thompsondockside.com

I was wondering if anyone has any comments or suggestions regarding which topside paint I should buy. Any application tips would also be greatly appreciated.

Rich

I have been using Interlux Brightside and have been very satisfied with the results. I have been using the Blu-White and it looks good on the boat and easy to use. It lays out real nice and leaves a smooth finish.
I haven't used the Petit paints yet, but would think they would be very similar.

Bill Dunn

I've also been happy with Brightside. The color is deep and rich, and it goes on
easily.... Pick a spot out of the sun, roll it on, tip it out and walk away. Come back in a couple of hours and if you did it right, it'll be gorgeous! Any brush marks will flow out to a nice smooth finish.

Some people don't like it because they feel it's too glossy for a wood boat. It is glossy, but not excessively so. It's not as glossy as varnish, but looks great next to it.

I can get it locally so that also helps.

One advantage to the glossier finish is that it cleans up very easy. We use our Sea Lancer on the Mississippi, and at certain times of year there is more to clean off than other times. On occasion we have it in the water for several days, and using a soft brush it cleans up easily.
Bill[/quote]

I should add, however, that to get a good finish with ANY paint, you'll need to
prep it properly. Holes filled and faired and the whole thing sanded smooth.
Any imperfections will telegraph through and look worse with paint on them.

Depending on the surface, I'll sometimes skip the primer and go straight for the color. I'll get a couple of build coats on, hit it with 320, then start building
up my layers. I usually go about 5 or 6, sanding between each one. If you've built enough base, repainting the next time will be much easier. You'll just need to sand it down with 320 and lay on a couple more coats. It'll probably look even better the second and third time around.

Hope this helps, good luck.

I like paints from George Kirby.. I use semi gloss white..

On the strakes from the spray rail down, I used four coats of Smith's High Build Epoxy Primer as a moisture barrier coat. Then the Kirby's on top of that.

John.

I am a big fan of easypoxy, I have painted 5 different hulls and have been asked multiple times if they were sprayed. I rolled and tipped all. Easy paint to touch up, blends well. Very tough surface. Extremely good coverage.
A friend of mine took some to Lowes and had a custom color made from easypoxy . It looks great.