Repainting the hull

Check for loose, scaly paint spots and remove those.
A good sandpapering always helps. If in doubt, use the primer recommended by the manufacturer of the covering coat.
I used International Toplac high-gloss and a litre was enough to give me two coats and a really nice glossy finish with a brush. It has held for wonderfully for two years now, but when I re-did the centreboard trunk last year (see http://forum.mirrordiscussforum.org/comment/123#comment-123 ) I needed a new black coat and could not get any at short notice, so I bought a small tin of "Wasserpass-Lack" which is specially made for painting black waterlines. That too, produced a nice finish but I had to work quickly as it dries very fast.
I'm sure the paints from the DIY stores will do too, but of course they are not formulated specially for marine applications, so they may not stand up as long. I believe I spent about 50 € in hull paint and it should last at least another two years if not longer - so work that out in €/month (or OzDollars or whatever) and decide whether it's worth trying to save money on that item.
I found that the epoxy and old polyurethane varnish that should be protecting the brightwork inside the boat had been cracking and decided, some years ago, to redo the interior of the boat. I scraped as much of the old varnish off as I could with the aid of a hot-air gun, then sandpapered the lot and revarnished with "le Tonkinois" which is rather expensive but remains flexible for years (the manufacturers claim it's the varnish used by the French Navy) and is a purely natural-oil based varnish. The surface tends to go a bit matte after a few years, but that is preferable to cracking and micro-seepage into the plywood, in my humble opinion.
My boat lives out in the open almost all year round and our temperatures range from +30s (°C) to around -12 °C or even lower at times. If your climate is milder, perhaps using cheaper paints and varnishes is a safe option.
Matt ("beermatt") has posted an excellent set of pictures of his rudder halyard/downhaul (or whatever it's called) system:
I quote the posting here >>>>
Extended downhaul shockcord into cleat

Hi again

Sorry it's been a while, finally had chance to get some pics as requested. Difficult things to photo because they're so long and thin it's difficult to get it all in one picture... all while holding the camera in one hand and balancing the rudder in the other!

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=204622cfe1162356&id=204622CFE1162356!2666...

(Link is to my Skydrive account (Microsoft), don't worry it's not spam lol. It shouldn't ask you for a password but if it does just sign out then try the link again.)

Probably easier and more informative on the boat but I haven't got the time to get it out of storage atm, I'll try to remember to get some more next time I'm out.

Cheers

Matt
<<<<
BTW if you are unsure about a topic, use our "Search" box. I couldn't remember where that link was and just typed "Rudder" in the box and found the discussion thread immediately ;-{)

Much success with the fix and put up some pictures when you're done!

Gernot H.

Hull No. 9580. It was about 65 degrees F, but sunny when I started painting with a brush. The temp of the surface may have been much warmer, because of the sun. The paint seemed very thick. The brush marks were apparent and unacceptable. I went and got a pan and roller out and tried again and that worked very well. A bit of paint is wasted with a roller, but for me it was the solution. I got the bottom painted and even touched up later easily with a quart of quality paint. I had a couple of ounces left over. Wonder if anyone else has had that problem.

I used International single-component products and brushes. Even a good soft brush will leave a slightly streaky appearance after the application of the paint, no matter how carefully you smoothen it, but the paint spreads as it dries and you end up with a perfectly smooth surface.
I suppose this may not apply to very thick, quick-curing or fast drying materials. But applying these with a roller may also result in an "orange-peel" finish if the conditions are not right.
Generally speaking, nearly everyone seems to have their own favourite method and materials.
If you are happy with your results, that's what counts.
Cheers,
Gernot H.