Hello Darin. I have been in the painting business for over forty years. The types of paints have changed over the years. Some for the good and some just bad. Over the years I have used all the major brands and them some. At this time I perfer PPG producs. I first must say that every thing I paint is sprayed. So if you are using another mothod please disregard this information.
I have painted many wood items with auto body paint. From fly rods to hot rods. The paints that I use are all two part. You have your base primers and a hardner. The primers are very durable. If you are painting a wooden hull I would first sand as smoth as possible. Then prime all areas inside and out. These products will withstand all fuels. If you have small defects use a two part filler. Sand and spray on more primer. The main thing is to not over prime. If all the wood grain is filled in and smoth you are there. Always have a good grease and oil remover and wipe and dry with a lint free cloth. also you need a good tack rag. You are now ready to paint the color. I don't recomened the old stye nitro lacquers or enamels. I use all base coat and clears. The beauty of this prosses is that you shot on your base color. Than do a light coat of clear. This way you can see if you have an area that is not good to go. If all looks good now you can put all your decals in place. and the clear over them. for small jobs like your boat. I use PPG DC 3000 fast clear. This works well if your spraying in the shop. Let dry a day or so then sand and buff.
