Good Quality hull paint for aluminum boat

[Drewski Canuck]

Looking at painting a boat in a "pearl white" color. Boat is presently bare aluminum. I thought about an automotive paint with clear coat, but am worried about the salt. also was considering doing a clear coat on the aluminum under the water line to slow oxidization.

Any thoughts or experience?

Drewski

 

[trophywife]

Big prep job if you are doing this the right way.. Sand, primer, paint.. Call piere at poco marine.. I do not know brands.. But i do know prep is the key.. Primer matched paint combo is key.

 

[Hit em Hard]

Looking at painting a boat in a "pearl white" color. Boat is presently bare aluminum. I thought about an automotive paint with clear coat, but am worried about the salt. also was considering doing a clear coat on the aluminum under the water line to slow oxidization.

Any thoughts or experience?

Drewski

I would advise against automotive paints or clear-coats, they are not designed to hold up to salt water.
h.e.h.

 

[mikep]

you are going to to want an awlgrip job done to this boat. It will be a multi step process. Wash with alumaprep, alodine, 545 primer 3 coats, three coats of awlgrip on top. Do this if you actually want the paint to stick and hold up over time....

 

[Sculpin]

I would PM Albernifisher. He paints all the bigger Lifetimers and various other boats.

 

[Fishin'Zinn]

You could also consider getting a 3M wrap or similar done.

Either way it will get beat to hell out there. Considered polishing? I just did that to my Al boat

 

[Rockfish]

Have had my boat outside land stored next to a large and very expensive, quality, name brand, aluminum boat that was apparently factory painted. What was a shame is that where the hull was painted it was bubbling, flaking and pealing and under the paint was a huge amount of white oxide corrosion. The bare Aluminum parts seemed to stand up way better with little or no corrosion. Once the corrosion got started under the paint it seems to spread like crazy lifting the paint over a large area. It is such a shame to see a $180,000. or so valued boat turning to white dust. What crossed my mind was why paint them at all if this is the long term outcome?