Nonskid and other summer projects

[Ixneigh]

So of course my boats finish is totally done. I’d like to blame it on Rogers propensity to use probably the cheapest gel coat available anywhere. But even the regular gel coat I bought at West marine is chalky. The dura bak nonskid I did a write up on in the past only lasted a couple years before it started to give up. The black lasted the longest. But it was totally gone this year. Original nonskid showing through everywhere.
This years nonskid is a Pettit product called tuffcoat. It comes in more colors than dura bak and is a water based product. Dura bak is a two part polyurethane which requires a respirator to apply.
The tuffcoat needs to be mixed well. Use a drill mixer, like I did not. Also, split the gallon into two smaller containers and work from one of those, like I did not. Mix it constantly. Or else you’ll run out of the paint part of the stuff and only be left with a slop of mostly nonskid particles. It brushes on very evenly. You could try rolling it. I didn’t because I wanted to be able to push the stuff around. Surface prep was minimal. It appears to stick well to the weather beaten surfaces. And anything else, even metal. The whole boat used two gallons, since two coats are needed. I also applied it to anywhere I’ve slipped, including some radiused edged which didn’t have factory nonskid. We’ll see how it does over the next year.
I located probably the last two quarts of interlux Brightesides
Light blue paint for sale anywhere at some small supplier literally 25 pages past the opening search page. and redid the hull with it. Sorry to see that go. I was very happy with the paint. Pettit has a similar color but not exactly the same. It was nearly impossible to brush on at any time of day, it’s been so hot here. Foam brushes are terrible now, as well. I guess we forgot how to make them or something. I used a bristle brush after all mine gave up.
Next, the space under the galley when its slid all the way forward has been inaccessible for years. I finally cut an access for that, and made a teak veneer cover for it. The edges of the fiberglass had to be strengthened with biax tape on the insides. I made a very secure latch for this panel out of an old chrome bronze sail track end.
I removed and repainted my awning frame which was showing wear and tear after five years. The frame is wood and fiberglass, and stays up all the time. Not construction I would recommend but I wanted something specific so it had to be built. It’s also my rain catcher.
The rudder brackets I bought were installed, and the rudder craft blades shimmed with plastic from a five gallon bucket. I know some have used old CD-roms, or polyethylene sheet. But I had the bucket lids already. I painted the rudders light blue. The paint does mostly stay on, believe it or not. It helps keep the sun off them.
This summer has been so hot, I can only work on the boat before 11 or after 5, so everything is taking longer.
I also want to paint the bottom this year with regular bottom paint. The copper powder/epoxy resin works, but not well. And I don’t want to have to scrub the bottom this winter. Rather than try to paint the boat while it’s on the trailer I might just take it to a local yard and have them put it on stands. I can take my time and paint while standing upright. Also get a good look at my stub keel addition which is now a critical piece of the boat, and add more fiberglass if it needs some.

Ix

[Russ]

Hey Ix,

All that sounds so ambitious. Can you post some pics of the result?

[Ixneigh]

Here are some pictures. The gel coat on the deck is just toast, so I’m painting everything I can with nonskid. The black parts are done in truck bed protector. The sides of the black are awlgrip done five years ago.
The sun here in the last five years is just off the rails in the summers. There’s really no way to cover my boat since half of it’s technically on county right of way (no structures allowed) I do have a shade cloth I drape over it but it needs to be way darker.
Rudders shown ready to go with new BWY rudder brackets and ropes, big TY to them for getting my order to me quickly
Cubbyhole under galley, huge improvement. Easy to access space, there’s fishing tackle in there now but I think I’ll store some food and cookware in there when I’m back in the water. I eat more often than I fish. In fact, I fish so infrequently I’m not sure why I even have fishing stuff since I suck at fishing.
Not shown is another fix so I can leave the opening ports cracked and not worry about rain. That will help the boat stay cooler in the summers. I created an overhang above them using teak boards I had lying around. The opening ports have been wonderful but, leak prone. This fix goes a long way to helping that problem since the overhang protects the weatherstripping from the sun. It would get degraded by the sun, and then start to leak.

Gear I love: Temu (shopping app) flashlights. Temu cordless tools. Cheap AF and work pretty darn good. Temu “girl Jerry jugs” 2.5 gallon wide fill Jerry jugs which are easier to move around and easier to store. Tarps.com tarp, still holding up after five years. Brightsides paint by interlux, now discontinued. Dyneema line. Seems very sun resistant and it’s not as heavy. Quiet Carry brand knife, made from vanax stainless steel which doesn’t rust like, at all.
Gear I’m not thrilled with: Werchtay brand solar panels. It’s developing corrosion under the glass some how, after only a year. Bought on eBay. 5 gallon Jerry jugs of any type. I’m so over trying to get those onto the boat from the dinghy! Dura-bak nonskid. Two part, doesn’t hold up long enough.

[Russ]

I like that hatch over the head. I assume it opens giving some ventilation.

Certainly, your deck is less slippery, which, as a solo captain, is probably very important. The black bits always scare me.

That windlass looks amazing. The cubby under the galley is a mod I need to make. As you have said, it's so hard to get to that stuff and we keep the galley in the forward position 99% of the time.

[OverEasy]

H Ixneigh!

Boy have you been BUSY!!!
A lot of things accomplished!
Well done!

Nice additional & easy access storage!

Thanks for the heads-up regarding the non-skid.
Always good to know first hand results!

Best Regards,
Over Easy

[Ixneigh]

Those two hatches in the “skylights” location have been great. They open sideways for cross ventilation. They are above what’s now the much larger forward sleeping accommodations. In cooler weather just one of those, the one I can reach easily, is left open over night. It’s much easier to close in case of rain, then the factory forward hatch.

For anyone contemplating the under galley access, some suggestions: locate the access opening a few inches BACK from where I placed it. Near the forward most side of my opening, I was cutting into much thicker fiberglass. The rest of the fiberglass was very thin. I arbitrarily placed the template where I thought it looked the best. However It could easily be back a few inches. Also; make matching plywood frames, and bolt them together with a bit of epoxy to glue them to the inside and outside to stiffen the edges of the opening. I used fiberglass to do that. That was a pita. The wood frame on the outside gives a better place to land your hinges. Handy persons could even make a nice teakwood frame. I was worried a frame might cause the cover panel to stick out too much but after installation I don’t think it would.

Ix

[OverEasy]

Hi Ixneigh!

Those hatches and their placement are a great idea!
The ability to get cross ventilation is something I bet you really appreciate on your extended travels.
I assume your hatches have built in screens?
There have been several times we would have enjoyed that option on our travels!

I’ve tried to rig a bug net to our open forward hatch but the effectiveness has been limited.
Several sketches of an alternative fwd hatch haven’t given me something as yet ‘good enough’ to be worth fabricating.
We use our fwd hatch when landing and departing our slip, especially when the weather and water conditions are up. Safer than getting the Admiral up on deck. I also stand on that fwd hatch when deploying the anchor and appreciate the existing hatch non-skid surface.

The location of your hatches leaves a non-skid area which is nice!

Do you recall the size and manufacturer for your two hatches?

Best Regards
Over Easy