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Before I get into the cabin on my sprite, I really really need to get a layer of nice shiny paint on her hull. I sanded off 50 years of housepaint and took her down to a bare (and crazed) gelcoat. After getting everything smooth and ready for high build primer.. I find myself wondering:

Do I roll and tip, or has anybody had any luck with those airless sprayers? I could spray also, but my garage is far too small to fit my boat.. so it would be open air... so I would prefer not to drag all that equipment out so I can get the boat, house, and car painted too

Hello Art,
It seems that lots of boat building types prefer to spray the parts of the boat that are complicated and would be time consuming to roll and tip. If there are smooth walls and not too many crannies, the roll and tip approach might work, but if there is a lot of detail, possibly an HVLP sprayer with properly thinned primer would be best. There needs to be the right sized "needle and tip" for the thicker primer, and the stuff really needs thinning and multiple coats, but it is still easier once things are masked off to shoot many coats than to fiddle with a brush and roller. Thinning is measured with a little cup with a hole in the bottom that will drain itself in a set amount of time, and it is important to get it right, even if you think you are thinning to 50%. Also use fast evaporatiing thinner for spraying. I did the inside and out of my scamp with HVLP in the driveway (car parked far away on still day early in the morning, and a big tarp on the ground) and I was very pleased with the lack of collateral damage/paint. Start with areas where no one will ever look and learn the technique before you move on to the high visibility areas. I've not heard of anyone using an airless sprayer for this, but if you do it and it works, be sure to share your advice here.
Good luck!
Mike 170

it's not so much the details. the hull of a 23 foot seasprite is pretty smooth and featureless once you take everything off of it.. like most frozen snot plastic classic yachts. It is the size. a full keeled 23 foot sailboat might not as large as some boats.. but it is still a pretty sizable piece of boat to paint

Art, unless you have the space, spray equipment, and respirator, I'd roll and tip. Two part paints tend to be nasty, health wise.

If you can find a spot in the lee of the house and a fairly calm day, roll and tip. If gnats and the like are about, some will find you, so it's not bad to spray the immediate area just before final wipedown.

If you haven't rolled and tipped before, experiment on an area near the keel to get the feel of it.

Let us know what you decide, and best to you.

If you are bothered by gnats (The State Bird of Tennessee) a cigar will keep them away.

Art,
I was unaware that the project was so large. I've heard great things about Perfection two part paint in the rolling and tipping application, and years ago I painted a 26 foot Columbia with Sterling paint, and rolling and tipping with two painters was the ticket. You may want to see what Russell Brown has to say about using Perfection in one of his manuals about epoxy use. His results are beautiful, and I've heard good things about his recently published epoxy book.
good luck and (no) fair winds,
Mike

By the way, there is a Sea Sprite 23 for sail on "Sailing Texas" website. Nice looking vessel. Very "nautical"

http://sailingtexas.com/201401/sseasprite23107.html

Art I have a HVLP sprayer. I bought it at Harbor freight. It takes some time to get it adjusted correctly. Like said before paint is thinned and it take multiple coats for a good finish. I don't know how much other spraying you are going to do but expense wise roll and tip is cheaper and might be faster.

If you do go the sprayer route. You must have a first class chemical respirator even better one that brings in fresh air. Clothing that does not allow the thinner or reducer to be absorbed though you skin. Chemical gloves. Outside is best and stay up wind. I say these things because the thinners or reducers are really nasty. I put a big N on nasty They will make your heart run backwards and skip a beat. You will feel like a Angel because you will be higher than a kite.

...Well I don't know about the heart thing but the Angel thing is true.

..

well.. I have been busy getting ready to paint. Spent part of last week building a small 'house" over the cabin area out of 2x3 and tarp. this keeps the rain out of the now open cabin and the sun off of me when working. I can raise the sides for airflow.

I then removed the rotting companionway hatch, slides, and all trim before getting down to the down and dirty part.. sanding. I am ever so thankful for my dewalt orbital sander. it made getting through 50+ years of paint only moderately backbreaking. I found three distinct colours over the gelcoat. Next will be filling in all the holes and a good high build primer.

pictures for you.

the Back of the Cabin after removing the companionway wood.



Side of the cabin top before sanding.



Other side after sanding down to the crazed gelcoat



and finally a shot of the forward part of the cabin after sanding.



My full time gig has me usually either working 11 to 7 or 3 till 11.. so this limits the time I can be working on the boat.. but I do try to get an hour in each day so it is going slow but steady.

Another day another hour or so of work done to Flirt.

found the source of a persistent and annoying leak. the cockpit is a separate molding from the cabin and the seam is under the wood where the seats meet the cabin. Today I was able to pull all the sealant out with my fingers as it was all dried out and quite hardened.

I did get most of the cabin top all sanded. I removed the forward edges of the coamings, but I still need to remove the coamings themselves to finish up the sanding.. but I think I am slowly reaching the end of my destructive phase of the refit. Now it will start to look better and better and get more and more expensive as I do things "right"