Specializing in finishes for above the waterline only, Alexseal provides a full paint and primer system and
its polyurethane-based finish is repairable, which is a desirable trait.
Awlgrip
The best-known name in professionally applied marine paint
remains Awlgrip.
Pettit’s EZ Poxy is a great two-part
paint that a do-it-yourselfer can
apply with a roller.
powder in every litre of resin—the maximum allowed
by law. Classified as non-leaching, Coppercoat bottom
paint is a hard-wearing, long-lasting (up to 10 years
according to the manufacturer), and comparatively
eco-friendly.
SIDE STEPPING
If you’re like many owners of an older boat in this
economy, you’ve decided to keep it a little longer
instead of risking selling it at a loss. “You’re not selling
the boat, so you might as well give it a fresh paint job
and make it pretty,” said Pettit’s Zabransky.
Interlux offers a two-part, high-gloss polyurethane
called Perfection ($84.99/gallon) and its popular one-part Brightside Polyurethane ($43.99/gallon) gives
do-it-yourselfers a sprayed-on look when brush-applied
in thin coats.
If you’re looking to
invest a little more in
your boat and want
a professional job,
Awlgrip remains the
name against which
all external finishes
are compared.
International Paint,
which is Interlux’s
parent company,
produces Awlgrip
polyester-based
finishes and primers.
Pettit
New on the market
is Awlgrip FC, which
gives a brighter,
more fluorescent
look to pilothouses
and superstructures.
Another popular
area for Awlgrip
on a trawler is the engine room, according to Ekman.
To make applying Awlgrip easier, the company has
introduced Awlgrip 321 HS Undercoat, a high-solids
finish primer that responds to more stringent emissions
requirements. Applying this undercoat beneath the
Awlgrip topcoat ensures that the finished product will
be smoother and you can do the job in one or two
coats instead of a third or even fourth.
While Awlgrip is the best-known name, Alexseal,
a division of Mankiewicz Coatings, has grabbed a
respectful share of the market with a polyurethane
topcoat that is repairable. “When we surveyed the
market we clearly identified that durability and
repairability were the two most requested characteristics
of a marine polyurethane coating,” said Tripp Nelson,
sales & marketing director for Alexseal. “When we
formulated our product, we decided to use a unique
polyester-based polyurethane that was repairable.”
