Yacht painting fibreglass boats used to be used mainly as a means of uplifting a faded gelcoat, however over the last few years many manufacturers and individuals have wanted to personalise their boats by applying a specific colour to a hull with metallic finishes seeing a huge rise in popularity.

When having a boat painted, there are certain criteria that must be followed to ensure full cure of the paint which allows for optimum longevity for the product. Temperature and humidity control are essential. Painting a boat in an unheated environment can and often does lead to the topcoat and primer not fully curing and consequently losing gloss retention way before the paint should. Incorrect application can lead to solvent entrapment which will manifest itself as micro-blistering in the paint surface.

Should you require a metallic finish the best result is achieved by painting the boat result is achieved by painting the boat, and then lightly sanding back the final topcoats of lacquer and applying two final coats of lacquer, this will give a great depth of shine and a finish far better than one that hasn’t been painted in this manner.

It is always better to have a gun finish rather than a flattened back and polished as once the paint surface has been abraded the gloss retention will be less.
As in all things you get what you pay for so always check out the capability of the boatyard you are thinking of using.