This is just a stupid question, but does clear coat hold up as good as a gel coat will on the boat, considerd that it is maintened properly, what is the life exp of a boat that has been painted and then had a few coats of clear layed over the paint. thanks all, just a kid trying to lear a lil

John

John,
Good question. Clear coat will work fine reagarding gloss, appearance, and UV protection and may even look better than gel, it is also easier to repair. That said as far as durabilty and scratch resistance, gelcoat is the way to go, also clearcoat is not recommended below the water line.

John I paint cars for a livin (16 years) I was told by PPG reps. that if the boat does not stay in the water 24/7 then paint will hold up. I painted my crownline above the water line it looked great and was very durable. I feel that Gel coat would be better on the bottom of the boat (but this is my opinion so all the "professional" painters dont bash my opinion on this thread) Im just givin my 2 cents.

From my experiences, I'll take Gel over Clear. Any docking mishaps or imperfections are a lot easier to conceal. Gel wears better and just seems to take a beating better. I can make Gel shine just like Clear, so I would spend the extra and go for Gel.
Just my .02.

Clear all the way...especially if all or parts of the boat are regularly exposed to sun such as sitting on a lift, etc.

Thanks, the current boat I have was painted from just under the sides on the bottom, and the whole topside aswell. It will be kept in a lift, my dad wouldn't have a prob if something was to get scuffed on the clear. There are a few coats of clear on the beast..Also no shoes on the deck so hopefully no scratches.. Again thanks
John

with paint there alreadt use a high quality clear and it will be fine. with all the blending ajents out there now you will not have a problem if you need a repair later on. gell coat over paint will not work.
gell coat also works the opposite of paint as far as shine. the more you block or wet sand and then polish paint/ clear the flater it gets and the deeper the shine for you are removing imperfections in the surface and therefore closing the gap between the paint molecules. with gel coat it works the opposite because of the make up of it, itself. the more you sand the more porous it gets diminishing shine quality.

good luck

Bowe,
Couldn't have said it better myself (maybe the spelling LOL). Clear Imron will outshine and outlast gelcoat. And it's easy to repair scratches. Sprayed over colors and they will not oxidize like plain gelcoat. Some manufactures offer clearcoating as an option. With clearcoat, you can always wetsand/wheel it and make it look like new. With gel coat. The more you sand, the more the porosity is exposed. Especially on older gelcoat. My 2CW

Rick

Sorry I don`t want to hi-jack your thread, but can you clear coat over older gel-coat. I have and older Formula the deck looks great after I wax but does not stay very long?

Hey guys,

I do agree that clear does shine excellent and with work you can keep it looking nice. The issue you run into though is that most boat owners do not have the experience or will to sand and maintain clear. I would say that most on OSO are in the top percentile for maintenance and care, but there are thousands out there that are not mechanically inclined. For someone that is new in the boating world or not 'hands on', I would encourage them to stay with gel. Just my .02 from boaters I see here locally.