O ne of the most frequent questions that a marine surveyor is asked is whether it is worthwhile to paint a fiberglass boat. The answer is a qualified yes, so long as the owner fully understands the extent of the work and cost involved. Fortunately, there are some very clear advantages in doing so.
Most boats still use gelcoat for the exterior finish.
Gelcoat is basically a resin with very high pigmentation content that gives it it's color. But gelcoat is used for another reason, and that is as a mold release agent that helps prevent the fiberglass part from bonding to the mold at the time it is laid up. Unfortunately, most gel coats have relatively poor resistance to sunlight and other environmental factors, despite claims to the contrary. Thus, we see the apparently never ending problem of boat finishes fading and chalking after only a few years time. There are very high quality gel coats available that can hold up over the years, but very few builders use them because they are quite expensive.