Boat painting costs

[captain flint]

I have a quote for the long overdue renewal of the external paintwork on my 50x10 boat. It's for a real pro to do a premium job in a covered dock, and the job will require a fair old bit of prep - so unsurprisingly it has a premium price attached. £10k more or less. I knew it would be a lot, although I had hoped it might be a bit less than that! 

 

That said, I'm not interested in whether anyone thinks the price is wrong or anything, I trust the guy and the quality of his work and I doubt I could get a similar quality job done in the area for a wildly different price.

 

That said, I'm sure I could get the boat painted worse for less, so I 'm just trying to get my head around exactly what a premium job gets you, beyond being shiny, which honestly I'm not that bothered about. Tidy, yes, shiny, meh. I might even ask him to give it a matte finish. 

 

My assumption has been that if I can stump up for it, it will be good for the boat in the longer term, and be more durable, requiring less maintenance. 

 

Does that sound right? In general, I feel with craftsmen/engineers etc you get what you pay for, but I'm certainly not averse to saving money if it's just for shininess. 

 

I think this is may be a stupid question but hey, it won't be the first (or last) I ask, and I just wanted to ask on here before committing to such a huge expenditure. 

[PCSB]

As with any paint job, no matter what is being painted, preparation is key. With the better/best boat painters they prep the boat very well indeed then many coats of primers/undercoats before they get to the top coats. Proper prep takes time as does applying the various coats of paint so that is where the money is. It should with half decent aftercare last for a very long time. John Barnard has a series of painting videos on utube, worth watching imo.

[blackrose]

With a premium job the prep also means taking all the windows and fittings off so that the paint can go underneath before they are refitted. A premium job should also include premium paint so I'd be asking what type and brand of paint is being used. 

 

If that quote includes the hull sides, etc below the waterline and it really is a premium job then for a big boat that seems like a very good price. But for me a premium job would be grit blasting and 4 coats of a good epoxy on the underwater areas (not necessarily including baseplate) and really good prep of the topsides (not necessarily blasted) and several coats of topside epoxy applied, sanded smooth between coats. 

Edited February 13 by blackrose

[truckcab79]

As has been suggested the majority of your money is in prep and therefore labour which is where your money goes.  To know the answer to your question you need to ask for a detailed spec of exactly what process he is going to complete. (Stripping, filling, windows out, fittings removed, brush / roller / spray? etc etc.  £10k doesn’t sound a huge amount for what COULD be involved, but without knowing the condition of your boat currently and his intended process it’s impossible to know.  

[captain flint]

Yep, I know the prep is the thing, and as I said in the OP, it will be fairly extensive, although not as bad as some boats I've seen. 

 

I have yet to receive the full estimate with the breakdown of what will be done, but I'm sure all windows etc will be removed, and pretty damn sure it paint will not be sprayed on. I imagine it will be solid by brush but I have to wait for the incoming quote with all the details. 

 

This is for above the waterline only. Below the waterline was shot blasted not so very long ago and has a 2 pack epoxy coating that is not currently in need of any attention. 

 

In terms of the top sides, I've only recently come across the idea that epoxy can be applied to metal that hasn't been shot blasted (in the past, I've only heard tell of how it's a really bad idea to apply it to metal that hasn't been shot blasted). I'll ask the painter about it and go with what he suggests as he's definitely recommended and an accredited 'master craftsman'. 

 

To be honest, as I tried to say in the OP, it's not so much a question of whether the price is reasonable for the work, more a question of the practical value of getting the work done so well/the drawbacks of getting it done not quite so well. 

 

I am planning on going ahead with it but I just wondered if there was anything I was missing re how important it is to get this job done so well. Then again, I look at the existing listing job, flaking off, and I guess I have my answer! 

[Hudds Lad]

6 minutes ago, captain flint said:

I am planning on going ahead with it but I just wondered if there was anything I was missing re how important it is to get this job done so well. Then again, I look at the existing listing job, flaking off, and I guess I have my answer!

When we still had the shareboat the roof was repainted due to having a large rust patch forward of the rear hatch, round the mushroom vents and chimney, and on the leading cabin edge above the welldeck. I was not privy to the fine details of the job, but i imagine it was just rubbed down flat and then painted and was done at the cheapest/quickest quote from the Marina. Afterwards the roof looked great.

Within a year shadows of the former rust patches could be seen through the paint, corrosion was starting to show again by some of the mushrooms, and the lightest scratch would reveal undercoat. Cost £2.5k and took a week back in 2019.

 

Our own boat is booked in with a proper boat painter (booking made two years ago) to go at the end of next month for above the water repaint, it will be shotblasted back to clean metal with everything removed, then properly painted. This will take 6-8 weeks. Quote was £12-13k when booked, but i'm sure this will have increased, at the time they guesstimated 5% more but who knows now with the way things have been going up. Having seen the results of a quick turnaround paint job at a Marina we are loathe to repeat that mistake.

[captain flint]

1 hour ago, Hudds Lad said:

When we still had the shareboat the roof was repainted due to having a large rust patch forward of the rear hatch, round the mushroom vents and chimney, and on the leading cabin edge above the welldeck. I was not privy to the fine details of the job, but i imagine it was just rubbed down flat and then painted and was done at the cheapest/quickest quote from the Marina. Afterwards the roof looked great.

Within a year shadows of the former rust patches could be seen through the paint, corrosion was starting to show again by some of the mushrooms, and the lightest scratch would reveal undercoat. Cost £2.5k and took a week back in 2019.

 

Our own boat is booked in with a proper boat painter (booking made two years ago) to go at the end of next month for above the water repaint, it will be shotblasted back to clean metal with everything removed, then properly painted. This will take 6-8 weeks. Quote was £12-13k when booked, but i'm sure this will have increased, at the time they guesstimated 5% more but who knows now with the way things have been going up. Having seen the results of a quick turnaround paint job at a Marina we are loathe to repeat that mistake.

Thanks! This was the kind of info I was after, and pretty much what I expected to hear

[Tonka]

We do our own 62ft boat. Take all the portholes off and vents. Takes 6 weeks in a wetdock. Load of work and getting the right equipment is key.

[LadyG]

I painted my own boat when I had an opportunity of hiring a floating shed with power for two weeks. I had a lad sand the roof, he wasn't experienced and not supervised, fortunately the roof was in good condition,  only a few rust patches, mostly removing layers of old paint. I then used rust treatment, then red oxide,  puting my own paint on, plenty of layers, and it has been fine. There was no evidence of this roof rusting before it was sanded.

I prepped the rest myself, essentiaĺly removing topcoat. I worked six hours per day for ten days over the fortnight.

I did not use two pack or vinyl decals.

Any use of tape to create topcoat detail will add another day. 

A sign writer turned up, and charged about £80 for name  and reg number on both sides.

A rusting boat is a different cup of tea, needs taking down to bare steel, rust treatment, then all the layers needed to prep to topcoat.

I used SML Paints technical advice, the gunwales are satin alkyd, with anti skid granules on horizontal surfaces.

I think the cost of materials was about £800. Quite a bit of paint left over.

I had a quote for £4K around the same time (three years ago), that would be a basic paint job, no windows, time required two weeks.

I don't believe the job could be done in a week by one person if there was any rust or flaking, as one needs to allow for interim sanding, paint curing. 

Taking the boat back to bare steel, it's a big job, and takes time. 

If it's a job for the professional, the owner would be well advised to have a detailed spec, in writing, and lightly supervise the work! 

 

 

[captain flint]

25 minutes ago, LadyG said:

I painted my own boat when I had an opportunity of hiring a floating shed with power for two weeks. I had a lad sand the roof, he wasn't experienced and not supervised, fortunately the roof was in good condition,  only a few rust patches, mostly removing layers of old paint. I then used rust treatment, then red oxide,  puting my own paint on, plenty of layers, and it has been fine. There was no evidence of this roof rusting before it was sanded.

I prepped the rest myself, essentiaĺly removing topcoat. I worked six hours per day for ten days over the fortnight.

I did not use two pack or vinyl decals.

Any use of tape to create topcoat detail will add another day. 

A sign writer turned up, and charged about £80 for name  and reg number on both sides.

A rusting boat is a different cup of tea, needs taking down to bare steel, rust treatment, then all the layers needed to prep to topcoat.

I used SML Paints technical advice, the gunwales are satin alkyd, with anti skid granules on horizontal surfaces.

I think the cost of materials was about £800. Quite a bit of paint left over.

I had a quote for £4K around the same time (three years ago), that would be a basic paint job, no windows, time required two weeks.

I don't believe the job could be done in a week by one person if there was any rust or flaking, as one needs to allow for interim sanding, paint curing. 

Taking the boat back to bare steel, it's a big job, and takes time. 

If it's a job for the professional, the owner would be well advised to have a detailed spec, in writing, and lightly supervise the work! 

 

 

Thanks. The painter in question says for weeks, is drawing up a detailed spec for me, and actively encourages regular visits while the work is going on, so it feels like it's all going the right way. 

[Tigerr]

If you can afford it, getting it done properly by professionals is great. It's like a new boat when you get it back, and will make you feel good every time you look at it. 

Plus, a good paint job endures. Stay away from red though. You'll be repainting the red bit long before you want to. 

If I was doing it again, I would explore epoxy for a more durable hard finish, and failing that I might see if extra coats to thicken the finish might be worthwhile. For the inevitable tree brach scratches etc. 

[Cheshire cat]

Tree branch scratches are not inevitable. When you have paid 10K + you don't tangle with trees.

[IanD]

8 minutes ago, Cheshire cat said:

Tree branch scratches are not inevitable. When you have paid 10K + you don't tangle with trees.

 

Sometimes you don't have much choice, given the canal tree pruning standards in many places today combined with inconsiderate mooring or incompetent steering of a boat coming the other way...

Edited February 13 by IanD

[blackrose]

Especially with a widebeam. And if you venture onto some rivers then tangling with trees is par for the course.

[Mike Todd]

1 hour ago, Cheshire cat said:

Tree branch scratches are not inevitable. When you have paid 10K + you don't tangle with trees.

I have never intentionally tangled with trees or other vegetation growing from the bank.

 

However, I have had plenty of scratches from such encounters, mostly inevitable - passing another boat in a restricted section, emerging from a lock where avoidance is impossible - eg Allens Lock, Oxford, thin branches that have been broken off leaving an unusually and almost invisible sharp point. etc

[IanD]

6 minutes ago, Mike Todd said:

I have never intentionally tangled with trees or other vegetation growing from the bank.

 

However, I have had plenty of scratches from such encounters, mostly inevitable - passing another boat in a restricted section, emerging from a lock where avoidance is impossible - eg Allens Lock, Oxford, thin branches that have been broken off leaving an unusually and almost invisible sharp point. etc

 

Of course you can completely avoid tangling with trees by never cruising anywhere, or only on treeless canals... 😉

Edited February 13 by IanD

[Hudds Lad]

Chainsaw blades mounted forward at each side, linked via sprockets and chains to be powered by the stove fan, although some sort of reduction gearing would be needed to ensure the saws didn't overheat from too many revolutions from the stove fan.

 

This would only work whilst the stove was lit though so not so good in the summer, and it would obviously upset the H&S types.

[ditchcrawler]

5 minutes ago, Hudds Lad said:

Chainsaw blades mounted forward at each side, linked via sprockets and chains to be powered by the stove fan, although some sort of reduction gearing would be needed to ensure the saws didn't overheat from too many revolutions from the stove fan.

 

This would only work whilst the stove was lit though so not so good in the summer, and it would obviously upset the H&S types.

That should make it OK to only be able to operate outside the bird nesting season. Nesting season, warm weather, no fire.

[robtheplod]

I'm not sure when it comes to a repaint I'd spend much on it. So often it gets brambles etc rough it up as we go through bridges etc and if I'd spent £10k on it i'd be quite teary!  a £10k paint job messes up just as easily as a DIY job.  If we were in a marina all the time then it would be worth it, but as soon as you move.....!

 

DIY painting is fun and relaxing...

Edited February 13 by robtheplod

[Cheshire cat]

Well all I can say is six years after the repaint we haven't got any scratches from trees. Plenty of abrasion on the gunnels from lock sides and the bank though.

 

[ditchcrawler]

1 hour ago, robtheplod said:

 DIY painting is fun and relaxing...

That is a matter of opinion 

[captain flint]

6 hours ago, robtheplod said:

DIY painting is fun and relaxing.

I quite like painting. Sort of. Sometimes. I like it better with company. But that's rare. Boohoo.

 

And sometimes it's just a pain in the ass.

 

More importantly is so often just something I mean to do but don't get round to. Though I'm not too bad with keeping up the varnish on my wooden bits.

 

But I like your attitude and aim to be at least a bit more like that in future. I'll have to be, really, after forking out the dosh - I won't have loads left plus I'll feel I obliged to look after my expensive new paint job. 

 

The way I'm looking at it is taking the whole thing on diy would just be too daunting, but once it's done, I'll try to stay on top of touching it up and keeping it looking reasonably tidy. That feels less doable. 

 

And one day, if a bigger repaint is needed, maybe I'll feel more like it, having got a bit more under my belt. Maybe. 

[Grassman]

16 hours ago, IanD said:

 

Sometimes you don't have much choice, given the canal tree pruning standards in many places today combined with inconsiderate mooring or incompetent steering of a boat coming the other way...

 

It's main reason I approached CRT 6 years ago about starting a joint IWA/CRT offside vegetation cutting venture in our area and why I've been part of the volunteering team since I started it 🙂.  I had booked a full back to metal re-paint job on my boat for 2 years ahead and wanted it sorted before I splashed out all that money!

 

Suffice to say that 4 years since the re-paint (by CTS, Cannock), and a brush job not spray paint job, it's still looking great. I've incurred the occasional scratch from protruding vegetation but because of the quality of the paint job and depth of paint, I've been able to polish them out quite easily.

[Hudds Lad]

17 hours ago, robtheplod said:

I'm not sure when it comes to a repaint I'd spend much on it. So often it gets brambles etc rough it up as we go through bridges etc and if I'd spent £10k on it i'd be quite teary!  a £10k paint job messes up just as easily as a DIY job.  If we were in a marina all the time then it would be worth it, but as soon as you move.....!

 

DIY painting is fun and relaxing...

If you're hitting things every time you go through a bridge i'd suggest you might benefit from a helmsman's course  

 

DIY painting is time for us that could be spent cruising, i'd rather be out and about than sat with a paintbrush hoping the weather is good enough to fettle the paint.

We're not retired so time is precious, paying a professional means it should last a long time, admittedly the cost is giving me cold sweats (nearly as much as the trip back with a shiny boat through Braunston, Crick & Husbands Bosworth tunnels ) but if it does another 17yrs like the original paint job has it will probably see our time on the boat out. Besides, J said we're getting it painted so that's what's happening   

[beerbeerbeerbeerbeer]

22 hours ago, Tonka said:

We do our own 62ft boat. Take all the portholes off and vents. Takes 6 weeks in a wetdock. Load of work and getting the right equipment is key.

you did a great job, I remember liking it,

 

6 weeks? sounds like a long time to me but I guess layers of paint and drying times add up,

out of interest where were you able to rent a wet dock for 6 weeks?

Edited February 14 by beerbeerbeerbeerbeer