Repainting My *Very* Dry Folboat

[Noah]

So progress is going well on the Folkboat which I got for free a couple of months ago. I replace a rotten section of the deadwood, refastened the garboards, wooded the hull, and put on the first coat of bottom paint. I ended up using Interlux Fiberglass Bottom Coat. The boat will be in freshwater, and pulled each winter and stored.

Before I start getting the hull to swell some, I think that I really need to get some paint on the old girl. The boat has been out of the water for 6 years, and the topsides were basically wooded for that time. The planks have many cracks and splits. Before I start pumping water through the boat, I feel that I need to get some paint onto the wood. We are having a very dry summer, and the boat is out in the sun, so any moisture that the wood gets is quickly gone.
So what type of topside paint should I use? I was going to use Interlux Brightside, but it sounds like it is far too brittle...
I searched the archives, and a couple of people suggested using a standard oil based paint.
Also, I would love specifics on different paints. Rather than just saying get this kind, It would help if you could give exact name, brand, etc as I'm new to this stuff.
Am I being a pain yet?...

I will post pictures soon.

Noah

[Art Read]

One word. "Kirby's". (New Bedford, Mass. Check the search "thingy"....)

[Scott Rosen]

First Step: Seal with CPES by Smith & Co. 510 237-6842.

Second Step: Within two days after you apply the CPES, prime and fill with Sterling's two-part LPU brushable primer. You can get four coats on in a day and sand it perfectly smooth the next day. I started using this stuff this year, and I don't think I'll ever use a one-part oil-based primer again. Sterling advertises in WoodenBoat. You can call them at 1-800-845-0023.

Third Step: For a beautiful and traditional appearance, call George Kirby, 508 997-9008. Two coats of his enamel will do the trick. Plus he's got the best colors.

Is that specific enough for ya?

[Noah]

Thanks very much for your quick response. I will immediatly give those guys a call and order up some paint.

I'm not sure if I will go the CPES route though. The planking shows no sign of rot anywhere, and I want maximum moisture sucking ability.

Again this is a great list, and thanks for your help. I hope to get the boat in the water this year.

Noah

[JMAC]

Hi Noah, I brought home a free centerboard sloop that's been out of the water for three seasons. I'd like to know if you are going to recaulk and at what point you will do that. Also, are you doing anything differently because you'll be putting her into fresh water. I have a good sized lake one minute away from my house and Penobscot Bay 45 minutes from my house. Looking forward to seeing pictures.

[Jeff Kelety]

Glad to hear you're making good progress, Noah. Look forward to some more pics after she's got a coat of paint. Folks do sing the praises of Kirby's on this forum. Haven't tried the stuff myself. I get a very nice finish with Z-Spar Marine Enamel.

Keep at it.
Jeff

[Dale Harvey]

One of the main selling points of CPES is that it does allow moisturre to pass and wood to swell. Two part epoxy primer, as much as I like it, does not. Neither does any other worthwhile paint system. The whole point of the paint is to stabilize things as they are. The better the sabilization, the better the paint system holds up. Get moisture into your hull BEFORE applying paint systems. It might be worth your getting a GOOD moisture meter with a detailed use manuel if you feel unsure about this process. Then apply CPES because it goes into moist wood and promotes adhesion of whatever you put on next. I am impressed by the applications of ethylene glycol that I have tried on both green and severly dried wood, but still have serious reservations about its compatibility with epoxy or urethane systems after what Chemist posted about it.

[Noah]

Thanks for your thoughts on this one. I'm kinda in a dammed if you do, dammed if you don't situation.

The Hull is really really dry. It is also sitting in the sun. I need to gets lots of water into *especially* the topsides before I begin repairs. I will be using a sprinkler system on the inside of the hull. I have a feeling that all the water will just evaporate out very quickly if I don't have some kind of paint on the outside.

This is never going to be a perfect boat. So I'm not terribly concerned with how great the paint looks. As they say with cars, it’s "all go, and no show"

Noah

[Ed Harrow]

Now here I am making suggestions to a person that is already making me look like the slow boat to China.

Rather than soaking your boat with water, you might consider using linseed oil, or a mix of linseed/turpentine applied warm. Some issues back Paul Haley wrote an article regarding winter storage, and he recommends that to help keep the wood from drying out.

I've soaked wood with linseed oil to help give the old, dry wood addtional flexiblity. The use of these materials also would be more compatible with the paint.

[Noah]

Well Hell has no fury like a 25 year old with no job, and a hankering to get out on the water... (though I'm spending more time working on my boat, and not enough looking for a job)

Anyway I thought about using linseed/turpentine but it seems that I would need a hell of allot of the stuff. The wood is going to soak up tons... and water sure is cheaper than linseed oil. Maybe in the fall when I pull it out I will go this route, but for this year I plan on keeping the thing moist, until she goes in the water. I don't even know if I will sail her this year, but I need to know what she will do once she gets really wet.

Oh well, thanks for all the input guys, I think I'm just going to start spraying water into her today before topside paint. After a couple of days I will see what she looks like.

Noah