Re: hull color
Gregory inquired:
>On the general subject of hull color, has anyone painted their boat's hull
>using the "roll and tip" method? How does it compare to spraying the boat?
We painted our Cal 29 with two-part paint using roll and tip. Very tricky,
but we managed to get a decent "30 foot" finish. It's very hard paint, and
we managed to get an orange peel coat on the port side. We had to sand most
of it off. Spray painting a sparse black or dark color top coat makes it
easier to see when you've managed to get it flat again (the dark paint in
the "valleys" won't go away until it's all flat), but it takes a long time
even with a good random orbital sander. You might want to invest in a
long-board sander like the one Wilkie made for himself when he was fairing
Mariposa's topsides.
As with spray, 95% of the effort goes into the preparation. The paint coat
is so thin that any surface imperfections are emphasized.
One trick I learned was to get what I thought was the right paint
consistency (thin to about the "skim milk" stage) then run a test roll on a
pane of window glass. Too thick and it will run. Too thin, and you won't get
enough paint and you lose the gloss finish.
Don't skimp on brush quality; spend a lot on a good natural bristle one.
Don't forget to wear your baseball cap backwards. It's easy to forget about
the brim as you lean in to inspect a section. (Very easy!)
Two people worked well for us; one rolling along the wet edge, and the other
tipping. Don't tip a section twice; you're just trying to pop the tiny
bubbles so that the paint will self-level. Practice on the glass helps.
Test your no-nap rollers with your paint solvent. Some have a color that can
leach into paint, with undesirable consequences.
Follow the directions about temperatute and humidity, and avoid painting in
the direct sun if at all possible; this stuff flashes fast enough as it is.
The bottom line is that it is totally doable, but take your time, practice,
and do more prep work than you think it needs.
Alfred Poor
1973 Tartan 34C #288 "Jambalaya"