Bottoms Up 23 Build

[Kraken]

I am looking for help with the final faring and finish. I just don’t have the time to do it all myself. I’d like to call in a pro where this step is one of the most important. I did a lot of research myself and didn’t find much info out there on gelcoating. I also tried spraying and rolling my under deck hatches with crappy results. I will get a better finished result if I sub it out. I’m still looking for a professional.

If I absolutely can’t find someone to help, I will tackle it myself. This is the best info I found on re-gelcoating. I have a dump gun that would help.
http://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/re-gelcoating.htm

[kmoose]

Originally Posted by Kraken

I am looking for help with the final faring and finish. I just don’t have the time to do it all myself. I’d like to call in a pro where this step is one of the most important. I did a lot of research myself and didn’t find much info out there on gelcoating. I also tried spraying and rolling my under deck hatches with crappy results. I will get a better finished result if I sub it out. I’m still looking for a professional.

If I absolutely can’t find someone to help, I will tackle it myself. This is the best info I found on re-gelcoating. I have a dump gun that would help.
http://www.bertram31.com/proj/tips/re-gelcoating.htm

Getting Gelcoat to new boat standards can be done but has to be done by a pro and there are few and far between people that can do it right. Most all exterior finishes on restorations are sprayed with Awlgrip or other products, not gelcoat and for good reason.

Fairing and surface prep is a whole nother ugly task that needs to be done by the person doing the finish coating. I let a pro do my outside and my wife and I did the interior and cap as I knew what the finish would look like and I was good with that.

[Kraken]

Thanks Moose. Not looking for perfection on the gelcoat just for someone to do a better job than I would in less time.

I got a lot done with the cooler weather. I sanded off all the epoxy primer from the floor in preparation for gelcoat. I should have used gelcoat when I laid up the floor in the first place. I tabbed the floor in with a nice radius. The inner transom wall was also tabbed in.

I prepped the center console for final install. It was made with a thin wall and had to be cored. I also gelcoated the inside. The bottom flange was trimmed and prepped to get glassed in.

I fighting to find time to work on it.

[Kraken]

I took her by Pirate Marine at port Canaveral and Kustom Karma in Palm Bay for quotes on finishing the fairing, painting the inside and out, and repairing the gel on the bottom. Handing this boat off to anyone will be very hard for me. I keep reconsidering and want to do it all myself.

[Kraken]

The decision on the final finish has been hard. I’m still waffling. Paint, gelcoat, nonskid, or a combo.

Here is my problem.
The current gelcoat was from the 80’s so it’s an almond color. I hate the almond and want white. Ideally everything white with the sides seafoam or teal. It will match the white Suzuki. The hull bottom will be abused because it will live on a trailer. I’ve been told paint or bottom paint will look like crap after the first year, gelcoat is the only way to go.

Option #1, The bottom of the hull is in good shaped and will only need minor gelcoat repair if I keep it almond. I would have to suck it up and paint the rest of the boat to match.
Option #2, I could re-gelcoat the bottom white but that will be more expensive
Option #3, I could paint the bottom with Awlgrip white
Option #4, bottom paint it white.
Option #5, I could leave the bottom almond gelcoat and paint the rest white with seafoam gunnels, would the shade difference be noticeable due to the different angles?
Am I missing something? Does Awlgrip hold up to trailering?

[kmoose]

Here is what option 5 looks like....

[Kraken]

I think I found a guy to do the finish work. He has over 30 years doing gelcoat. He gave me a good quote and will do it all in gelcoat. Does anyone have any experience using Todd from Palm Beach?

The bottom will stay almond and be repaired. The topsides will be white. The sides will be a surprise. I found a classic color I liked. I don’t want to look like it came off the assembly line last week. I’ve never seen a boat with this color. I’m getting excited!

*Edit* Do NOT use this guy! read the outcome.

[Old'sCool]

My Awlgrip has been fine trailering for 8 yrs now.

[Kraken]

Took a leap. I left her in the hands of Captain Gelcoat. This will be the first time in two years she hasn’t been parked next to my house.

In the mean time I will be working on the fiberglass tray for the leaning post and electronics insert for the dash. My place really needs a cleaning. The whole house is covered in boat.

[castnetcracker]

https://store.americanmarinesports.c...13erws020z.htm

may be worth buying a leaning post tray... at this point of my build I'm over spending endless hours on building 1 offs if there are easily sourced parts online. to each his own though, rebuild is looking good.