Let me admit that I hate paint--especially Awlgrip and all the two part LPU paints. If you think you have issues with touch up now, you will have a nightmare with two part LPU. It is almost impossible to match in colors because if fades and repairs cannot be sanded, like gelcoat, to "fair in" your repairs. If you paint a hull, I would recommend a "roll and tip" process of a single poly urethane paint like Interlux Brightsides. You can repair this paint with care. There are numerous Youtube videos about how to roll and tip these single paints. Done over a properly prepared substrate and with some practice---it is difficult to tell roll and tip from a spray job. I can share pictures of my Folkboat that folks think I sprayed. I consider this a two person job as the tipping must be done immediately behind the rolling. Yards like to spray Awlgrip, because it is much less labor intensive application and looks so great going out of the yard. Until you hit something or rub against a dock. I encourage everyone who has gelcoat to try to keep it. It is a bit of a trick to learn to repair it, but there are videos on that too. Because you can sand the gelcoat repair into the old gelcoat, I have had difficulty finding my repairs and I do this just avocationally, I am not a professional. Having said that, darker gelcoats can be difficult to match in repairs as well depending on the fading. Red gelcoat is a monster and I would not try to match a faded red gelcoat. Darker blue and black are easier. You will need to buy some white gelcoat base, some MEK, to set it off (if that does not come with the base), some of the right color (you will likely need brown or yellow to "dim" the brilliant white of the base, even if your hull is white gelcoat. And you will need tape and sanpaper levels down to 1500. You should also invest in some PVA to cover the gelcoat so it will cure--I do not recommend the "wax included" gelcoats--they seem to leave bubbles. I have some bottles of gelcoats I have matched for my boat's two colors and a box of the stuff I need to repair dings and scrapes. My boat is 35 years old and the gelcoat generally looks new because I keep it repaired, clean and waxed. A lot of boats get sprayed with Awlgrip at the yard recommendation ($) or when it is going to be sold. It will look good for awhile. If you are going to live with your boat for awhile, I recommend getting familiar with gelcoat repair. With a bit of practice and the right materials, it is not hard.
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