Message 4 of 4
Posted by member Kenny Clark on Tuesday 12 June 2018

John,

Some information on message board if you search Compound, polish & wax. I like Simon prefer to keep polishing hull.

Good luck,

Kenny

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Message 2 of 4
Posted by member Simon Kidd on Monday 11 June 2018

Hi John.

Dark gelcoats tend to "chalk" - it's an issue for recent boats as well as older boats so it's a common issue. As a surveyor, I'm never keen on the idea of painting fibreglass boats - a paint job can easily put off future buyers and reduce values, even over a chalked hull, people do tend to like to see the original finish.

That said, very very rarely it is needed. First things first, make sure you've given your hull the best chance - a good compound followed by a good wax polish application (usally polish at least twice a year as best as possible) - this usually keeps the hull looking reasonable. Our fearless editor has a 1984 Pilot in blue and has had good results with the A Glaze system - so again, work a look. I have seen many 1970's hardys in pretty tidy looking condition, quite recently a teal coloured 20MS looking very smart.

If you are going to paint - try to have the paint matched to the colour of your boat - named and coded shades vary, so an exact colour match is best - I've seen a couple of caes where the shades used have been too dark and one was too purple- even though the paint was appranetly the correct one. In addition, If the paint is the same colour, scratches etc shouldn't show up to much. The best type of paint to use will be an Epxoy type - carefully sprayed to provide a good gloss finish. Use a quality product - Awlgrip or similar - Brushes and rollers can produce an ok finish if used very expertly, but rarely anything like a good spray job.. Hull wrapping is also worth considering - this should be cheaper than a professional spray job and can give more leeway for colour designs.

I've seen a lot of painted Hardy's. Some have been quite poor in finish - and frankly far worse than having a scratched, chalked hull , though a very small number looked really exceptional - better than new - so careful preperation and application is really important if finish and future resale is important to you.

I own a white Hardy for a good reason, but the blue looks fantastic when well polished and gleaming,
Best Regards

Simon
HOC Tech Sec.

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