Marine coatings boat bottom antifouling paint releases copper to prevent the buildup of barnacles, algae and marine growth. apply to fiberglass, wood or steel.. Painting an aluminum boat, page 4. no pop-ups! no spam! home faqs books helpwanteds forum ltr 10712, i found that rustoleum paint works very well on aluminum.. I can only speak for myself. i used rustoleum aluminum/galvinanized metal primer on my boat. it is water based, and gets thinned with water to spray..