I did search for this but did not find the exact answer. I know ideally stripping the paint down to bare metal is ideal but im hoping to get away without that. The factory paint is still in good shape only 5 years old its not flaking but it has been rubbed bare in some places. Do i need to prime these bare spots, say a 6"x1" spot on the rub rail being about the largest area? Can self etching primer be used on top of some paint.

If the original paint is not flaking chipping or peeling... scuff it and repaint. Bare metal stripping isnt necessary.

Definitely want to use self etching primer on the bare aluminum. It will be fine over the existing paint but its always a good idea to test in a small area, and use a couple lighter coats at first.

I have painted two aluminum boats. One was stripped bare, the other was painted over a factory paint job. Both have put up with 5+ years of abuse with little to no signs of wear.

Any suggested degreasers to use.

I use "preclean" wax and grease remover from a PPG painters supply. You can probably find something similar at lowes or home depot. What kind of paint were you going to use?

Plannin on duralux, but I havent gotten that far yet.

I just picked up some duralux aluminum boat green today for my next paint job at about $55 a gallon,the primer was about $40 or so.

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Does anyone use a clear coat of some sort. It's not a hunting boat so I actually prefer a little shine if I can.

Lots of people use a flat clear. You could use a semi-gloss or something if you wanted to.