Good oil based polyurethane paint available in Georgia, USA

[Ann and Neville Clement]

Many years ago, I bought some Glidden paint which was OIL BASED POLYURETHANE porch and deck paint intended to be used outdoors and exposed to heat and cold, wet and dry, and it all sounded a bit boatish to me.  At the then price of 20 US dollars a gallon, I decided to try it on Peace IV's decks.  It worded a whole lot better than the paint I bought at the marine store back in Britain in 2002 just before we launched which was also polyurethane and extremely expensive.  So after that first test area proved up for us, we did all the decks and topsides on Peace with Glidden oil based polyurethane porch and deck paint.  And when repainting was needed four years ago, we repainted with it again were again delighted with the long lasting and shiny appearance and ease of using this paint.  It has stood up to a whole lot of foot traffic here on Peace because this is a much visited party boat and we do sail a lot.   

After four years since the last repaint, it could go another year, but we wanted to repaint this year and were distressed when we could not find any more of the oil based polyurethane Glidden paint in Rhode Island.  We had some old cans, but did not want to use them for the topsides and we were out of the deck paint which we had used with Behr non skid additive.  It works wonderfully well and is not too scratchy when Nev is out there sunning himself like a happy lizard.  We looked all over New England for the oil based polyurethane paint by Glidden and we looked in Virginia, but I am not the most tech savvy person on the block, so I have to admit that I did not look on line.  Everyone had been telling me that the oil based polyurethane paint was no longer being made because of new regulations.  I had sadly given up pretty much and was considering spending a whole lot of money to buy a poorer product at the marine store.  Then this am a friend challenged me to look on line.  BINGO!

Finally I discovered (confirmed by telephone call) that in the state of Georgia, one can still buy gallons of the oil based polyurethane paint mixed to all the many Glidden colors or to any other color you care to have them match for you, and we are headed for Georgia now on our way south in Peace.  I intend to buy many gallons of this paint in the lovely dark brown we use for the bimini so it will not glare at us when sailing at night, and in the light blue/gray color for the decks, and in the creamy color for the topsides.  I already got several cans of Cetol for the deck slats and bright work.

Nev had already committed to sanding the deck slats so I can Cetol them, and today he agreed to sand the deck and cockpit and all the deck boxes so I can paint them too.  Looks like this winter in the Bahamas will be partly spent in painting clothes.  Next summer we will drive Peace onto the beach again in Cape Cod where there are 11 foot tides and we can paint the topsides also.  Nev has wonderful sanders and does not mind sanding and I have no objection to painting.  It works out fine because I cannot sand due to asthma and he cannot paint due to skin sensitivity.  Together we make one useful person.

Had I not tried it on our own boat, I might not trust using paint designed for porches and decks, but actually those are outdoor structures and so is the boat. Certainly this is not under water paint, and we are putting it on top of good epoxy foundation sanded and undercoated and the first paint just before launch was two part so it is a careful lay up.  This Glidden paint has proven itself in the Bahamas and in New England on our live aboard boat's annual migrations with many visitors and many parties and many miles of sailing in all weathers.  At today's cost of around 25 dollars a gallon, it is good paint and at a good price too.  It goes on well and gets five stars from us.  I think repainting a boat every 4 or 5 years is not a bad practice in any case.  The sanding and then painting brings you close so the boat gets a good inspection as the work progresses.

Ann and Nev

 

[Peter Brook]

"Nev has researched this extensively.  :-)"

Somehow this conjures a very funny picture in my mind!  Like a dog with an itchy b**