Bottoms Up 23 Build

[FLexpat]

Originally Posted by Kraken

IÂ’ve been trying to decide on paint or gelcoat. Pros and cons for both. The primary use for this boat will be diving and spear fishing. It will be trailered. So it will need a real durable finish on the deck, cap, and bottom. The belly band can be paint. Are there better options?

The cap has all the holes filled and the bait well glassed on. Ready for fairing and maybe gelcoat. The outside of the hull is ready too. Just need to finish up the deck / transom wall with a radius and tabbing. Also need to mold up the front hatch cover. IÂ’m getting close to sending it off for final finish.

I was looking at my quiltwork of a stern cap a couple of months ago and wondering why I was bothering to put it back together instead of molding a new one with gelcoat already on. I had just decided to make a mold and do it when you did this one - now I am sure it is the right idea. It is going to be lighter and stronger as a newly molded piece. I guess the old one is now just a proof of concept and cover to keep leaves out til the new one gets made.

I will be using a Vinyl Ester gelcoat that is very close in color to the old one for the new decks and stern cap. If the color match is not good enough I will go over it with paint. The reason I'm using gelcoat is that it is thicker than paint alone; when the surface gets worn or damaged it won't show as bad if wear/damage does not go all the way through the 0.040" to resin/glass. I'm using VE gelcoat since it is supposed to be stronger, harder, and more flexible than poly gelcoat. I will find out but I already know it is harder to get .

Like Don says, Moose's interior looks good and is perfect for what he does.