Painted 1989 Rinker Captiva

[ggundersen3]

I'm looking at buying a decent condition '89 Rinker Captiva 186 Bowrider with a Merc 4.3L V6. The seller has only owned the boat a short time but explained to me that the previous owner owned the boat for 6 years had some restoration done, mainly new seats and interior padding/ cushions and.....had the entire exterior/gelcoat repainted offwhite/cream color with new decals a few years ago. It looks pretty good. I noticed it doesn't seem to have the bright/sharp shine and mirror finish original gelcoat has. It's has just a slightly dull shine. I've never, ever bought a fiberglass boat EVER that was repainted. Can this be done? If so will the paint used to do it stand up like original fiberglass gelcoat. Can I wax and polish it just like original gel coat? What additional maintenance will it require? What else? What else should I look for?
Thanks for the help/advice.
Grant

 

[airdvr1227]

There are many things that need to be checked. The link below gives you a good idea. Boats rot from the bottom up so that's the first place to look for problems.

 

[Woodonglass]

Cosmetic work on a boat is the least expensive and easiest way to make a boat "LOOK" good. The seaworthiness of a boat is determined by it's "Bones". The Deck, Stringers, Bulkheads and Transom must all be structurally sound. You need to do the best inspection possible of these elements to ensure the boat is in good shape. The Old addage of putting "Lipstick on a Pig" applies here. This boat is 25 years old and in most cases unless they have been well cared for and maintained, they will need to have structural repairs done and this can cost thousands of dollars. You should be crawling all over the interior and poking your head into every recess with a flashlight looking for evidence of water intrusion, rot, discolorations, soft spots etc... Don't let the "Lipstick" distract you. Look for what's underneath.

I'm a bit confused.. If the PO had the hull re-Gelcoated then it's not been Re-Painted it's Gelcoat. Gelcoat needs to be buffed and polished in order for it to have a high gloss shine. How long ago was it Re-Gelcoated? Re-Gelcoating over the original gelcoat is never as good as the original done in a mold, but if done properly can stand up and perform very well. It's all about how the boat was prepped and the gelcoat was applied. If you don't know those details then it's pretty much a crapshoot on how long it will last.

 

[jbcurt00]

Unless you know exactly what paint was used, your questions will be hard to answer. Pix might help too. As noted though, its 25yrs old. And NEVER believe a single word most sellers tell you about the boat, its history or what previous owners have done or not done to a boat.