In praise of McKees 37...

[Renae]

I've spent the last couple of nice days going after the gelcoat on my deck, having been dissuaded from painting it.  It took about 10 years off my 17 year old boat.  Big scratches are still obvious, but otherwise the dullness/white sheen of the gelcoat is gone, and it's medium shiny at this point.  My process:

1.  All teak off (except thin vanity line on cabin and the gallows, which is occupied by mast/boom)
2.  Vacuum
3.  Wash
4.  Cutting compound
5.  Polish
6.  Shine coat
7.  Wax

The bottom four are available alone or as a kit with various polishers on Amazon.  I'm tired as heck, but I think it really worked out.  I polished the painted topsides too, and while the cutting compound did lift a little paint, it looks overall much more even, clean and glossy.  Now to put it all back together.

My plan for now is butyl tape for everything that is through bolted and 5200 for the stuff that is screwed in.  Is that how you would proceed?  I know you're not really supposed to turn a bolt once the butyl tape is wrapped on, so using 5200 makes more sense to me for the screws. 

Honestly, I could have sailed today, so despite forecasts dipping below freezing at night, I'm eager to finish up.  Let the games begin!

(added)

Oh, and I sold the Tohatsu today...all electric from here on out!

[wes]

Agree with your plan for bedding your hardware, except I'd recommend 4200 rather than 5200 for anything you think you or a future owner might need to remove and rebed down the line. 5200 adheres so tightly that it's a challenge to remove - it's really intended for truly permanent connections such as the hull to deck joint.

If you do use 5200, get the fast cure version. The standard stuff takes a week to cure and in the meantime tends to drip out of the joint. A mess.

Wes

[Reighnman]

Always satisfying to make a boat shine again.

[Renae]

Agree with your plan for bedding your hardware, except I'd recommend 4200 rather than 5200 for anything you think you or a future owner might need to remove and rebed down the line. 5200 adheres so tightly that it's a challenge to remove - it's really intended for truly permanent connections such as the hull to deck joint.

If you do use 5200, get the fast cure version. The standard stuff takes a week to cure and in the meantime tends to drip out of the joint. A mess.

Wes

I just found an unopened tube of 4000 UV in my boat box (stored indoors).  I'm going to use that on the screws and I bought a fresh roll of butyl tape last week for the bolts.  The PO had left a roll of BT in a seat locker, but it ended up making it's way to the bilge.  It would probably still work, but it looked a bit gritty and I'm starting fresh.

[Bob23]

Are you using white butyl tape?

[Renae]

It's sort of off gray.  I'm not really concerned, as I usually trim off any excess pretty closely.

[Bob23]

I made the mistake of using black, thinking it wouldn't ooze out in the heat. I was wrong. The whiter the better.

[Renae]

I made the mistake of using black, thinking it wouldn't ooze out in the heat. I was wrong. The whiter the better.

My boat sleeps inside.  Personally, I think white would call more attention to itself against the would than the grayish stuff I have.  If they made butyl tape in a color named "random wood pretending to be teak slathered in Cetol Marine Light", that would be my go to.

[bruce]

If you really want to, color matching butyl tape is easy with dry artist pigments. I did a test on a piece of finished Narra, using burnt umber, French ochre, and a just a touch of black for contrast in the swirls. Use a light-colored tape.

On the left, I kneaded pigments into the compound. On the right I just went with the tape and brushed and pounced pigments on the surface after mounting the plate. Too much color and just clean it away with a nonpolar solvent like naphtha or mineral spirits, let the solvent evaporate, and try again. I didn't bother trimming the excess tape, so you could see it better. If the tape ever gets too dirty in use, the nonpolar solvent will clean that nicely as well.