Ceramic coating changing the look of hull's color ?

B

baz

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Fluid Motion Model
C-24 C
Subject: Ceramic coating changing the look of hull's color ?

Example...
The side by side look at a R31 without Ceramic coating and a R27/OB with ceramic coating, is at timestamp 12:43, pause the video there. Courtesy of Martin/Submariner member.
https://youtu.be/LQ2pw5Q-hBw?t=763

Both of these boats were purchased having the 'Light Gray' hull color. The color difference is IMO significant.

Question is: Is it the Ceramic coating causing the color to look/be different, or is it that RT's supply of Light Gray paint varies from their one supplier or by having switched suppliers for the paint?
 
I asked Andrew from Ranger Tug, and I asked Kevin from Premier Custom Ceramic Coating this question today, and showed them both the picture at the boat show.

Neither knows for sure, but offered the following comments.
Kevin stated that the buffing, polishing and ceramic coating he does will cause the color to become more rich in color. It was also noted by both that the RT31 and RT27 come out of different plants (they are built at two different locations). It's possible to have differences there. The two boats were painted 1 year apart. Channel Surfing being the first boat painted in the new light grey color (platinum), It's also possible that the paint supplier may have changed since then. (Andrew didn't know for sure, but said it's a possibility).

I need to run my boat up to Bellingham and park her alongside Joyful for a better comparison. (Joyful's another light grey RT27-OB). (Get a second photo to compare against).
 
Lighting can change the color of the boat quite dramatically. We have the dark gray (Ranger Gray when we ordered), and people have thought it was everything from green to blue. I’ve got some drone footage where I circle the boat and you see the color change. I’ll try to dig it up.


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Is Fluid Motion painting the colored hulls now or using colored gelcoat? If they are painting them, is the gelcoat white, except for the standard blue on the Ranger Tugs? We have a caribbean sand hull and I can tell you that if you change the angle you are looking at it just slightly it can appear to be a different shade. It all depends on the light being reflected off the surrounding surfaces. I suspect that if the one hull was just slightly faded, there was a different angle, or slightly more sun due to less cloud cover at the one spot, you could get what appears to be a slightly different shade. (We ordered our boat having never seen the actual hull color, based only on the website pictures of the R43, and it was somewhat suspenseful waiting for the boat but when it arrived we were extremely happy with it. I believe there are other Caribbean sand hulls in the Midwest now so it is no longer unique.)
 
I would be stunned if Fluid Motion was painting over gelcoat. That would add a ridiculous amount of cost to production.
There is almost an infinite number of colors available with gelcoat. It’s a challenge to keep a color exactly the same over time, especially if you are using multiple vendors over time.
 
This drone video is an extreme example, going from bright sun to shade, but makes the point. The hull's color will be different in different conditions.

https://youtu.be/6gAdU1cLTVA

It was probably at the 2019 New England Boat Show (maybe 2018) when we first saw the new Ranger Grey. As we were approaching the Ranger Tugs booth, insisted it was blue, because the boat next to it was blue and it "confused" our perception of the actual color. As we got closer and saw only the grey tug, it was obviously gray.
 
hmmm...we just received our 2022 R29 in January and are planning on having it ceramic coated the week of Feb 14th.

We have the light gray hull color.
 
SCROSS's comments about the cost of painting make sense, which is why I asked the question about "painting" the hulls because both of the first two posters referenced paint. I have never had a painted boat but our 2021 does not appear to be any different than colored gelcoat. If I recall correctly, when our dealer had to do a warranty repair on a bubble in the hull I was told they could not readily match the gel coat and had to have the factory ship them some gelcoat. All of which leads me to believe their current colors are not paint but colored gel coat. The interesting thing is that the current pricing includes a significant upcharge for the various colors other than the stock (blue for Tugs and White for Cutwaters). Those upcharges seem high for just the need to stock various colors of gelcoat and the need to coordinate color changes in production, but I am not a cost accountant in the industry so maybe they are realistic. I know a few decades back if you ordered a automobile or truck you got a paint selection chart with maybe a dozen to 2 dozen choices. Today you get a color chart with maybe six or eight. I suspect it is all related to cost control.
 
My R31 Salty Bliss is the light grey R31 pictured with the R27 Channel Surfing in the video mentioned above. Our R31 is also coated with Graphene Ceramic coating. So both have ceramic. Not the same products.
I did mine my self as I have also done my own vehicles with the same product. A month after delivery I did a full light compound buff with a dual action polisher. Next a full polish with the same DA polisher. Finally prepped the finish and applied a coat of Graphene Ceramic coating. Yes it is very time consuming in all the polish prep work but the actual ceramic coating is rather simple if you are a detail orientated person. You just really have to keep track of what you have coated because the surface doesn't haze white like wax as it cures. It’s more of a very light rainbow.
I am of the belief that RT changed the color slightly in the year between 2021 r27 and the 2021 R31.
Yes ceramic coatings do pop the color when applied but that is much more true on darker colored finishes. They have very little brightening affect on light colors other than giving the amazing shine and hydrophobic properties.
 
S. Todd":1f5fbt6s said:
SCROSS's comments about the cost of painting make sense, which is why I asked the question about "painting" the hulls because both of the first two posters referenced paint. I have never had a painted boat but our 2021 does not appear to be any different than colored gelcoat. If I recall correctly, when our dealer had to do a warranty repair on a bubble in the hull I was told they could not readily match the gel coat and had to have the factory ship them some gelcoat. All of which leads me to believe their current colors are not paint but colored gel coat. The interesting thing is that the current pricing includes a significant upcharge for the various colors other than the stock (blue for Tugs and White for Cutwaters). Those upcharges seem high for just the need to stock various colors of gelcoat and the need to coordinate color changes in production, but I am not a cost accountant in the industry so maybe they are realistic. I know a few decades back if you ordered a automobile or truck you got a paint selection chart with maybe a dozen to 2 dozen choices. Today you get a color chart with maybe six or eight. I suspect it is all related to cost control.
Click to expand...
Interesting about the upcharge. I just checked the build sheet and purchase agreement, and I didn’t have an upcharge for color on my 2021.


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