Need paint color Ideas

New to site,

I just bought a solid 1985 "barn find" Hobie 18 with intentions to repaint her to a new shine. The hulls are ugly yellow. I want to do something a bit different then a typical white or dark/light blue hull. I've searched Google with little luck trying to find a Hobie cat with a cool(and different) paint job. I would like to stick to two or three colors. Also, the trampoline will need to be replaced, and open to this being color themed with the boat. I have the ability to anodize the crossbars various colors.

The sails are almost brand new and white...
Throw me some thoughts!!! Thanks!!

Any suggestions on paints????

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Gregg C
Dallas TX
1981 Hobie 18
1985 Hobie 18

I just did the inside hulls red on my boat and left the outside white and decks white for heat concerns. Someone did a black 17 awhile back that looks really cool, but I'd be concerned about sun exposure/fading and surface temp of a dark color like that.

I want to do the red hulls red daggers and a red tramp for mine... but I've gotta start religiously covering my boat if I keep going down that path.

No colored sails? BWAH?

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Tom
Fleet 259, Central Coast CA
H18 ('81)
H18 ('85)
H20 ('97)
H18 ('78)

I've said it before, and I'll say it again . . .

Painting is one of the worst things you can do to a Hobie Cat. Gel coat can be sanded and refinished several times. Paint will chip and wear through quickly, exposing the underlying color. It's really hard to get a paint finish to look good. It fills the pattern on the non-skid. It adds weight. It makes the boat harder to repair.

Andy Larson has the black 17 - but it was re-gel coated, not painted. It looks cool from a distance, but not so much up close. Black shows off every imperfection in the surface - and it gets noticeably dirty much faster than a white boat. I don't know about the heat factor. Andy's on the forum, so maybe he can chime in.

It's your boat, so you can do what you want with it, but I hate to see a nice "barn boat" painted just because you don't like the color.

I agree with Matt. Painted boats rarely turn out as nicely as boats with restored original gelcoat. If this boat truly was stored in a barn, then the underlying gelcoat should be in good condition. Wet sand if necessary, then polish it and wax it to bring back the original shine. There are countless products out there for restoring gelcoat to original condition. Don't paint it.

sm

Embrace your banana!!!

I read "paint" as "re-finish" and as someone that re-gel coated, the process of cleaning up your existing color is MUCH easier and cheaper than trying to apply a new color. There are also some people that have applied wraps to their boats if you want to get really custom...

It will be more work than you expect.

Tom

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Tom
Fleet 259, Central Coast CA
H18 ('81)
H18 ('85)
H20 ('97)
H18 ('78)