: because this is a strip boat
: there dosent seem to be that much information on the different steps
: necessary to paint a gel coat a hull as opposed to varnishing it. Can
: someone make some recomendadtions please.

It really doesn't matter what the core material in the construction of your boat is, you are going to be applying paint to a surface of epoxy resin. This is treated the same whether you are using stitch and glue practices with plywood, or edgegluing with woodstrips, or solid epoxy/glass fiber construction.

A light sanding of the surface of the epoxy with a fine grade of sandpaper roughens it a bit so the paint holds better. After that you put on one to three coats of a boat paint.

What you do not need are paints specified as hull or bottom paints, which are usually designed for larger boats that are going to spend their life in the water, and need an ingredient to discourage the growth of algae and barnacles on the hull. These paints slowly disintegrate as they leach out these ingredients.

Instead, look for paints designated as "topside" paints. These are generally very tough and durable. While they may not specify it on the label, these paints work well for KAYAK and CANOE hulls, and also for the hulls of other small boats which would generally be stored out of the water and in a dry area between uses.

There are several bases for these types of paints: Oil, urethane, polyurethane, epoxy, etc. Some will be in one part, and others may be in two parts which would need to be mixed before use. If the can says it can be used for painting on fiberglass then you should have good results.

Paints generally have colorants made from solid pigments, which are finely ground and evenly dispersed throughout. These solid pigments form a barrier to the UV rays from the sun, which is sufficient to protect your epoxy resin from damage for many years.

Boat paints can be obtained mailorder or through the internet, however, should you be unable to fund such things, other materials have been used. Some people have reported success with automotive paints, oil based exterior enamel home paints, and colored polyurethane enamels. If you don't have any preferences on color, you may be able to get a good buy on some such things at the local hardware store by looking for cans of paint that have been returned due to errors in color mixing. I've seen such paints for $1 a quart, which should be enough to paint a kayak or canoe.

Hope this helps

PGJ