Ceramic coating?

[amxr39]

I’m getting a new boat built with a gelcoat finish. I’m thinking about protecting it with a ceramic coating. After reading about it, it seems to be a lot of prep work and very expensive.
My boat will be in salt water 6 months a year then on the hard for 6 months.
Does anybody have any first hand experience with protecting a new boat with ceramic coating?

 

[jleonard]

No one answered so I’ll give you the experience I have with ceramic coating, not on a boat but on an RV with a gelcoat finish.
We had our new 30 foot travel trailer coated at the dealer about 2 1/2 years ago. It still shines and beads water.
Originally tjey wanted close to $1000, but reduced the price to under $ 500 when we balked. So we agreed , then didnt get charged.
Cant see how it can be really expensive because they did the job in about 4 hours.
No, we didnt get any salt water on it so I cant speak about that.but it has been towed approximately 15,000 miles and still looks great.
Hope this helps.

 

[sjisailor]

We are in between boats but considering exactly the same question for new delivery this summer.

I can say that on our previous boat (32' LOA) we had ceramic coating added after the first year and loved it. 3 years later the boat still looked shiny and almost new, without much effort. Ceramic required touchup 1-2x per year, basically just to clean and then hand apply a new top off layer. Maybe a couple of hours.

The cost seems to vary according to the level of preparation, e.g. detailing the boat meticulously before applying, and attention in applying (e.g. every corner rather than spraying it on).

I'm on the fence about it for he new boat (40'). Would be $8k or something. OTOH the result for previous boat was absolutely worth it. Depends on how much one minds waxing, I guess, and how long the ceramic would last vs wax before repainting. I can't find a good answer to the latter question but it seems to be "at least somewhat longer".

 

[amxr39]

Has anyone heard of or used Permanon Yacht Supershine?

 

[Helmsman]

Has anyone heard of or used Permanon Yacht Supershine?

Helmsman43 boats in the Chesapeake and applied Permanon and it turned out really well. I was on his boat a short while after and it looked great. I plan to apply it to my Helmsman this spring. The first spring I went with a polymer wax due to time constraints.

I applied it to one of our cars, and it has worked out great. The finish looks like it was just waxed 6 months after putting it on.

 

[BruceK]

The inside of my replacement exhaust riser seawater introducers is ceramic coated.

 

[amxr39]

Are you going to need to strip the polymer way before applying the Permanon?
My Helmsman 38E is shipping in March. Helmsman confirmed the new hull will not be waxed or in any way protected. So hopefully, a good cleaning and a coat of Permanon will do the trick. My boat will be delivered to an unknown location in Charlston for commissioning. Then to Myrtle Beach area for electronics installation. Hope the ICW “moustache” will clean off easily.

 

[Helmsman]

Are you going to need to strip the polymer way before applying the Permanon?
My Helmsman 38E is shipping in March. Helmsman confirmed the new hull will not be waxed or in any way protected. So hopefully, a good cleaning and a coat of Permanon will do the trick. My boat will be delivered to an unknown location in Charlston for commissioning. Then to Myrtle Beach area for electronics installation. Hope the ICW “moustache” will clean off easily.

Yes, I will strip the boat of the polymer, prior to applying the Permanon.
When you receive the boat, it should look new, just off the assembly line, so to speak. Then I would give the boat a good cleaning with hot water and dawn detergent. Maybe twice. That should remove any oils left over from the molds.

Then, once it is clean, you apply the Permanon, and wipe dry working in sections, using new dry cloth as you go. It should be done out of the direct sunlight, and with 24 hours for it to cure. The key to the whole thing is to get the surface completely clean first. Putting the Permanon on, is almost an afterthought.

To help with the mustache, consider applying the hull prior to leaving Charleston. The easiest way to apply it to the hull would be
while the boat is out of the water.