Houseboat repair, repairs, maintenance, sales and information

Painting The Outside Stripes

Don't let the pastel colors of the eighties and nineties keep you from buying the boat that you love. As we have learned from buying the "Barney Boat" as our friends on the dock so lovingly called it, you can update your boat to look just like new for less than you think. When we bought our boat it was faded Teal, Pink and Purple with flamingos on both sides. It had purple canvas, purple carpet, purple furniture, purple cornice boards and even purple monogram towels. Do you see a theme here! It had to go.

Believe it or not painting the boat was the upgrade that gave us the most bang for our buck. In 2 weekends we completely changed the look of the boat.

First pick your colors, keeping in mind the inside as well as outside furniture. People are in and out all day. Spring and Fall the doors are open and you can see right through. Try to keep a color scheme  Example: Don't where black shoes with a tan belt.

What you'll need:

            Mineral Spirits

3m automotive vinyl tape DO NOT USE REGULAR PAINTING TAPE it will pull the paint off when you remove it. (The width will depend on the width between your stripes or area you are painting)

320 grit sand paper and a sand paper block

One Shot sign & lettering paint in the color you have chosen

Then you are ready to prep the boat.

1. Wipe down the area to be painted with mineral spirits. This is to remove any old wax.
2. Tape the boarders of the stripe or area to be painted leaving no more than 1/16" overlap to ensure you get complete coverage of the old color. 
3. Sand the taped stripe or area lightly. You don't need to remove the old paint just "rough it up"
4. Wipe down with mineral sprits again to remove dust.
5. Paint the stripes or areas using a brush "Purdy brand brush for all applications" works best. DO NOT USE A ROLLER. It will leave bubbles in the paint. Paint all areas in that color before starting on another.

Two coats are rarely needed when using One Shot brand paint. Remember to always paint in the shade on a cool surface. Painting a hot boat surface will cause the paint to lose its shine when it dries. Your done! Pull the tape off and enjoy your newly updated boat. 

Aunt Merri says it's as simple as that.