The Gougeon Brothers on Boat Construction - WEST SYSTEM Epoxy

160 Core Boatbuilding Techniques
Figure 15-7 Bright finish on Golden Dazy.
more difficult for wood to separate from a well-bonded
epoxy coating as it alters under UV rays than from a
standard varnish. 207 Special Coating Hardener has been
developed specifically for this application. It includes UV
filters and works synergistically with the varnish applied
over it to protect the wood/epoxy interface.
Any natural finish which is exposed to sunlight will
require more maintenance than a colored coating.
All decisions on bright finishing should be made with
full realization that more upkeep will be necessary in
the future. Repair of dings and gouges is much more
difficult on a naturally finished hull and may require
routing out a whole outer layer of veneer. On the other
hand, one advantage of a clear-coated hull is that should
you decide that a natural finish is not practical for your
situation, you can paint it. It’s much more difficult to
change from paint to a clear coating than to change
from clear coating to paint.
<strong>The</strong>re are many excellent clear coatings on the market.
Different brands may react differently to heat, cold, and
humidity, so experience with a given brand is perhaps
the largest single factor in a successful job. Test all
coating materials on a small sample of your surface
before applying them. Buy a small quantity of your
proposed finish, apply it following manufacturer’s
instructions, and if it doesn’t dry within an appropriate
period, try a different brand.
Cost
In general, the costs of paint, varnish, and related
materials are a very small portion of the total cost of
Figure 15-8 Bright finish on IOR 1 ⁄2-ton yacht Hot Flash.
a boat’s paint job. Surface preparation and coating
application require an enormous amount of time, so an
expensive but long-lasting paint is usually a better value
than a short-lived, inexpensive coating. When you
make decisions on paint, consider the quality and
reputation of a product as well as its price. A coating
that costs twice as much and lasts twice as long as its
competitor is probably a better buy because it will save
you considerable labor.
We suggest that you gather all available information
about the paint or varnish you intend to use. Most
manufacturers publish complete technical bulletins on
their specific coatings and coatings systems as well as
application and mixing instructions. Experience with
one brand will help you to predict its behavior in
different situations, but, in all cases, we recommend
testing paints and varnishes before applying them to
large areas.