Your boat needs repainting and you have no idea how to go about it? Well, you don’t have to worry about it now. This article focuses especially on how to paint a fiberglass boat hull by yourself. Although many people recommend that you hire a professional for that, yet you actually don’t have to if you are really keen on doing that.

The Most Important Thing

The most important thing when it comes to painting a boat is to prepare the surface properly. Otherwise, the paint is going to get bad easily and all your effort can go in vain. This is important because the hull s bound to have a lot of marks, cracks and holes present on it. So repairing them is very important so as to avoid any further problems in the future.

Get an epoxy barrier coat and apply it on the damaged areas of the hull. This will get your boat ready to apply fresh paint.

Once you are done with repairing the hull, apply two coats of the epoxy barrier coat on the complete hull. This will form a clear base for the paint and the paint will look neat. This also prevents water from getting into the fiberglass.

Your Own DIY Epoxy

You can prepare your own 2 parts epoxy in a 5 gallon bucket. Simply mix the two parts until you get 1 gallon out from it. Mix it by using a mixing machine. Apply the coat quickly on the hull so that the epoxy does not dry up. The new batch of the epoxy has to be prepared in a separate bucket. Make sure that you apply the coat as quickly as possibly – within an hour of preparing it ideally, so that the epoxy does not dry up. You can utilize the first bucket again for the preparation of the third batch of epoxy.

Get Your Hull Prepared

Preparing your hull is really important before painting it. When you are applying the coat over the hull, make sure that you fill all the nicks and corners with it. Now start by applying the three coats of epoxy as the base which will serve as the barrier. If your fiberglass is white in color, then the holes and other scratches and marks are still going to show through it. So, when it gets dried, apply putty on them to reduce their visibility.

Once the epoxy has completely dried up, you may face the issue of an uneven surface. Use a sand paper to even it out. The better the job done is, the better the paint is going to look.

Start the Painting Job

• Now that your hull is prepared, you can start the painting job. The first step to do is to apply the Primer with the help of a roller paint brush. Once you have completed the job, let the paint dry. If you see that the primer is uneven, you can even it out through sanding.
• You can now apply the bottom paint. Simply prepare the paint (instructions given below), and use a roller paint to apply it on the hull.

DIY Bottom Paint

Take a 5 gallon bucket and pour the bottom paint into it. Mix it well with the help of a mixing machine and apply it on the hull.

Note:

• Never paint on the Hull Identification Number (HIN).
• Always wear protective clothing and eye wear when working with toxic substances like paint.