Deck Treatments
Date: May 18, 2000
From: Fred Altman fred.altmann@attglobal.net
Dear sailors,
This month our Endeavour 38 from the year 1986 needs a new deck coating. My question is, are there special instructions or materials we should use for this purpose? Especially for the parts that are anti slip. Hope to get some tips. Happy sailing
Date: May 18, 2000
From: Paul Uhl endvr32@endeavourowners.com
Fred,
I've sent your deck treatment question out the membership so hopefully you'll get a response soon.. However I seem to remember Practical Sailor doing a report on various types with in the past year or so. I know of one owner, who by the way has a 1986 E38, that used PolyGlow. I saw it last year and was impressed by the results. One wipe down a year and that's it. PS rated it very good along with a few others, but indicated that the treatments should be used only after buffing/wax (on hulls) doesn't do the trick anymore. They all require maintenance coats.
Personally, I'd leave it alone. Any treatment will reduce the 'stick' of the non-skid. I was thinking of using buffing compound on the smooth surfaces and leaving the non-skid alone. I don't think there is a perfect solution.
Date: May 19, 2000
From: Allen Knapp aknapp@shiprps.com
Fred,
I just recently purchased a 1985 E42. The previous owner has been re-doing the decks with Petit "Easypoxy" (sp?) one-step paint. I am not sure if they used it on the non-skid portion or not, however. The white portions look very nice.
Date: May 19, 2000
From: John Bartozek jbartosz@symbol.com
I am in the process of painting my deck. I have an E-40. I am using Petit's Easypoxy, which is a 1 part urethane paint. I have just finished a portion of the bow (part of my project to reconfigure the anchor locker for a windlass . . . that's another project for later discussion).
So far the results look great. You need to make sure the surface is smooth. I filled in dents and holes with West system epoxy and sanded everything smooth. In the anchor locker, I used Petit's primer. The hardest parts I found were keeping a wet edge and not putting on too much paint in 1 coat. I did 2 coats. I did the smooth part 1st with a semi-gloss white. I then did the non-skid with an off-white into which I mixed some dulling agent to reduce the gloss (available from Petit). I found that you don't need to tape the 2 areas to get an even line, and I don't have an overly steady hand.
I am brushing the paint on. I am using a bristle brush (throw away model) for the smooth area and a foam brush for the non-skid. I find it easier to keep a straight edge with the foam brush. I also "tip off" the non-skid area with another foam brush to ensure I don't get too much paint in the "grooves" in the non-skid. If you put too much paint on, the paint dries "soft". This means the top surface is hard but the paint is actually "spongee".
If you are looking for a brand new or gel-coat -like finish, then you probably need to spray the paint on or have it done professionally (at $125-150 a foot!). For my purposes, the finish looks much, much better than the faded, dinged-up gel-coat that I had. If you look REAL close, you can see some minor brush marks but you need to have a critical eye to detect them.
Hope this helps ...and I'll send a separate note to the forum on the anchor locker / windlass project when I get a chance.
Date: May 19, 2000
From: Mike Miller capnmike_s@yahoo.com
Hi Fred
Clear-Kote makes a very nice, white (can be tinted) polyester gelcoat, a direct replacement for standard gelcoat, which is available in gallons and can be mixed and painted on with a sprayer or roller...do NOT use epoxy...it is easily destroyed by exposure to sun. Your nonskid areas should be molded in, and will show right through, although you will lose some texture. I would tape those areas off and use the same gelcoat with added no-slip compound in them...mine are tinted slightly almond-color. Gel-coat does NOT dry shiny...it needs to be compounded after application. Hope this helps.
Date: May 19, 2000
From: Sam Woolsey SamWoolsey@aol.com
Fred,
My '83 E-40, Solveig, has numerous spider cracks, other more substantial cracks, and the gelgoat has become chalky to the point of turning your clothing white. The deck seems solid in all areas, so I don't think that I have had any water penetration.
Last fall, I ground out the more substantial cracks with a Dremel tool and filled them with epoxy to prevent moisture penetration and additional damage from freezing during the winter. My plan is to fill them with a two part filler, sand the entire deck surface and paint with Interlux' Interthane Plus applied by hand per manufacturers instructions.
I think that the main challenge posed by the non-skid areas is proper preparation of the surface (I am considering chemical means after doing the best I can mechanically). I think the key to maintaining the roughness of the non-skid surface will be applying thin coats. Let me know how you approach your project and how it comes out.
Date: September 12, 2000
From: Steph Tavag and Kitta Viljoen Livejon07@aol.com
dear paul,
we are trying to paint our deck. we have never done it before. could you ask the forum on how to go about it and what brand of products to use in terms of deck painting? i saw some at boat us and it was called "interlux" --is that ok to use? thanks.
Date: September 12, 2000
From: Jesse Branick JEBranick@aol.com
Years ago (20 or so) I repainted a boat with Interlux. I had very good results with it. There is alot of prep work like sanding, cleaning, patching cracks, etc., however, there is also a non-sanding primer that I highly recommend that comes with it. I would sand before anyway. The primer and paint can be sprayed on, which I suggest you do after proper taping off or totally removing deck hardware. My finish lasted 12 years and then I gave the boat away. I saw the boat 5 years later and it still looked good. Interlux is used heavily by tugs, shrimp boats, etc. that are exposed to heavy saltwater. It is tough work but worth it.
Alternatively, you may look around in having your deck re-gel coated if it has stress cracks and other bad spots. I have lined up a guy to redo our deck for about $2,000.00, which was $1,200 cheaper than the boat yard wanted. Hope this helps.
Date: September 12, 2000
From: Bill Aldridge mobetah@bellsouth.net
Hello Guys,
I assume that your deck has nonskid molded in like my Endeavour 40. If so I'll tell you what we did.....We did use intelux "Brightside"...actually we did not pait the area outside the nonskid....we used masking tape to mask off that area and only painted the nonskid...with "Brightside" bristol beige. A couple of coats and it looks like new...it will need some touchup in three or four years but nothing major. Good Luck
Date: September 12, 2000
From: Ed Phillips EPhil49932@aol.com
Hi There;
I just painted the deck on my Endvr 37 last week. I used "Pettit Topside Paint". The color was "light sand", and I used it to do the non skid surfaces. I added sand to the paint (stirring often) because the non skid was getting a bit worn. The paint was put on with a medium roller, and it came out very well. "Interlux" paints are good too, I have used it below decks with good results. It would be my guess that the "Interlux" will have a particular designation for "Topsides" as well. Good luck,
Date: September 12, 2000
From: Tom Gilbert TGil95746@aol.com
Paint the Deck !! ??? My gel-coat man and glas specialist advised me that in order to have anything stick permantly, we would have to sand the 'nonskid' surfaces down and begin again. That wasn't what I was wanting to do, so I went out sailing, instead. He advised against any kind of'wipe down' and paint application of any kind, since 90% of any job is the preparation, and he's 100% right. Sorry to be the bearer of this news. Tom
Date: September 20, 2000
From: Ed Blithe BLITHE@Sensormatic.com
Steph and Kitta,
When we repainted Invicta, 32' we used two part Sterling. However we did repaint the interior with Interlux and the hull strip was painted with Interlux both are holding up well. The deck was brush painted and the hull sprayed. I currently use Interlux to touchup any nicks in the Sterling and it appears to be similar in wear and texture. Good Sailing.
Date: September 12, 2000
From: Pete Doddato lapdog@olsusa.com
Hi,
I have some experience at this as I painted the portion of my deck that is not non skid....coachroof, cockpit etc. I used the Interlux Interthane. It is a two part paint.....you mix it like epoxy. It is the most durable. You could also use Brightsides which is a one part paint but is not as tough or sun resistant as the Interthane. (probably ok up north tho) I live in Florida so that was an important consideration. I have been told by others that Brightsides will look good for 2 to 4 years and Interthane 6 to 8 years.
Proper prep and application is very important for a lasting job and one pleasing to the eye. I had removed most of the hardware from the portion I painted. (not sure if I would do this with the nonskid areas) I repaired nicks and cracks with a putty made with West System epoxy. There are many things on the market for this job that may be easier to use. I lightly sanded the surface and thoroughly washed and scrubbed the deck and rinsed it thoroughly. Just before painting I wiped it down with the recommended solvent from Interthane. I used very fine foam rubber rollers (recommended my Interthane) It is important to keep a wet edge going at all times because you can't go back over areas that have started to cure as it will leave marks in the finish. It is best for two people to work together. Have a plan on where you are going so you can keep the wet edge going placing areas where you must break in areas that can't be seen from the same angle, like along the edge of the coach roof etc. One person roll while the other uses a brush to tip the rolled area to remove the very small bubbles left behind by the roller. The paint stays workable for quite along time but don't mix too much or it will set up and is wasted. Start with maybe a pint or so for an area like what I did. Put on two coats minimum, three is better. You will have to add a deglossing agent to the paint or it will be so glossy it will blind you. You buy that at the same place you get the paint. If you use the Interthane you must be sure to do the job when there is no chance of rain and the humidy is low. Prevent dew from settling on the surface if you can because if this stuff gets wet before it cures it will be as flat as flat can be.....very dull. Between coats I sanded very lightly with a very fine sand paper and wiped it down with solvent again.
You can get lots of information from Interlux by calling the 800 number on the can. I plan to do my nonskid this winter. Good luck with the project....hope this has helped.
Date: May 26, 2001
From: Frank & Donna Boensch FDBASSOCIATES@compuserve.com
We have an e-40 and I painted the non-skid on the boat. Based on the write up in Pracitcal Sailor, I used the Petit Easypoxy light grey with the particulate mixed in to give it a flat look. It has worked well for us. It has lasted about 5 years and is going strong. I used a roller and had no problems. I followed the directions to the letter. The only down side is that it took two coats, but I attribute this to the non-skid.
