Yesterday I discussed some of my observations as I watched a fellow preparing his outdrive for a fresh coat of paint. As I mentioned yesterday we need to track his progress over a few days. As of last evening it appears he's done all the sanding he's going to do. As I mentioned he's got sections of the drive right down to bare aluminum, so a proper primer is going to be a must unless he wants to deal with the color coat lifting off the metal sooner than later. A close up of the drive last night clearly shows the bare aluminum.

So now the real question is, what will he use for a primer coat? Will it be one of the zinc based paints I mentioned yesterday, or just some basic automotive primer. I'm betting he'll use the wrong paint. Why? Well in the photo below, right next to where he's working, my spy camera caught a look at a Walmart bag with some paint in it.


I immediately recognized the label on the can showing through the plastic bag. Krylon paint. Not that Krylon doesn't make a good product, but its the wrong stuff for this job.


Tomorrow I'll let you know the final result of this if the fellow shows up today. Its actually sunny for a second day in a row here in Rhode Island, so there's a good chance I'll catch the end of this outdrive ruination today. 

Written by: Ed Sherman
Ed Sherman is a regular contributor to boats.com, as well as to Professional Boatbuilder and Cruising World, where he previously was electronics editor. He also is the curriculum director for the American Boat and Yacht Council. Previously, Ed was chairman of the Marine Technology Department at the New England Institute of Technology. Ed’s blog posts appear courtesy of his website, EdsBoatTips.