Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum

Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Spawn Sack on July 07, 2013, 10:02:34 AM

Title: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: Spawn Sack on July 07, 2013, 10:02:34 AM
For an upcoming project I've decided to paint the inside of my (older) 12 foot Lund. The current paint is a super gross looking lime green. I'm not sure if it's factory or applied by the previous owner.

I'm thinking of going with: a) a paint suitable for marine applications. b) truck bed liner. c) stripping it to bare metal and leaving it.

I'm leaning towards the truck bed liner as I think it would be more durable than any paint, and be more slip resistant than leaving it as bare metal. I found a product on line called Grizzy Grip. They say that it is suitable for marine applications and it comes in a variety of colors (as opposed to just black, which is all I found in NAPA, Home Depot, etc).

http://www.grizzlygrip.com/Boat-content.aspx

Unfortunately they do not sell in stores and I would have to order it on line. Has anyone tried this product or any truck bed liner on the inside of their boat? A buddy of mine commented that it would be heavy and a couple coats would add a fair bit of weight to the boat.

If I decide to go bare metal, does anyone know if it's ok to leave it after stripping it down? Or is it advisable to apply some sort of sealant to protect the metal?

I'm curious what others have done with their boats, and any tips they might like to share. I would like to drop by my local marine store (Casade), but I have been working a lot lately and have not had a chance to go in.
Title: Re: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: buzzbomb on July 07, 2013, 01:58:29 PM
My pal has an old 12' and the inside is pea green.  If your boat is in good shape I'd paint it one of their original colours, if not green then light blue or beige, what's your favourite light colour?  Not being especially motivated but a decent painter I'd clean it up, sand it, buy about 5 cans of Tremclad and 6 beer and have it done in no time.
Title: Re: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: fishermanphil on July 07, 2013, 03:04:21 PM
Would not leave it bare as the reflection from the sun will burn eyes and skin.
Title: Re: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: Matt on July 07, 2013, 08:37:20 PM
Paint it like factory... sky blue or something so that you retain resale value, then put carpet or a rubber mat on the floor by your feet.  Truck bed liner will add weight.
Title: Re: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: armytruck on July 07, 2013, 10:36:42 PM
I would have to agree with buzzbomb on this one  8) . I bought a six pack of krylon industrial toughcoat light grey . I used a matt (primer) finish as I did not want the glare from gloss paint .
Title: Re: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: Spawn Sack on July 08, 2013, 11:47:05 AM
Thanks for the replies guys. And I hear what you're saying about paint vs. bed liner. But...I'm thinking...really how much more is a couple gallons of bed liner going to weigh compared to a couple gallons of paint? 5-10 pounds?

I'm still weighing the pros and cons of each. I'm honestly leaning towards the bed liner as, from what I have read, it is t-o-u-g-h. The boat does not leak/weep a drop, so it's just a cosmetic upgrade. The current paint job appears to be a redo on top of the factory paint, and it is worn right down to bare metal in several areas (mainly the floor).

I'm curious if anyone has done the inside of their car top boat with bed liner and has an opinion with it.

I'm also wondering if the added weight would make the boat a little more stable? If the only drawback is an extra 50lbs or so I'm not too worried as it goes on a trailer, not in the back of a truck, etc. In other words I don't have to heave it around a lot.
Title: Re: Painting inside of aluminum boat
Post by: Matt on July 08, 2013, 09:55:32 PM
Thanks for the replies guys. And I hear what you're saying about paint vs. bed liner. But...I'm thinking...really how much more is a couple gallons of bed liner going to weigh compared to a couple gallons of paint? 5-10 pounds?

I'm still weighing the pros and cons of each. I'm honestly leaning towards the bed liner as, from what I have read, it is t-o-u-g-h. The boat does not leak/weep a drop, so it's just a cosmetic upgrade. The current paint job appears to be a redo on top of the factory paint, and it is worn right down to bare metal in several areas (mainly the floor).

I'm curious if anyone has done the inside of their car top boat with bed liner and has an opinion with it.

I'm also wondering if the added weight would make the boat a little more stable? If the only drawback is an extra 50lbs or so I'm not too worried as it goes on a trailer, not in the back of a truck, etc. In other words I don't have to heave it around a lot.

You will probably notice the extra weight of bedliner while moving the boat, but it wont noticeably add any stability.  Add a Rubbermaid tote full of water if you want portable ballast.  Bedliner is rough and will chew up fly lines when they get underfoot, carpet will not.