Tartan Deck Paint Color?

NewDay#16 · **Joined:** 12 Oct 2007 11:01 **Posts:** 35

I hope to Awlgrip the deck on New Day next spring. What is the name or number of the beige/buff paint Tartan uses on most yachts?

I painted a previous boat deck with Brightsides Bristol Beige, that sure isn't it...

Tortuga's Lie · **Joined:** 27 Oct 2006 10:32 **Posts:** 827

Mine's still the original buff/sand colored gell coat, which is in good condition......it's the white gell coat on the deck that needs attention on mine but I am so reluctant to start down that path. Once you start the painting process, there's no going back Shocked

steves · **Joined:** 01 Nov 2006 10:53 **Posts:** 35

I have the same problem and have come to the conclusion that the original gelcoat was the beige and the white is just paint over the gelcoat. In places on my boat where the white has worn away, the beige gel coat is still intacked. I am going to start in the cockpit first till I get the knack of painting the white. Sanding will reveal if there is beige under the white in the cockpit area.

Tortuga's Lie · **Joined:** 27 Oct 2006 10:32 **Posts:** 827

Mine is definitely white gel coat and if you have a layer of white paint, then i would suggest that a previous owner may have painted it. When these decks were being built, they first sprayed the white gel coat to the mould, masking off the non-skid areas. Once dry they then removed the masked off areas and sprayed the entire surface with the beige gel coat. They don't worry about masking off the white ares because it's already coated well. Then they start the lamination process with the fiberglass. When they remove it from the mould, you have the two-tone gel coat deck.

My white areas of gel coat are starting to get pretty porous and although cosmetic, it shows the dirt much more readily and more difficult to clean.

Timshel · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2010 10:24 **Posts:** 193

This may help,mine was repainted while owned by a PO, I believe by Mark Lenox, somewhere around Swan Creek in the upper Chesapeake, around '94.It still looks good,no signs of failure or flaking. He used Dupont Chroma one auto paint [also on the hull] It is a acrilic urethane [awlcraft 2000 and Imron are also acrilic urethane] and i believe mixed in Griptex 73013 coarse non skid particles.The buff or tan color matches the original well as I found some when replacing a deck fill.The color is Dupont YS318.Check it out at your local auto paint store and maybe other manufacturers my be able to duplicate this given the code # , hope this may help, Bruce.

NewDay#16 · **Joined:** 12 Oct 2007 11:01 **Posts:** 35

Art Averell at Tartan Parts tells me the non-skid gelcoat color is SAND. I didn't think to get the gelcoat manufacturer's name but this is a start.

Velera · **Joined:** 29 Dec 2006 09:38 **Posts:** 656

My tan gelcoat is actually several different shades around the boat. I know this because I have mixed batches of it for gouges and put it down--looks great one place and does not match in another--though it seems to even out over time so that I can rarely find a repair the next year. I have become fairly good with matching gelcoat in repairs and there are some good videos out on the process.

Also, you might look at Mainesail's web site on compounding your hull as an alternative to paint. His process is terrific and the products he recommends work. My hull has not been painted, still original gelcoat and I get asked all the time if my boat was just painted because it looks that good. Gelcoat is thick and the porosity can be compounded out of it if it is not too deep. I think folks start painting a bit early, often at the behest of yards as it is a good money make for them. Much better than compounding and polishing which I would not trust many yards to do. What I learned is that if you compound, you have to invest in the equipment (a commercial grade polisher) and the proper chemicals. Mainesail's C36 (I have seen it here in Maine) is a showpiece and has no paint. It is a physically demanding process, but so is sanding the hull for paint.

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Tartan Deck Paint Color?

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