Boat Building: Kayak Skin Gets Some Paint

Well, the Kayak is skinned and ready for paint color and final details. The paint coat will also serve as a waterproofing agent for the polyester skin. Without it the kayak will not float...for long. The plans suggest two quarts of oil based enamel or equivalent. Discussing paint types for marine environment applications could go on forever so just know I'm sticking with the plan. While building I was thinking about paint colors a lot. Most modern kayaks made of plastic or fiberglass tend to be painted brightly. While that may appeal to many I want mine to reflect a more traditional look. Original wood frame kayaks were covered in seal skin. The fabric cover I'm using may not be seal skin but it it certainly isn't plastic or modern looking either. So, I decided to find a single neutral earthy color that I could apply over the entire skin. Something to which I could add decoration or accent trim. I was visualizing something buckskin color. I found a color at Collins' Supply in town called Tiger Eye Gem. The color was right and with a name like that I couldn't resist.

The first coat was thinned with about 15% mineral spirits to get better initial penetration. A brush or roller can be used to apply the paint. I used a 3" roller to quicken the process.

Applying the paint with a roller goes pretty quickly.

If you've ever used a roller to paint a wall in your house you know it doesn't leave a very smooth finish. The way to get around that is to take a bristle or foam brush and 'tip' the finish immediately after applying paint to a section with the roller. The tip of the brush is lightly and evenly pulled across the freshly rolled finish. This removes all the bubbles and texture left by the roller and the end result looks like a smooth brush applied finish.

I followed the same pattern until I used up two quarts of paint. First rolling then smoothing with the brush tip. The enamel paint I'm using dries slowly. It can be re-coated in 8-10 hours. I painted the hull side first, let it dry and then inverted the kayak and  painted the deck side. Most of the surface got two good coats of paint. The stems and seams where I stitched the fabric got three or four coats.

The aged stain along with a little Tiger Eye Gem is really warming things up.

Time to let the paint cure a few days before adding the final trim pieces including the rub rails, cockpit coaming and backrest. After those are installed I'll add the final color accents. All in all, I'm pleased with the way things are looking.