Hull Color Suggestions/ Not White

Kingston Grey is very popular the last few years from sport fishers to mega yachts due its ease of care color wise.
Metallic coatings are very hard to repair / blend due to what's known as "metallic flop" or the matching of the particles in the pigment. Even with marine base coat clear coats the metallics are difficult for a blend in a repair.
If your looking for durability than go with a long chain linier urethane from Alex Seal. If your looking for ease or repair and blending than go with the acrylic urethane Awl Craft -2000
Kingston Grey in Alex Seal # T 7155
Kingston Grey in Awl Craft 2000 #F 1009

In addition to the repair concerns, going to a darker color must be carefully evaluated. Darker colors will increase hull skin temps in hot sunlight and can cause print (glass pattern showing through) that wasn't there before in solid glass hulls. Higher than intended heat in cored hulls can be even more of a problem, in extreme cases can cause delamination and skin failure. Many builders specifically exempt warranty on hulls painted after the fact with darker colors.

A case in point on darker (and metallic) colors. This hull was painted Flag blue and experienced blistering on the side normally facing the sun in her slip. The blisters when ground down showed air voids in the core that likely expanded causing the outer skin to delaminate and was not deemed a warranty defect but attributable to the dark hull color. After repair the areas were painted black and allowed to bake in the sun to completely cure then she was repainted with Alexseal Palma Blue Metallic base/clear system. She's now been the South Florida sun for over a year but I haven't heard any reports of further delam or print (no news is good news?). The owner, who I won't mention without permission, is a fellow Yacht Forums member, maybe he will chime in and give us an update.

One of my absolute favorites is Awlgrips "Stars and Stripes". It looks incredible on Downeast style boats but equally good on newer style yachts. It's a blue/grey color that you don't have to slave to keep clean. Do a search in Yahoo pictures you will see plenty

Well .....for the first time ever ..... I'm going to disagree with Bill106. I'll add some context:

1. I'm the current (and 2nd) owner of the boat.
2. Prior to my purchase, the boat was seasonally located at a slip on the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The boat had a bow south orientation in its slip. Accordingly, the port side (where repairs were made) received the least amount of sun. Further, the docks and adjacent boats were tightly co-located, so the side of the hull that received repairs, must've received a minimal amount of sun exposure.
3. Upstate New York is a lot different than southern Florida. Northern boats get put away for about seven months per year.
4. Based upon the above, I'm convinced that sun exposure had no impact on the blisters that Bill106 repaired.
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With the above being said, I can tell you that Bill106 did a spectacular job of repairing the defects, and painting the hull side. The Palma Blue metallic paint by Alexseal continually draws positive comments, as does the quality of workmanship by Bill106. When it's clean, I get daily comments on the metallic color ... it's unique, and attractive.

That said, if I had it to do over again, I'd probably select a color closer to metallic silver. The Palma Blue is gorgeous when it's clean, but there's no doubt that you can see salt spray after an offshore trip.

First world problem.

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I believe that Bill was bringing attention to members who are considering re- painting their vessels a dark color and that they should be very careful and research their vessels construction prior to changing color. Older polyester resin vessels constructed with solid or cored hulls can have the problem of "resin float" in the outer two mils of mat/resin due to surface temperatures exceeding 240 degrees in direct sunlight on a Jett Black vessel. This softening of the outer resins will allow fabric print through, delamination issues and fairing compound failures. The problem isn't necessarily restricted to polyester as some vinylesters have had similar issues along with osmosis. Data from early polyester Corecell vessels of the late 80's to mid 90's vintage will prove this true. Epoxy resins are found to hold up to higher temperatures and is the go to for modern composite panel manufacturers. Air conditioning upgrades should also be a consideration when going to a dark color due to UV absorption in lieu of reflecting as a White of lite colored hull will do.

Thanks for the report (and correction!) Mark! Good to hear she's holding up in that hot Florida sun AND that you're putting in some sea time on her.

As I'm sure you know captholi, there are "special purpose" epoxies that are formulated with higher HDT's (Heat Distortion Temp's) which we did use on Mark's boat knowing the color. The AC upgrade is another very valid consideration!

Not saying the dark colors don't look good, but when looking at some earlier boats with dark blue hulls the heat damage was very noticeable anywhere there was fairing and cutouts that was faired. All deck boarding doors and transom had problems. Just ask any painter about all those SF's that had a black mask wrapping around the deck house. Pascal's fighting lady yellow and the lighter green, blue, and grey look nice without the heat damage and the salty look.

So I have a question on the dark colors. Were looking at building or preowned Hatteras M75 Panacera. There is currently a 2017 on the market with Black hardtop over the fly bridge, while we like the look, to us it blends into the background while the all white hard top looks nice but seems to take a bit away from the looks of the boat. Will the Black top have the same issues? We would be keeping the boat moored in Cape Canevral area. We have yet to see the 75 in person as we currently live in Chicago IL I have not seen any newer Hatteras on The Lake (Lake Michigan). Thanks Rich

If it's the one I'm thinking it is it should be just fine. Pipe Welders just did a couple carbon fiber hardtops for them and they used high temp resins and foam knowing they'd be dark colored. They were here putting a tower on one of our boats with a carbon fiber hardtop as well and showed me all the pictures of the build and install and were very proud of them!

Good to know about the build quality and yes from what I've read pipewelders makes there tops and tuna stands. I just assumed they were part of Hatteras though I did not look to see that they are there own company. This is the boat http://www.yachtworld dot com/boats/2018/Hatteras-M75-Panacera-3189852/United-States?refSource=browse%20listing#.WuNtsmFOmf0

Thank you for the information.

They should be fine. I can tell you what though. I've been on the 1 enclosed bridge 70 or 75' MY they built "Maybe next year" that is currently for sale. it's a 2017. They did an incredible job on the enclosed bridge and the bridge layout is very very nice on that boat. They really hit a home run on that one on the bridge design. The lower levels are the same layout as all of them. For your area, I'd take that over an open bridge any day. The boat has a 1 piece front windshield on the bridge with nothing in your sightline and real windshield wipers. The only difference between the 70' and 75' pancera is the hydraulic swim platform on the stern which can be added to the 70' if you wished, it is the same boat otherwise. I've run this boat and several 75' MY's as well as the 90' Pancera.

Capt J, I looked at the pictures of the enclosed bridge also, does look nice, I'm undecided as the boat will be in Florida as we're moving there and thought the open fly would be nice to sit out on at night and while driving, I have thought about the days that would be raining and cold and not have a full windshield to look out of. Kinda torn as we plan on crusin the Eastern seaboard, to the Great Lakes (lots to see there) and the caribbean. I'd like to do the great loop but may be too big for that height wise and length could be an issue draft should be a non issue. Any information you could give would be awesome. Admiral likes the lines and roomeyness and I like the build quality and US built. Have lots of questions for another thread

Length is not an issue for the great loop, just a touch of a challenge in planning. I did the great loop in entirety in a 75' Hatteras (1988). Height may be an issue, I do not know the height of the new 75' MY's. The open bridge kind of sucks in some aspects, the spray just sits on the strataglass in your view effecting visibility, the a/c can have issues keeping up. But you can open it up if you want to. I think the best compromise was the older 72' Hatteras MY's with the glass front windshields with wipers and strataglass that opened on the other 3 sides.

I have to say if you have the boat in the south, it would be a shame to not have a flybridge. The weekend we were sea trialing two different boats. One enclosed and one not. We had such a nice cruise up the new river on Friday. It was gorgeous, we were outside, and isn’t tbats what it’s all about?

Which flybridge did you like best, open or enclosed?

I liked open best. It was just so nice outside. Of course it was a gorgeous day and everyone wanted to be outside. So if enclosed I would have been driving by myself.