Rikki-tikki-tavi... Painting the Hulls

The green is a very pleasing hue– not a typical marine color– but we like it very much. We knew we wanted green way back in the beginning. Our home has a lovely green on the walls which we mixed ourselves because we couldn't find what we wanted anywhere. So, we had to mix our own here too as this green is not available on any swatch chart we know of.

We liked "Fresco Green" that Volkwagen used on the Passat and sent for a paint sample. Of course, this is a metallic which we couldn't do, but it served as a starting point for Dana, our colorist. We tweaked it to our liking in the LPU. With the graphics we plan on adding to the hulls, we think Rikki-tikki will be very distinctive and handsome.

Incidentally, the green we had to mix years ago for our home interior is now very fashionable and we see it everywhere! Well, we still like it and it has made finding fabrics for the boat much easier.



		The final paint! I researched the best HVLP system that was affordable and would work with my compressor. It required, like everything else, hours on the phone and online. I bought this one from an eBay seller. The paint we chose is an industrial LPU by Rust Oleum– their 9600 Series. It's not a linear LPU, so we don't expect it to lay out perfectly flat. It is made to be very tough for use on offshore oil platforms. We want our finish to wear well and don't want to get too hung up on perfection. Boats get dirty and must endure all kinds of environmental hazards. We wanted a custom color and the local Kelly Moore Paint store could accommodate our needs, plus they were in the neighborhood! Thanks, Dana, master colorist at Kelly Moore.

The green is a very pleasing hue– not a typical marine color– but we like it very much. We knew we wanted green way back in the beginning. Our home has a lovely green on the walls which we mixed ourselves because we couldn't find what we wanted anywhere. So, we had to mix our own here too as this green is not available on any swatch chart we know of. We liked "Fresco Green" that Volkwagen used on the Passat and sent for a paint sample. Of course, this is a metallic which we couldn't do, but it served as a starting point for Dana, our colorist. We tweaked it to our liking in the LPU. With the graphics we plan on adding to the hulls, we think Rikki-tikki will be very distinctive and handsome. Incidentally, the green we had to mix years ago for our home interior is now very fashionable and we see it everywhere! Well, we still like it and it has made finding fabrics for the boat much easier.
	a Very Fine Entry...