Interlux primer
 

Has anyone up here used the Interlux InterProtect 2000E Epoxy Primer yet? It suppose to be good for above the water as well as below the water line. It has micro plates that coat the fiberglass and works as a barrier coat against water intrusion and prevents blisters. I am not bottom coating my boat and want to get protection against water absorption. I am not planning on leaving it in the water over three days at the time. I know it can be covered without sanding but I plan on block sanding it down to slick it out. Anyway have any csc guys used it and do you like it? Is it easy to sand? Dose it spray well once thinned?

Check with Carla (65 Bowrider) - I think she and Skip used it in a lot of places on the bowrider they restored. Skip said it sanded great for a couple days but let it set more than that and it became rock hard! I think there might be better primer/sealers for use above the waterline.

I used it on the bottom of my boat which required lots of filler after I had it soda blasted, but based on Skip's advice, I only did one panel at a time, so I could sand the entire panel the next day before moving on to the next panel. I applied it with a roller and did a lot of sanding on it. (I'm not sure it's worth spraying if you're gonna sand it anyway.) I'm sure it's less than the recommended thickness for preventing blisters, but it's a trailer boat and I've never left it in the water more than 2 weeks. I just wanted something that would fill in a lot of the porosity that the soda blasting created in the gel coat. Besides that, the Signature Finish Paint I put over it is the only urethane I know of that holds up underwater, so I think it also provides some protection. Here's a slide show of the sanding/filling/sanding work I put together on that phase of the bottom painting project. http://s188.photobucket.com/user/dkb...1051d.pbw.html

Here's the post I did a few years ago on the whole project:http://www.classicseacraft.com/commu...inting+project

I used it on the outside of my transom on my 23 Tsunami with very good results.I rolled it on (two coats).
I finished up with a few coats of two part urethane above the waterline,and a hard ablative below the waterline.
It's been over four years now, no problems at all.It left a perfect surface for the top coat of urethane,that I sprayed on over it.
I sanded it with 220 before i applied the finish coats over it.

Thanks for the report Bushwacker & bigeasy1, I like those pvc sanders you made Bush, I might have to copy that. Looks like it would work well if you have the right size pipe to match the contour. I might make one of each size so I could use them in many other situations or areas as well.

Contrasting color steps would really look great on the race boat with its deep hull! However the radii around them may be different than on the 20, so check that first to get the right diameter pipe.

Yea, I really like the contrasting colors of the steps. It makes them stand out and gives it a cool sporty look. I will probably do this but not sure what color I will be painting the race boat yet. There is only 2 steps on it but they are defiantly more pronounced. I might stay dark blue but maybe burnt orange or some other sporty race color. It will be all done in awlgrip from the high build primers, fairing putty, base primer to the top coat and deck paints. I dont want to go cheap one the race boat, I really want it right. The other 20 sf and the sceptre I will be using the interlux primers and then not sure yet on the top coats. Maybe Interlux perfection 2 part polyurethane fighting lady yellow on the sceptre. I want to do a sea foam green on the sf but interlux dose not do a light green so I will see what else has a good rep that is cheaper than awlgrip to do it with. It will be a bit on the sf before I pain but Im soon to be ready on the sceptre.

Tom Fabula (Signature Finish Paints) can mix up any color you want. I think Capt. Chuck's 23 is the Seafoam green color. He made up the green I used to match my Sunbrella Bimini top color (Aquamarine) and he mixed the ivory color I used on the steps to match my gelcoat. I don't think any of the other urethane paints are recommended for use below the waterline, but Tom painted his swimming pool with Signature and it held up fine!

I will have to check that out. I would like to find a product that I can paint the bottom with that will hold up in the water 3 days at the time that is similar to top coat. I do not want to use bottom fouling paint, dont want to repaint every year or slow my boat down. :D