: I'm not exactly sure what that something is that you mention. To me, it means
: that System 3 are the company that have made it happen.

Due to VOC requirements I know the the other marine coating manufacturers (Interlux, Epifanes, Azko-Nobel, etc) are working on their own formulations. The marine environment is notoriously tough on materials. It is known fact that System 3 is a very small player in the marine coating field. Yes, they make great epoxy products. They are not known for their paints. When I heard about their WR-LPU I gladly gave it a shot. I personally will not use it in my commercial shop. When the big names start releasing water-borne products I'll try gladly theirs as well.

: Perhaps you could post the results of your test? I'd be interested to see how
: you tested and what you found. I'm always open to learning about better
: products and ways of doing things.

I ran the test last winter/spring when I was looking into the hBN white graphite. I compared it to what I had in my shop. I had colored and clear LPU, colored and clear Perfection, and traditional varnish. I also compared raw epoxy and clear surfboard polyester. The abrasion test was simply dragging the weighted panels across my gravel driveway. It ended up simulating quite a few years of beach landings and was quite revealing. It wasn't totally scientific but it was repeatable. It did confirm confirm personal real-world experiences:

The best performing clears were the two-part urethanes: both marine and the industrial automotive clearcoats. The harder coatings were thinner but had shallow scratches that never reached the fiberglass cloth. Polishing would restore the finish. The LPU was much softer. It developed deep scratches that penetrated the glass layer and just hazed over, similar to the traditional varnish I tested. Restoration would require fiberglass repair and recoating. The graphites (both black and white) were practically bulletproof. They wore very evenly.

The full write-up can be found on my website:
http://clearstreamwood.com/WordPress/kayaks/canoe-and-kayak-coating-abrasion-test

Yes, the two and three-part urethanes are nasty. I have mine professionally sprayed. The guy I use has 30 years experience painting car and bikes and has the right equipment. For my commercial shop they are worth the material price premium

When other water-borne products come out I'll run them through the exact same test. Hopefully the new ones will perform better. I'm always looking for "greener" ways of doing things in the shop.

Dan