Ceramic coatings - Hulls

[vvviivvv]

Hello all,

I've just had my HPR done professionally in "white stone", anyhow whilst in the painters a car detailer / PPF gent who has the unit next door asked me if I wanted it ceramic coated,

Now I have a car that's PPF'd and with Gtechniq crystal serum Black or whatever was top at the time... water does just bead off the hull.

Has it been tried? I seem to recall a full scale offshore race boat being coated in it...

I'm not a racer chasing a last few mph but just thought with the way water beads off a car's treated paint, it could be something?

I might get it done anyway to just protect the paint and decals as it's a fairly expensive paint job...

Kind regards, Liam

[fweasel]

It would be fun to apply to the top side of the hull just to shed water and keep it clean, but the fastest surface on the bottom of the boat is actually a light sanding with a scotchbrite pad or something like 400-600grit sandpaper. Not exactly what a detailer would ever recommend for a new paint job.

Flat, glossy surfaces stick to the water with a suction effect, like a sweating pint glass on a bar coaster.

[Panther6834]

It would be fun to apply to the top side of the hull just to shed water and keep it clean, but the fastest surface on the bottom of the boat is actually a light sanding with a scotchbrite pad or something like 400-600grit sandpaper. Not exactly what a detailer would ever recommend for a new paint job.

Flat, glossy surfaces stick to the water with a suction effect, like a sweating pint glass on a bar coaster.

As I'm just being started in FE racing (was hoping to start in 2020...but, as with most 'gathering' type events, everything was postponed until 2021), I have no clue how "accurate" this is. But, it does lead to an 'interesting' question. If a light sanding creates a "slicker" surface of than why have so many suggested/recommended waxing the hull? These two 'recommendations' for creating a "slicker" hull appear to be polar opposites.


~ More peace, love, and kindness would make the world a much better place

[vvviivvv]

Yeah, when this boat is at full pelt, there isn't much of the hull in the water anyway,

I will be getting the top half like fweasel states, keep it clean and shed water.

I didn't want to create a huge debate, I just wondered if anyone had actually ceramic coated the bottom and seen any differences. Maybe ill run some tests on my little mono 1 boat.

[Fluid]

It is accurate. All the SAW records I set or witnessed in the past decade were with sanded bottoms. Same with full-scale drag boats and unlimiteds, maybe a ?speed coat? of polymer/epoxy or graphite to insure a perfectly flat surface but no wax etc. There is less friction between a wet hull and water than between a ?dry? hull and water. Waxed bottoms belong on sailboats (but maybe not on America?s Cup racers).



.

[vvviivvv]

No worries, just so everyone is aware what an automotive ceramic coating is, here's a short video

- I will get above the waterline coated to protect the paint job in Gtechniq

https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR0zEO_HH6BlbTwohyHY-PMNTeFIW7vMz8_FcR0dif5vmeenohypG2uL2Wo&v=xx399oohngU&feature=youtu.be

[vvviivvv]

And actually - after a little research, the class 1 offshore powerboat "miss Geico" is ceramic coated... don't know if that's purely above water line or what..