Hull colors?

[O C Diver]

Nick, one other gel coat color I have seen and was also considering for ours that may last is an ice white/blue. I am not describing it very well. A very light shade of blue that almost looks white at some angles. With a blue boot strip would be sharp.

The hull of Slow Hand is Awlgrip Ice Blue. The above deck structure is Matterhorn White. The boot stripes and cap rail are Corinthian Blue.



The hull of my dinghy "End of the Line" is Ice Blue also.



Ted

 

[rwstage]

Some old salt told me one time that there are only two colors of boats: white and stupid.

Nevertheless, we love our red (claret actually) hulled Mainship. It turns heads, little kids get excited seeing us coming, and everyone knows red boats rule. ��

 

[Fletcher500]

Nevertheless, we love our red (claret actually) hulled Mainship. It turns heads, little kids get excited seeing us coming, and everyone knows red boats rule. ��

Good perspective. Our paint jobs (or gel coats), and the engines that we obsess over will outlive most of us. Best to go with with what you like, and then have fun.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Ted,
Very nice looking dinghy … if it’t’s beamy enough.
Like the plumb stem and up-turned bottom aft.
Never liked the rope gunnels but it looks good on your dink. Especially considering the option is several to many fenders.

The ice white probably goes better in the water than on asphalt.

 

[O C Diver]

Ted,
Very nice looking dinghy … if it’t’s beamy enough.
Like the plumb stem and up-turned bottom aft.
Never liked the rope gunnels but it looks good on your dink. Especially considering the option is several to many fenders.

The ice white probably goes better in the water than on asphalt.

Hi Eric,

Hope you're doing well.

The gunnels are a braided material like fire hose and rapped over rubber bumper material. Seems to work better than rope with more cushioning. Still have some fenders for going up against docks and bulkheads when the water isn't flat.

I have oars (nice Shaw and Tenney), a mast sail rudder center board, and a 6 HP electric outboard for it. I really like the Ice Blue hull color.

A couple of pics from last summer on Lake Champlain:





Ted

 

[Mako]

There is a reason why 90% of the boats are white. You have a good understanding of what happens with colored hulls. Bright light colors fade the worst. I have seen some light grays hold up well but not as well as white.

I'm pretty sure the reason is just marketing. White doesn't offend anybody. It may be boring, but it sells.

Personally I'm not going white, but prefer very light colors, tints and pastels.

 

[Nick14]

Good perspective. Our paint jobs (or gel coats), and the engines that we obsess over will outlive most of us. Best to go with with what you like, and then have fun.

That is the wisest observation of all. Boats are purely for pleasure, for sheer fun. What are a few extra waxings, or a paint job needed a year or two sooner, compared to the joy of looking at your boat every day and liking what you see (as opposed to rationalizing that it was the more ‘practical’ choice)?

Which is why I went with Pastel Blue (admittedly a bit of a compromise from the dark blues and greens I like best).

 

[ddw36]

Does this issue of hull colors apply to steel hulls, as well?

 

[Mako]

Those with steel and wood hulls are the luckiest of all. Every couple of years you can grab your enamel or chlorinated rubber coatings and change colors again and again.

 

[mv.deep blue]

grey is the best

For anyone ordering or building a new boat recently, are you getting the hull in a color other than white?

I've always liked (and have generally owned) boats with dark hull colors, in blues or greens. I like the looks, but of course the tradeoff is the darker the color, the more maintenance it needs to keep its color, and the faster it fades. Despite being anal-retentive about waxing and usually doing it several times a season, I have never gotten more than 4 years out of a dark green or blue before it has faded to the point of needing paint (or a very deep compounding with temporary benefits).

Does anyone have experience with light colored gelcoats? Do they keep their color long enough compared with dark to be worthwhile?

Thanks!

Grey is the best other than white.

 

[Comodave]

Grey is the best other than white.

Light gray would be my second choice to white.

 

[Datenight]

Nick,

We had the choice of white or a cream color on our NP45. Cream was our choice. Less glare than white and we like it!

Rob

 

[Nomad Willy]

Comodave,
You mean you’d follow the Navy w grey to minimize visibility?

I like grey. Especially light grey and darkish green.
Datenight, yes I agree .. cream is a very good color for a boat.

But re visibility? … only dark grays are visible at a distance.
Your insurance co. should know haha I won’t tell.

But most in the Navy have seen enough gray.

 

[markpierce]

Nick,

We had the choice of white or a cream color on our NP45. Cream was our choice. Less glare than white and we like it!

Rob

I chose straw color on the foredeck roof to reduce glare. Green for the hull, gray for the deck, yellow for the pilothouse roof, and white otherwise. No regrets.

 

[Comodave]

Comodave,
You mean you’d follow the Navy w grey to minimize visibility?

I like grey. Especially light grey and darkish green.
Datenight, yes I agree .. cream is a very good color for a boat.

But re visibility? … only dark grays are visible at a distance.
Your insurance co. should know haha I won’t tell.

But most in the Navy have seen enough gray.

No, I mean that I like gray color. If you were to come to our home or our boat you would find a lot of gray. We like black labs and with the black hair gray, especially dark gray, doesn’t show the hair as much. Nothing more complex than that.

 

[Nomad Willy]

Dave …. Woof Woof

 

[Comodave]

Dave …. Woof Woof

That is what the UPS driver hears every time he pulls up to our house. Radar loves when he shows up and can’t wait to jump into the truck, get his treat and then carry the package into our house.

 

[Mako]

Mark, that hi-viz yellow is a great combo to the green hull.

Studies by safety gear manufacturers have shown that fluorescent green is the most visible color, followed by safety orange, however neither would make for a pretty accent stripe.

 

[Nomad Willy]

We looked hard at colors for Willy. Finally decided on dark forest green for the wide belt line at the top of the hull and Brightside Sundowner Buff for the cabin. Has a bit of red in it (hence the “Sundowner”). The hull was of course white.

Never halfway seriously thought of changing that and got quite a few compliments.

The cabin was covered w vertical teak when we bought her but the teak wood color didn’t get along well w the dark green. But it went wonderfully well w the Brightside Buff.