Using paint instead of gelcoat?

[Recoil Rob]

I need to touch up the transom after a bang plate repair and I'd rather not have to pay $150 for 1 qt of Spectrum gelcoat and use about 3oz.
I have read some guys just use Rustoleum over this small area, can this be correct?

 

[Hookup1]

A friend of mine does that for the boot stripe. You could do that but it won't last. Maybe as a quick repair until you collect a few more scratches and dings and then have them professionally redone.

I have had lousy color match with Spectrum gelcoat. Probably the age of the boat. I have a number of repairs to do this year and may use a two-part polyurethane from Petite or Interlux. Everything will need to be hand tinted - even the Spectrum gelcoat for my boat. And the gelcoat is much harder to spray and control working time.

 

[DennisG01]

Above the waterline, sure, you can paint. You may not get a perfect match, but if you're not overly picky, it should be close enough. Worst case, down the road, it starts to wear/flake off... just spray it again. If you have something on your boat that you can remove, take it to an auto body paint shop and they can mix a quart of matching paint for you. You even then use a Preval sprayer.

Remember... the main thing on a good paint job is not the painting... it's the prep.

 

[SkunkBoat]

BoatWorks paint vs gelcoat

It depends on how anal you are...
On my last boat I poured a new transom. Outer skin was not cut. All the glass work was inside the motor well and wrapping over the "bang plate" area in a nice straight line (like a piece of trim).
I primed the work with Bottomkote epoxy primer and painted(rolled) with a $9 quart can of oil based exterior gloss white rustoleum(not spraycan). No it did not match the gelcoat...didn't try...don't care... You could use Black or Dark Blue if you are just taping off and painting a "false" trim piece.
It was way easier to keep clean (grease,algae, fish blood)and did not scratch. Looked shiny & white after 3 seasons before I sold the boat. If it ever needed a touchup it would be as simple as sand & paint.

 

[Recoil Rob]

Right now just the transom top and the Rustoleum looks the way to go.
BTW, Hookup. I had some minor gelcoat repairs that I used the small Spectrum kit on. My boats a 2004 but I used the GW 2005-13 and it was a perfect match.

 

[HTHM]

Another alternative to consider is spray on bed liner it can be tinted as well.