I’m about to start painting the outside of my Skerry. Based on some research I did a few months ago, I purchased Interlux Pre-Kote (one quart) for a primer, and Interlux Toplac Plus (two quarts). Unfortunately, some of the links I found back then have gone stale.
I’ll be varnishing the interior, rudder, centerboard and spars after I paint the hull.
A few questions:
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Do I have enough paint and primer?
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How many coats of each?
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What preparation of the surface do I do before each coat? (The boat is already sanded.) Between coats of paint, I’ve read about wet-sanding with 400 grit sandpaper, and using scotch-brite pads, but I’m unsure about when to use each.
I’m a complete newbie, so I’d appreciate detailed advice, especially about how to apply primer and paint, and especially about these specific primer and paint products. I’ve watched videos, but details seem to differ depending on the products being used.
You probably will need another quart of primer if you are going to do 3-4 coats of primer followed by 3-4 coats of Toplac.
I’ll probably catch hell for this, but on my Skerry exterior, after sanding, I applied two coats of clear MAS slow non-blush epoxy, sanding lightly after the first coat. Then I put on 2 coats of 1-2-3 primer. Then two coats of Valspar Exterior Semi-gloss. That was 8 years ago, and many sails and winters later, no problems. Totally within my “Good Enough” standard!
I’m new to marine paint and varnish as well. The CLC site has a good FAQ which contains a table with quantities needed.
https://clcboats.com/default/painting-varnishing-faqs.html
Also note that the color pallet on the Interlux page has a key for which color primer to use for each color of paint. I didn’t notice this right away myself.
https://clcboats.com/shop/products/boat-building-supplies-epoxy-fiberglass-plywood/interlux-paint-varnish/interlux-toplac-plus.html
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a workboat finish, and a lot right with it.
Laszlo