Turn heads and blow minds with new paint and varnish technology

by Ric Burnley

As if the blazing sun, blue water and clear sky aren’t shiny enough, today’s sport fishing boats are so bright I gotta wear shades. Custom hull colors, metallic finishes, faux wood and silky smooth surfaces are bringing more bling to the water. There’s a lot of new eye candy this year; but what’s the latest in paint technology and how are these finishes achieved? We sat down with the pros for the low-down on finishes. Here is what we learned.

The Perfect Match

Walk down the dock at any major marlin tournament and you’ll notice that paint fashion has changed. We asked Tripp Nelson at Alexseal to explain the materials and science behind the new look. “The biggest trend is custom colors,” Nelson starts. While Alexseal makes hundreds of shades of every color, they also offer custom looks. “We can create a color unique to that boat,” he explains. “We even let the owner name the color,” Nelson explains while describing that fighting lady yellow was named after the famous Fighting Lady boat. They make all colors of their standard Premium Topcoat 501 in a brushable or sprayable formula. “You can spray the hull and brush the engine room and have a perfect match.”

Alexseal exclusively offers factory-packaged colors where they mix the paint in a single location and spray out every batch to verify color accuracy. This allows the owner to get accessories painted to match and makes it easier to do repairs anywhere in the world. By producing all batches in their factory, Alexseal can ensure that samples of all colors are kept on file to allow for a better match every time.

Matt Anzardo at Awlgrip and Interlux has seen owners color match fabric swatches, boat hatches even team colors. “We offer the service of color matching so boaters or builders can maintain a consistent look and feel or go for something completely new,” Anzardo explains. They offer the colors across the three different product lines so the owner can choose the best color and finish to meet his needs.

Trending Now

At Alexseal, Nelson has noticed darker solid colors are becoming more popular. “Pastels and light colors are not as common today,” he says, “we see a lot of…………….Click Here to continue reading this article which appeared in our April/May 2016 issue.