Commander Manuals

[commanderpete]

Congratulations on your new boat.

The repair is not too hard. Matching the color will be impossible.

If you don't have epoxy already, I'd get a filler like Marinetex. A few applications might be needed, sanding in between.

I'm thinking that's not original gelcoat, but a white boat painted blue. But what color blue? The color swatches in the catalog bear only a passing resemblance to what the paint actually looks like. New paint looks different than old paint anyway.

It will look noticeable no matter what you do.

[Stephan]

Thanks for the advice, Commanderpete.

I could borrow a belt sander to sand down at the gouges, but you think I shouldn't do that, right?

I'm planning to repaint her hull entirely - much of the paint is in a pretty sorry state. I kind of like the blue, and being in Chicago I guess most of the time I don't have to worry about her heating up too much. I don't have to match the color exactly, but sticking with blue will maybe make it easier than trying to switch back to white. I'm by no means a good painter like you guys, so I worry that the blue would shine through some...

Anybody with another dark color hull want to comment if they would switch back to white on account of the heatup?

[eric (deceased)]

one thing I noticed after the return from the tropics is that my very expensive linear polyurethane {sprayed on professionally} blue paint job was all blistered on one side.also spend the 30 bucks at wal-mart and get a black and decker hand held grinder.you will use this for many other projects on the boat and rigging too.my own preference now,is to roll or brush plain ole'marine enamil.its easier to work with and repair---and it hurts alot less whenya' hit the dock. yes,in time it will happen.

[commanderpete]

"There are only two colors to paint a boat--black and white, and only a fool would paint a boat black"

Nathaniel Herreshoff

Now, I have to disagree with Cap'n Nat. A dark colored hull on a classic boat looks striking. But, its harder to achieve and maintain a nice finish.


Getting back to the project, I'd probably approach it like this:

Take off the metal rubrails

Clean the area with a degreaser like Formula 409

Wipe with acetone

Sand out the loose bits (save the largest paint chips) bevel the edges

Get the dust out, wipe with acetone

Mix filler thoroughly

Trowel it in using narrow and wide plastic scrapers

Wait a day and sand, sand the corner by hand

Reapply as needed

[eric (deceased)]

I dare anyone out there to give any boat a "dazzle" type camouflage paint job---the kind they gave to warships in ww2