What is the best paint or varnish to put on a wooded boat?

What is the best paint or varnish to put on a wooded boat?


Below the water lineWhat is the best paint or varnish to put on a wooded boat?
Science Teacher, as usual, has it right. Antfouling paint (after a barrier coat of course) is the ONLY paint to use below the waterline.What is the best paint or varnish to put on a wooded boat?
Anything ';Marine';
Depends on if you want to still see the wood, ie, want a clear coat, or if you don't mind hiding the wood.





If your boat is going to be kept on the hard between uses, you won't need antifouling bottom paint, which is never clear.





Either way, I'd recommend giving the bare wood some serious coats of West System epoxy, or other 2 part epoxy, with a barrier coating additive if you don't need a clear coat. (6 or 7 coats with barrier additive) Then you can put bottom paint directly onto that.





If you want a clear coat, you might be able to get away with just west system. But epoxy is not very UV resistant. So you might want to coat it with a couple layers of Epifanes or AwlGrip UV resistant Clear Coat.





Whatever you use after the epoxy, the general rule is 2 part polyurethanes are stronger than one part paints (and more expensive)





Read the info from these three sites, particularly westsystem:


http://www.epifanes.com/home.htm


http://www.westsystem.com/


http://www.awlgrip.com/awlgrip_pages/default.htm
never lead based, never latex they destroy the environment. Go by your local marine supply store and ask them. More than likely you will be introduced to a whole line of ';Marine'; labelled paints that are recommended. Be prepared to pay more money per gallon than you would for home interior paint.
Below the water line you need antifouling paint if you are in salt or brackish water. Bottom paint.
the best bottom pain, or anti-fouling paint (below the water line) is made by ';Interlux paint co.';.





For stain and polyurethane paints always go with ';ZAR'; products.
good ol' Science teacher and Audio God seem to be the only responders who read the question about BELOW the water line......and their answer, a good anti-fouling bottom paint is right....





I am going to go a step further.the question asks about ';wooded'; boat....';wooded'; is a specific term meaning the paint has been removed to expose the wood.....if you're starting from bare wood, either thin the anti-fouling paint about 20% so it soaks in; or the very very best thing to do is hunt up a source of red lead primer from Kirby paint in New Bedford, Mass....then over coat with Pettit's Ultima.a soft, ablative paint......the soft paints hold better to a wood boat which move around, swells, shrinks and all that better then a hard paint like Trinidad by Pettit.





If you meant a wooden boat, the answer is still the same........an anti fouling bottom paint
Marine (spar) varnish. That is what it is made for.