be cleaned. I've not tried compounding it with anything with grit in it but I'm told that it won't work with Awlgrip. Thanks again - Paul From: ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> To: Cal_Boats <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thu, Nov 12, 2015 9:22 am Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Cost to re-paint topsides? On 11/12/2015 9:08 AM, pw… [at] aol.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: Anyone had their boat painted lately? We just got a quote for $9500 to paint our Cal 39 with Awlgrip. There are a few spots of "dock rash" they'll have to repair in that quote and it also includes replacing our 4' long boat name/graphics on both sides. Does this sound about right? About 10 years ago I asked the yard for a quote on painting my other boat in polyurethane, a 26' sloop. They quoted $6,000. Sounded like a lot of money to me. They had done the hull in Imron for me in the '80s and it's failing (actually, the primer is failing). But for $6,000, I figured I could keep touching-up with Brightsides each spring. I just did a quick "cost per linear foot" calculation, which probably isn't too accurate since a longer hull usually has more freeboard and hence more square footage. But your quote is $243.60 per foot. Mine was $230.76. Yours included graphics. Mine was a decade ago. Mine also needed some gelcoat repair where the old surface had some odd effects. They aren't that far apart; Chris Campbell

Paul, What about rolling and tipping yourself? It's a lot of time on your part but the costs ace basically paint, primer and misc. materials. But if you don't have the time then that's almost exactly what they charge out here for a 2 part polyurethane paint with all the prep work. Greg > On Nov 12, 2015, at 6:08 AM, pw… [at] aol.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > Anyone had their boat painted lately? > > We just got a quote for $9500 to paint our Cal 39 with Awlgrip. There are a few spots of "dock rash" they'll have to repair in that quote and it also includes replacing our 4' long boat name/graphics on both sides. Does this sound about right? > > Thanks in advance. > > Paul West > Adventure Kwest > Cal 39 >

Most of the cost of any paint job is prep work. The actual painting is the least costly part of the work. So I am told by a friend that regularly paints boats with Awlgrip. Joe D On 11/12/2015 9:22 AM, ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > > > On 11/12/2015 9:08 AM, pw… [at] aol.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: >> Anyone had their boat painted lately? >> We just got a quote for $9500 to paint our Cal 39 with Awlgrip. There >> are a few spots of "dock rash" they'll have to repair in that quote >> and it also includes replacing our 4' long boat name/graphics on both >> sides. Does this sound about right? > > About 10 years ago I asked the yard for a quote on painting my other > boat in polyurethane, a 26' sloop. They quoted $6,000. Sounded like a > lot of money to me. They had done the hull in Imron for me in the > '80s and it's failing (actually, the primer is failing). But for > $6,000, I figured I could keep touching-up with Brightsides each spring. > > I just did a quick "cost per linear foot" calculation, which probably > isn't too accurate since a longer hull usually has more freeboard and > hence more square footage. But your quote is $243.60 per foot. Mine > was $230.76. Yours included graphics. Mine was a decade ago. Mine > also needed some gelcoat repair where the old surface had some odd > effects. They aren't that far apart; > > Chris Campbell >> >> > > > > -- *Joe DeMers - owner* Sound Marine Diesel LLC SoundMarineDiesel.com <http://www.soundmarinediesel.com/>*phone & fax (860) 666-2184*

On 11/12/2015 9:31 AM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: > > > Paul, > > What about rolling and tipping yourself? It's a lot of time on your > part but the costs ace basically paint, primer and misc. materials. > But if you don't have the time then that's almost exactly what they > charge out here for a 2 part polyurethane paint with all the prep work. If you have some help, this is a reasonable option. A big boat will require help. When I built my 18' sea kayak, I did the roll-on version of 2-part polyurethane. People always think it's a fiberglass hull. The secret is patience, very careful preparation, and careful application. It was a one-person job on a small boat but is AT LEAST a 2-person job on a big one. You'll do better if you have a helper doing the mixing, so you have a constant supply of fresh mixed paint and don't have to stop to mix some more yourself. On the kayak, I was very careful about thinning the finish properly and applying very thin coats, so I did not need to include the tip-off step. I just rolled it on and it self-leveled. This might be harder in the kind of less-controlled environment you might have where a large boat is stored. Having a tipping helper night be good for that. On the kayak, lots of thin coats was much better than a few thick ones. I got greedy once, used a thick application, and it ran. I had to wait for it to set up, then sanded it, then went back to painting properly. And as somebody else noted, painting is all about preparation. Polyurethane is glossy so all defects are going to be magnified. Get the surface fair before you start. Chris Campbell

I paid a guy $500 who was a very good painter. I was the helper. I did most of the prep which in my case was to epoxy in 100 splines in the split seams. We used Brightside. Boat looks like fiberglass (it's wood for those of you who don't know me). I think it took part of 3 days at $35 an hour. Best money I ever spent and sounding even better after reading this thread. On Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 7:41 AM, ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats] < Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > > > On 11/12/2015 9:31 AM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] > wrote: > > Paul, > > What about rolling and tipping yourself? It's a lot of time on your part > but the costs ace basically paint, primer and misc. materials. But if you > don't have the time then that's almost exactly what they charge out here > for a 2 part polyurethane paint with all the prep work. > > > If you have some help, this is a reasonable option. A big boat will > require help. When I built my 18' sea kayak, I did the roll-on version of > 2-part polyurethane. People always think it's a fiberglass hull. The > secret is patience, very careful preparation, and careful application. It > was a one-person job on a small boat but is AT LEAST a 2-person job on a > big one. You'll do better if you have a helper doing the mixing, so you > have a constant supply of fresh mixed paint and don't have to stop to mix > some more yourself. > > On the kayak, I was very careful about thinning the finish properly and > applying very thin coats, so I did not need to include the tip-off step. I > just rolled it on and it self-leveled. This might be harder in the kind of > less-controlled environment you might have where a large boat is stored. > Having a tipping helper night be good for that. On the kayak, lots of thin > coats was much better than a few thick ones. I got greedy once, used a > thick application, and it ran. I had to wait for it to set up, then sanded > it, then went back to painting properly. > > And as somebody else noted, painting is all about preparation. > Polyurethane is glossy so all defects are going to be magnified. Get the > surface fair before you start. > > Chris Campbell > > > > >

Ditto to what Chris said. We've done our entire cabin top and cockpit so far in Interlux Perfection and folks are constantly coming by asking who painted out boat. It took a little time to get it right, but since it takes about 3 coats you get plenty of chances. As much as the prep work is important, the environmental conditions are equally important. For us it involves moving the boat to a different part of San Francisco Bay where there is no wind until the paint sets and no fog in the morning. Greg From: "ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2015 7:41 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Cost to re-paint topsides? On 11/12/2015 9:31 AM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: Paul, What about rolling and tipping yourself? It's a lot of time on your part but the costs ace basically paint, primer and misc. materials. But if you don't have the time then that's almost exactly what they charge out here for a 2 part polyurethane paint with all the prep work. If you have some help, this is a reasonable option. A big boat will require help. When I built my 18' sea kayak, I did the roll-on version of 2-part polyurethane. People always think it's a fiberglass hull. The secret is patience, very careful preparation, and careful application. It was a one-person job on a small boat but is AT LEAST a 2-person job on a big one. You'll do better if you have a helper doing the mixing, so you have a constant supply of fresh mixed paint and don't have to stop to mix some more yourself. On the kayak, I was very careful about thinning the finish properly and applying very thin coats, so I did not need to include the tip-off step. I just rolled it on and it self-leveled. This might be harder in the kind of less-controlled environment you might have where a large boat is stored. Having a tipping helper night be good for that. On the kayak, lots of thin coats was much better than a few thick ones. I got greedy once, used a thick application, and it ran. I had to wait for it to set up, then sanded it, then went back to painting properly. And as somebody else noted, painting is all about preparation. Polyurethane is glossy so all defects are going to be magnified. Get the surface fair before you start. Chris Campbell

I did a roll and tip job with Interlux Perfection on my Cal 39 10 years ago. The prepwork is critical (as is the environment - no dust and no moisture). I did hire some arms to do most of the hard work but I supervised and mixed all the paint. It was about 1/3 the cost of a "professional" job" - quality boat work is very very expensive in the CT/LI Sound area. I got many compliments on the paint job and I was very happy with it myself. It was however what a discerning professional would call a "10 foot job" meaning that if you were closer than that you would see the imperfections. The paint levels out very well and the "imperfections" are almost all related to the prep work. Even in very good light, it is difficult to see minor variations in the surface until the high gloss paint goes on. Switching to a dark color from the white as I did makes the problem worse. After 10 years, I'm thinking about doing this again, and if I do I am going to use long sanding and filling boards in an effort to get a more even surface from the prep work. Hand sanding using smaller surfaces creates too much variation in pressure and results in an uneven surface for the paint although only a very discerning eye will see much of it. Hoping to get a "1 foot job" the next time, though! Bob Andrew Cal 39 Nereid Norwalk, CT On Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 1:21 PM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > > Ditto to what Chris said. We've done our entire cabin top and cockpit so > far in Interlux Perfection and folks are constantly coming by asking who > painted out boat. It took a little time to get it right, but since it > takes about 3 coats you get plenty of chances. As much as the prep work is > important, the environmental conditions are equally important. For us it > involves moving the boat to a different part of San Francisco Bay where > there is no wind until the paint sets and no fog in the morning. > > Greg > > ------------------------------ > *From:* "ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats]" < > Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Sent:* Thursday, November 12, 2015 7:41 AM > *Subject:* Re: [Cal_Boats] Cost to re-paint topsides? > > > > > On 11/12/2015 9:31 AM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] > wrote: > > Paul, > > What about rolling and tipping yourself? It's a lot of time on your part > but the costs ace basically paint, primer and misc. materials. But if you > don't have the time then that's almost exactly what they charge out here > for a 2 part polyurethane paint with all the prep work. > > > If you have some help, this is a reasonable option. A big boat will > require help. When I built my 18' sea kayak, I did the roll-on version of > 2-part polyurethane. People always think it's a fiberglass hull. The > secret is patience, very careful preparation, and careful application. It > was a one-person job on a small boat but is AT LEAST a 2-person job on a > big one. You'll do better if you have a helper doing the mixing, so you > have a constant supply of fresh mixed paint and don't have to stop to mix > some more yourself. > > On the kayak, I was very careful about thinning the finish properly and > applying very thin coats, so I did not need to include the tip-off step. I > just rolled it on and it self-leveled. This might be harder in the kind of > less-controlled environment you might have where a large boat is stored. > Having a tipping helper night be good for that. On the kayak, lots of thin > coats was much better than a few thick ones. I got greedy once, used a > thick application, and it ran. I had to wait for it to set up, then sanded > it, then went back to painting properly. > > And as somebody else noted, painting is all about preparation. > Polyurethane is glossy so all defects are going to be magnified. Get the > surface fair before you start. > > Chris Campbell > > > > > > >

Bob - Good to know, thanks! I don't know that I have the time or patience to do it myself these days. My slip neighbor has a large warehouse in my town that he'd rent to me for $150 per month but it'd cost $1600 just to get it there and another $1600 to get it back. My yard is 45 min away so that eats up huge amounts of time in travel & set up etc. I'm thinking I may just bite the bullet and have it done if the admiral will agree. Thanks again - Paul From: Robert Andrew rh… [at] cornell.edu [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> To: Cal_Boats <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thu, Nov 12, 2015 2:00 pm Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Cost to re-paint topsides? I did a roll and tip job with Interlux Perfection on my Cal 39 10 years ago. The prepwork is critical (as is the environment - no dust and no moisture). I did hire some arms to do most of the hard work but I supervised and mixed all the paint. It was about 1/3 the cost of a "professional" job" - quality boat work is very very expensive in the CT/LI Sound area. I got many compliments on the paint job and I was very happy with it myself. It was however what a discerning professional would call a "10 foot job" meaning that if you were closer than that you would see the imperfections. The paint levels out very well and the "imperfections" are almost all related to the prep work. Even in very good light, it is difficult to see minor variations in the surface until the high gloss paint goes on. Switching to a dark color from the white as I did makes the problem worse. After 10 years, I'm thinking about doing this again, and if I do I am going to use long sanding and filling boards in an effort to get a more even surface from the prep work. Hand sanding using smaller surfaces creates too much variation in pressure and results in an uneven surface for the paint although only a very discerning eye will see much of it. Hoping to get a "1 foot job" the next time, though! Bob Andrew Cal 39 Nereid Norwalk, CT On Thu, Nov 12, 2015 at 1:21 PM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: Ditto to what Chris said. We've done our entire cabin top and cockpit so far in Interlux Perfection and folks are constantly coming by asking who painted out boat. It took a little time to get it right, but since it takes about 3 coats you get plenty of chances. As much as the prep work is important, the environmental conditions are equally important. For us it involves moving the boat to a different part of San Francisco Bay where there is no wind until the paint sets and no fog in the morning. Greg From: "ccampbell cc… [at] lsnm.org [Cal_Boats]" <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 12, 2015 7:41 AM Subject: Re: [Cal_Boats] Cost to re-paint topsides? On 11/12/2015 9:31 AM, Greg vanDalen no… [at] yahoo.com [Cal_Boats] wrote: Paul, What about rolling and tipping yourself? It's a lot of time on your part but the costs ace basically paint, primer and misc. materials. But if you don't have the time then that's almost exactly what they charge out here for a 2 part polyurethane paint with all the prep work. If you have some help, this is a reasonable option. A big boat will require help. When I built my 18' sea kayak, I did the roll-on version of 2-part polyurethane. People always think it's a fiberglass hull. The secret is patience, very careful preparation, and careful application. It was a one-person job on a small boat but is AT LEAST a 2-person job on a big one. You'll do better if you have a helper doing the mixing, so you have a constant supply of fresh mixed paint and don't have to stop to mix some more yourself. On the kayak, I was very careful about thinning the finish properly and applying very thin coats, so I did not need to include the tip-off step. I just rolled it on and it self-leveled. This might be harder in the kind of less-controlled environment you might have where a large boat is stored. Having a tipping helper night be good for that. On the kayak, lots of thin coats was much better than a few thick ones. I got greedy once, used a thick application, and it ran. I had to wait for it to set up, then sanded it, then went back to painting properly. And as somebody else noted, painting is all about preparation. Polyurethane is glossy so all defects are going to be magnified. Get the surface fair before you start. Chris Campbell