Drift Boat Paint

[Spooled]

I recently purchased a Willie drift boat and am thinking about painting it. I have a few friends that own autobody shops, that have offered to paint it for the price of a six pack (man am I lucky). I was just wondering about the pros and cons of paint. I know it will get scratched and am willing to live with that. I was worried about visibility to fish. My brother in law, who is a guide says don't bother with paint, but the price is right and he may just be jealous. Just joking Nick http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif. (don't want to make him mad, or the fishing tips may end for good). The whole process will only take a couple of hours, so I won't be out of the water long. Thanks for any input.
Spooled

[DanS]

spooled,

I think it's just a matter of personal preference. Keep in mind, though, that painting aluminum isn't quite the same as paining an autobody. The aluminum must be phosphoric acid etched and then treated with chromic acid (alodyne)prior to priming to get the best paint adhesion. Of course these steps can be skipped, but it will be at the expense of the longevity of your paint.

Fish on........

[NorthRiverS]

My opinion is that a painted and striped boat looks sharp. Especially an aluminum boat. I would keep any paint and pin stripes in the top half of the hull, thus avoiding scratches from trailering and rocks that occasionally rub the bottom and lower half of the boat.

[chuck 'n' duck]

I recently bought a used Willie driftboat. The boat was originally painted by Willie but the guy I bought it from wasn't satisfied. He had it completely stripped and repainted by an auto painter. I have all the receipts, and the total bill was upwards of $1,000.

Going to these extremes is not something I would not have done (I think boats are for fishing, not fashion shows), but I will not complain because I got the boat for a good price. I will admit that the paint job is very nice and makes the boat look really sharp. If you do get a paint job, make sure to purchase a running bra to prevent rock chips during trailering.

Chuck 'n' Duck

[This message has been edited by chuck 'n' duck (edited 11-06-2000).]

[Phish_on]

What DanS said, about the prep. If it "only takes a couple of hours" it may end up flaking right off. My boat's made of WOOD, I need paint to hold it together ! But I used to work in metal finishing ... paint won't stick to aluminum without proper treatment.

[Spooled]

Thanks for the input everyone. We realize that painting aluminum is different from sheet metal. Many body parts on cars today are aluminum, that require different paint techniques. We will do it right. I like the idea of just painting the upper half. The couple of hours will really be about a half day by the time prep, primer, paint and baking are done. http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/smile.gif