How to Paint Wooden Boats

Hey guys- building boats- wooden boats, aluminum boats and other kinds of boats is a venture- such a fantastic and learning how to paint wooden boats will help you greatly in your future boat building projects.

I just wanted to provide some information for those that wanted to go all the way with their boat building projects- from finding the perfect wood , using correct measurements and even finishing the wooden boats with outstanding paint jobs and more.

Here are some quick steps for finishing your own boat with a great finishing paint job.

Preparing Your Wooden Boat For Paint

The first thing you must know about painting your boat- or anything else, is that preparation is KEY. In my experience , when a surface is not prepared properly, the results are usually less than satisfactory.

So what I want you to do, is set the boat on a couple of saw horses inside your garage or wherevere you have room. I would definetely prefer using a space that has limited dust and dirt.

Once you have set up your boat – its time to sand it down. Sanding down any rough spots – cleaning up grease and dirt and basically get rid of any unwanted stains and marks that can be considered unsightly.

Repairs- If Needed

Now, if there are any dings, dents or unsightly damages- try to fill them in with standard compounds – (they can be found at many local boat supplies and repair shops).

For more simple damages, like scratches or scrapes- a good standard sanding with stronger, 60 grit sandpaper should take care of it. Juts make sure you finish this job with some less rough sand paper , like mayb 100 120 grit.

Completely Sand The Entire Vessel – Inside and Out

Now this part is important- like I always say, preparation IS KEY. If you take your time and completely sand down your entire wooden boat, and make SURE THAT  there are no bumps or uneven area’s- your finish coat will provide you with a smooth almost flawless, like new finish.

And lets be honest – the finish is the most important aspect of the boats paint job.

Prime and Paint The Finish Coat

1st of all find a primer that is especially made for boats and water resistant vessels. The primer is what will ensure that your finish coat bonds completely and you will find that the final coat will last for a very long time.

After priming the boat- inside and out, let it dry for a good while. Basically until the primer and boat is completely dry.

This is so you can sand it one more time with a very fine grit of sand paper. Not only will you be able to sand out any missed bumps or imperfections- but this final sanding will help the final coat of paint bond to the boat completely.

And when you apply the final color/coat – make sure that you make sure the final coat of paint cover’s and cover’s well. And if you find that the final coat of paint does not cover completely – thats O.K. – many times have we had to give the boat another coat of paint. Thats why I always recommend using a sprayer – not only do sprayer’s have a tendacy to cover better- but if you find that the boat need’s another coat- you simply load up some more paint and give the boat a quick spray down.

I hope that this information has been helpful to you- you can do ANYTHING you want if you want to. And it never hurts to have proper tools and instructions and boat plans as well.