No matter what material your hull and superstructure are made from, it is the paint job that is shown off to the world. In addition to making your boat look great, the gelcoat and paint systems helps to seal and protect the substrate surfaces of your boat from the sun, the wind and the waves. Marine paint jobs consist of much more than simply a few coats of paint.

To properly paint the areas of a boat that are submerged, a proper paint system is required. These systems consist of several different products which must be applied in the correct thickness, the right order and with the right amount of drying time in between. For a Fibreglass/GRP hull which has been taken back to the gelcoat layer this usually involves a coat of sealer, at least one coat of primer, and two coats of antifoul. Failure to seal the GRP or insufficient priming will lead to the paint system failing and the boat needing to be reslipped to fix the issues. A costly exercise.

This is why it is so important to have all paint and gelcoat repairs on your boat carried out by a skilled, experienced and qualified shipwright. A domestic painter can roll out excellent coats of paint, but they won’t understand the intricacies of cleaning out osmosis blisters, or other highly specialised tasks unique to marine paint applications.   

When your boat’s paint job starts to look a little tired, or if the nature has conspired against you and you happen to make contact with an unforgiving surface of the dock, RS Shipwrights have the skills and knowledge to perform quality repairs, from minor scratches to full resprays we have you covered.  

RS Shipwrights provides full custom colour matching and colour blending with all paint and gelcoat repairs, ensuring all finishes are of the highest standard. We use a range of 2 pack and single pack paint systems to meet the clients personal preferences including International, Altex and Jotun. Usingonly quality products allows us to create a finish that will delight all parties involved.

Fibreglass has many unique properties that must be considered both in the initial laying process during construction, and during later repairs. One such example is the different rates of contraction of the glass fibers and the resins. During the curing process the resins which bind the glass fibres contract up to 6%, while the glass fibres do not contract at all. If not accounted for in the laying process this can lead to warping of the fibreglass as it cures. This may become noticeable hours, days or even weeks after the fibreglass has dried. When the right materials and techniques are used warping is not an issue, and this is why you should always seek a professional for any fibreglass repairs on your vessel.

Whether large or small, structural or cosmetic, RS Shipwrights can take care of any and all your fibreglass repairs. By using time tested methods meshed with modern and innovative technologies we can repair all forms of composite material. The materials we work with include Fibreglass, GRP, E-glass, carbon fibre and Kevlar. Material choice is crucial in assuring the lifetime of any repair, and that is why we only work with the highest quality materials in all of our projects. This enables us to guarantee all our workmanship, and give you the piece of mind that your fibreglass repair is as strong, if not even stronger, than when it was first laid in the factory.