I'm sure this has been discussed and re-discussed. But just in case there's an updated answer.

I have a P16 that I bought super cheap. Like most older boats it needs work. This year's project is to dry out the hull and repair and repaint.

I've read up on gelcoat and I really want to avoid it. So it comes down to what kind of paint to use. I need to mention that the boat spends most of the year on dry land, and the other great percentage of time it spends on 2-4 day trips in freshwater and the occasional saltwater outing. So anti-fouling is a waste of time. I'd be willing to explore options for the very bottom that would reduce skinning that occurs when you beach, but other than that I don't think I'd need anything real hard-core.

My needs in order of priority:

Effectively waterseal
Anti-skinning something for the bottom.
Repaint (if need be) every 3-5 years is acceptable.
Strong chemical bond to fiberglass.

try pettit easypoxy polyurethane. available at west marine. i'v used it alot and it's great. gives a super smooth finish.

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Mike Conway
H16
Hilton, NY
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Has your boat been painted before? If not then you can probably just restore the gelcoat, it's really thick. Usually boats get painted to cover up large repairs or just to change colors. If you gelcoat is sound but discolored you can restore it to like new with some work.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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Nope, to my knowledge it's never been painted.

What would I do about skint hulls and ding damage?

There's tons of minor damage to the gelcoat and the hulls in general. Amazingly there are no soft spots it was just used in fresh water here in oklahoma. The lakes here are very rocky so the poor thing has been punished by numerous non-penetrating dings that need to be patched. That and they're practically see-through on the bottom from beaching.

attrezzop, i got your pm and will post here to help others. you can go either way from where you are...i painted my hulls because they were 2 different colors and messed up. first off, build up the keels with a layer or two of glass, smooth out, then repair dings...your ready for either. it's a lot of work regardless. i would have prefered gel coat but paint hid all the sins



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bill harris
hattiesburg, mississippi
prindle 16- "BLUE RIBBON"
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attrezzop

Nope, to my knowledge it's never been painted.

What would I do about skint hulls and ding damage?

Post some pictures (you can start an album in the technical album).

What color is your boat? If most of the damage is down low or on the bottoms you can probably sand out the gelcoat and do a bottom job to take care of the thin bottom. You should get some good instruction from coastrat.

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Damon Linkous
1992 Hobie 18
Memphis, TN

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