Varnish and Paints - Boat use.. what type?

[Pav]

Tidying up the inflatable and just been shocked by the price of boat specific primer, paints and varnishes!

Need to varnish the Keel which sits inside the boat. Will get damp. The bottom edge sits against the boats fabric so may stay damp. Any advice re. type of varnish to use?

Part of the deck is Plywood as is the Transom. Transom will be in water when i use but will dry out between trips. Deck will get wet but again should dry out during use. To save money plan to use the same primer and paint on both deck and transom. They were originally coated with Black Paint but top of transom and deck have flaked in some areas so rubbing back, priming and the painting.

Just want bog standard varnish, primer and paint that are resiliant enough for marine use. The local boat shop has a confusing selection of expensive paints and varnishes and most require special thinners etc which adds to cost!

Any advice? thanks.

[foxfish]

sorry dude boats are expensive things to own!
I would always recommend two pack paints & varnish for any thing that gets wet.
However you could use G4 polyurethane varnish it is available with black pigment as well.
G4 Sealer Varnish
I know it is sold as a pond sealer but works very well in the marine environment (trade secrete)

[Pav]

thanks Foxfish! ,

The packaging is slightly confusing! Please can you tell me .. Can this be used on Wood? Can it be applied on bare wood? , and can it be used over exsisting painted surfaces.

Yes boat ownership comes as a bit of a shock!!

[foxfish]

G4 would be best applied on bare wood as it is a deep penetrating product.
You could try a web search but you might find it easiest to buy from a Koi carp specialist or garden centre. I know this sounds confusing but G4 is sold under many guises & for many uses.
It is also applied in an unusual way - when the first coat is tacky like sellotape you apply the second & so on, this means the recommended 3 coats is applied in a short period = job done. Very good product