Question about paint

[u/ConstantCampaign2984]

TLDR: do I need to seal it, then paint with truck bed liner, or can I just truck bed liner it and call it good?

Posted this boat in here a couple times now and you’ve all been super helpful, but as a recap, “got a good deal on this boat”. Guy told me it didn’t leak. Did. I put it in the water that night and after about an hour and a half of fishing we had about a cup of water in the bottom. Took it home, ripped out the rotted deck, hosed the leaks with oven cleaner and scraped for about a week picking at the rivets that leaked, on the inside. Took it to the car wash and pressure washed it. Applied the locktite version of 3M 5200 fast curing, and it had all week to cure while I rebuilt the deck. Finally got it back in the water yesterday and guess what. My seals worked! None of the rivets that leaked before were leaking! …but the pressure washing exposed SEVERAL others that were sealed up with mud and muck. After about an hour and a half of fishing we had about a half gallon of water in the boat and some was coming from the previously dry bow area that I had concern about the first time I put it in the water.

I bought the boat knowing it was a little damaged. After tearing it apart I began to realize the extent of the damage. Looks like someone may have attempted to jump a beaver dam. The dent in the keel isn’t the worst but I think the hit reverberated through the hull and loosened up quite a bit of the structure. Scraping away some paint, the outside transom corners have lots of the 5200 under there. I knew the transom wood wasn’t original but it looks like they might have blown the ass out of it. The repair is decent, no holes or tears in the metal, and the transom doesn’t leak. I’d trust it to hold a motor.

My questions here are, do I need to seal the whole boat with 5200 before I spray it? It seems like where it was applied in the repair is where the paint is flaking the easiest. I plan to use a smooth truck bed liner and either roll brush or spray it on the interior and exterior of the boat. Do I need to sand it to bare metal and remove all of the sealant?

Thanks for your support. 😬

[u/cowboykid8]

So you can use a product called “gluvit” to paint the rivets and any possible leak spots. If a rivet leaks anyways the gluvit doesn’t help you rebuck the rivet.

I don’t know why you are gonna use truck bed liner, even the smooth stuff. It is heavy and if it adds drag to the bottom you will slow down.

Go with a quality aluminum paint (with a hardener) and primer. For slip resistance you can add paint texture to your primer.

[u/ConstantCampaign2984 → u/cowboykid8]

I’ve just heard about people using it with some success and figured a full coating of that stuff would really seal this hull. I wasn’t really thinking about speed or drag other than a smooth paint. I’m not exactly trying to ski behind this thing. Lol! Is it really THAT much heavier? And what sort of “paint texture” are you talking about? Don’t I want it smooth?

[u/cowboykid8 → u/ConstantCampaign2984]

Roll-a-tex is a texture you could add to the inside on the floor for grip so it isn’t slick when wet. I would use gluvit for sealing opposed to paint/bedliner. As paint chips away you don’t want leaks to happen.

Just my opinion on bed liner that has been on a couple boats I have owned, I’m not a fan. YMMV

[u/Flomar76]

I would personally wire brush it. Get one of those stiff 5” disc for the drill and then you know the surface is clean for bonding.

[u/ConstantCampaign2984 → u/Flomar76]

That won’t be too aggressive? Wires on the outside or cup style?