boat painting

Marine painting is an often overlooked, but very important part of boat upkeep. A good paint job will improve the look of your boat and also make it easier to clean. While marine painting can be a very complex operation, the specialized technicians at Ventura Boat Services are able to choose the right paint to cover your boat's topsides, bottom and deck. When painting a boat, it is often advantageous to use a professional to paint your boat. Painting a boat, particularly the hull bottom, can be difficult.  Ventura Boat Services professionals are trained to know exactly what paint to use and how to apply the paint to give your boat the maximum protection.

Gelcoating is an alternative that works well in certain situations.  Again, the appearance of you boat or yacht depends a lot on how the surface of the hull appears.  Restoring gelcoating depends a lot on the condition of the existing gelcoat.  If the gelcoat is not properly maintained gelcoat can experience oxidation.  This appears as a chalky dull finish on a hull that was formerly shiny. This dull, finish diminishes the look of the hull’s finish. Ventura Boat Services offers high quality consulting and application of restorative gelcoat. If a hull surface is too heavily oxidized, restoring the gelcoat may not even be an option.  We may have to go with painting the hull.  After achieving the right gelcoat look, we recommend keeping the boat waxed to protect the underlying gelcoat.  We also offer this service under “Boat Cleaning and Detailing.” Call us to find out which would be recommended for your boat and situation.

​types of marine painting

The first and most important consideration in marine painting is the type of paint. There are many choices when it comes to painting a barrier coat, coloring your hull, applying bottom paint or applying a non-skid coat to your deck. Boat paints are specifically designed to withstand different wear over time on various surfaces.

Above the Waterline Marine Paint
Paint used on the topside typically are oil-based, and can be applied above the waterline on metal, wood and fiberglass surfaces. These oil paints are great for touch ups on scratches and dents and will improve the look of your boat.

Typically, topside marine paints are high-performance coatings formulated for UV resistance, color retention, flexibility and durability. They are also very resistant to fading, chalking, cracking, chipping or peeling.

Below the Waterline Marine Paint
Boat bottoms are continuously subject to growing biofilms of micro-organisms, barnacles, algae, and dirt. When repairing of dents and dings underwater on your boat, we think it is best to use a flat marine paint that provides hardwearing, anti-fouling properties. The paints we use will slowly release copper, helping to prevent the build-up of micro-organisms on the bottom of the boat.

When left untreated, barnacles and other micro-organisms create hull drag, increasing fuel consumption needed to drive a power boat through the water. It will also effect the performance of a sail boat as well, impeding speed while under sail.  Many of these species of micro-organisms can actually destroy the materials of the boat to the degree that the boat will actually develop leaks.

The anti-fouling paints we use on boat bottoms contain specifically-modified epoxy resins that add durability to the coating, protecting all boats whether they are regularly hauled out of the water or remain in the water for long periods of time. The durability of these anti-fouling paints make them ideal for speedboats, powerboats and racing boats, as well as your everyday cruisers or houseboats.

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