Mermaid

[Ted]

I feel a bit sheepish about posting after being silent for so long... life, you know. But I am back in the saddle.

Anyway, Mermaid, my 19 footer, came to me with a pretty poor looking topside. The gel coat is thread bare - rubbed through in a couple places actually, and I am despairing about painting her. I don't want to, but I think I have no choice at this point. Since I am going to paint I want to make sure that I fix a number of other problems as well.

My current plan is to do a bunch of stuff at once:

1.  Remove the engine mount, reinforce with plastic panels/large washers inside and out (the current situation is not good - surprised me that there were zero backing plates and only small washers - one of which was pulling through).
2.  Fix about a dozen screw holes back on the transom lip. The previous owner installed a wonderful traveler along the hatch entryway, making the transom mounted system unnecessary. I will pull the hardware, and fix the screw holes.
3.  Re-fiberglass the area where the old radio was mounted - replace the gauges for depth and speed, install a locking glove box, moving the radio into this sealable glove box, and repair extra screw holes previous owners had made over the years in this area.
4.  Remove and repair places where previous owner had installed unnecessary cleats and other bits of hardware.
5.  Fix a number of spidering problems around stanchions.
6.  Fix some cracks around the area topside where the cabin raises off the deck.
7.  Replace the antennae connector on deck (current one was not made for a marine application and its not water sealed).
8.  Repaint the non-skid areas.
9.  Prime and then paint the deck.
10.  Fix some gashes in the hull - nothing serious, but nothing to be ignored.
11. Prime and paint the topsides.
12.  Replace the mast mounted antennae (current one is old and I don't think works) and run a new antenna wire inside the mast.

My immediate question for you Compaconauts is this: how much paint is needed for the deck and topside paint job. This stuff is like liquid gold and I don't want to buy more than I need. I looked at a couple of online paint estimators and and currently thinking that a gallon of primer and a gallon of paint should suffice.

Lots of answer about how much bottom paint is needed but I couldn't find anything about the deck/topsides.

Thoughts??

If this question needs to move to the DIY section, let me know, but I guess it's a 19-specific question.

[wes]

Ted - the answer will depend on type of paint, number of coats and whether you spray or roll/tip. I sprayed my 19 with Interlux Perfection, and used about 2-3 quarts each for the topsides and deck, and about 5 quarts of primer (Interlux Epoxy Prime Kote) total. I'm a very meticulous guy, and used two coats of primer and three coats of Perfection, plus the recommended thinners. I found the Interlux videos and painting guides very helpful.

If you order from Defender (or, God forbid, buy from a Worst Marine store) you can return unopened cans. If I were you I'd buy quarts and return what I didn't need.

Wes

[Ted]

Wes,

Thanks, that's good advice. I only go to West when I can't get the part elsewhere or just after winning a lottery.

I am going roll/brush mine. I don't have a good spot to do a spray job right so rolling seems a bit more in reach. I was thinking Interlux, but Jamestown seems to be pushing the TotalBoat Wet Edge Topside Paint and it is a little bit cheaper. I think Jamestown will restock as well.

[MacGyver]

Wes is spot on really. His boat and mine are the only 2 19s I know that were done completely, and similarly.

I picked Platinum Perfection and rolled my entire boat using that as a main color for the topsides, and then a accent for the deck. I used supplies from menards, and didnt care what it took to make a nice job. In this link, you can see pictures of the boat in its completed state, be sure to go through all the pages as a change or 2 occurred after the initial posting, but all the pictures there will give you a idea of how it all turned out.
http://cpyoa.geekworkshosting.com/forum/index.php?topic=6865.0

It was a lot of work, and I say this having to do it for a living.

I picked up like 4 quarts of platinum. maybe 5. I also bought 3 of the white color (Mediterranean white.... I think) and used a blue from the brightsides line up to do the side stripe.

I love how the job has turned out, as well as many others that have seen it in person. It turns heads, and no one can beleive I rolled the entire boat.

I also used 1 gallon of Epoxy Primekote, and a thinner. And I also used some of Interlux 2000 on the deck in addition to the primekote.

I too used perfections thinner (I think it is 2333) but dont need anymore that a quart of that.
You will have material left over with my figures, which I will use to fix damages, which I have had to do on the combing due to my wife pulling the lines without a care  over the edges..... I am a picky picky picky man...... I drive my wife nuts with my obsessions.

As far as the bottom goes, A gallon of paint is the most cost effective way to purchase paint. some paint types you will use a half gallon, some you will use a full gallon (like Micron CSC) and if you decide to barrier coat it, I recommend 2 gallons of 2000.

The roller covers I used were like foam tampons (sorry ladies..... just what they look like!) and I used a ton of them. One will coat about a third of the boat when doing the topsides, before it becomes a liability, and breaking down on you. I consider them to be a item I need so I didnt care how much I spent on them, or when I switched them out. I also bought a number of paint trays and such so I wouldnt get stuck mid job. anything extra I bought I returned, but that wasnt much as I was more concerned about a nice end project than what I was spending to accomplish it, so basically I didnt try to save a penny.

I would say after having done it, I would do it again, but give myself more time to make it a happier project. My tight deadline really had me stressed. But the boat cleans up so much nicer... and looks so great, that I smile everytime we get on it.

We decided to keep it due to job restrictions, and now, due to current circumstances, I am really glad we did, and really glad all the work is done on it now.

Mac

[MacGyver]

As far as Total boat supplies goes, amongst industry guys like myself, it is not totally proved itself yet. and some of the talk isnt good.

Buy what you like, but I do suggest out of all the products on the market, you give a sincere look at Interluxes product Perfection.

Mac

[Ted]

I did use Interlux when I did my bottom paint last year and it was great. Setup a little faster than I wanted but it was a bit warm for the job on the day I did it.

Are those lazy jacks on a 19? Whoooo... fancy schmancy!

I also like the little touch of wood around the compass. Your compass reminds me that mine looks a little foggy - I might need to buff it out as a part of this makeover.

Mac, I have looked at the pics of your boat a number of times. You removed all of the deck hardware, if I am not mistaken. I am not sure I have the time and fortitude to do that. I will be replacing the sliding rails, hatchway rails and eyebrows. The previous owner had done them up in all white plasteak. I have to say that maintenance has been zero on them but they are now breaking off in parts and getting brittle. The "white on white" is kind of ugly and I haven't decided to go back to teak (and refinishing them every year) or stick with the ugly (but practical) approach.

You flop that bimini forward - I stow mine back toward the rail, just ahead of the rear stay. Beautiful boat.

I have old standard horizon dials on my boat that worked but looked like heck and were hard to see due to aging. I just found new head replacements for them - they are old technology but speed and depth are all I need and I don't have to worry about replacing the elements in the hull.

[deisher6]

Hey Ted:
I have admired and sailed with Wes on his C-19 and it is a great looking sailboat.  It both is and looks better than new because of the quality of finish and the gear set up. 

Wes is being very modest when he claims to be meticulous.

Although I greatly admire craftsmanship and diligence, I am more of fix what it takes to go sailing and work on the other stuff along the way.

regards charlie

[Ted]

Charlie, I am probably more like you than Wes - I want to be meticulous but I want to get the job done and be out on the water even more.

Just got back from a two hour boat inspection, hardware removal and supply making list. I am going to have to fill about sixteen screw holes. A PO really like to screw stuff into the deck, like small chocks and whatnot. I also don't need the traveler gear on the transom so that is coming off, leaving some screw holes.

I am mulling over what to do about the radio hole. The boat came with a non-working radio that left a big hole just port-side of the hatch. I am thinking about putting in a glove box and installing a replacement radio inside that glove box. That means making the hole bigger, which I am not excited about doing. Alternately, I could just patch the hole and put the radio inside. The new radio is smaller and it has a microphone which I don't want exposed.



Does anybody know why these were setup like this? I really haven't used the "loop car" or the moveable cleat. I am guessing they are used with the spinnaker. I keep the boat on a pretty small lake so the spinnaker doesn't get that much use.



FYI, that dirty area in front of the track is where I removed the bimini track in preparation for cleanup and painting.

[deisher6]

Hey Ted:
I am soon to replace the original knot/log and depth finder that are mounted on the bulkhead to the right of the companionway on our C-27.  The new instruments have smaller mounting holes...so I was going to use a piece of Starboard to cover the holes and mount the new instruments.  I thought about teak, but Starboard will not require any finishing.

There are benefits to having the radio available in the cockpit.

regards charlie

[Bob23]

Charlie:
   You're right about radio accessibility in the cockpit, something I gave no thought to when I installed an Icom in the cabin of my CP 23. However they make the CommandMike which is a remote mike and also allows me to control the entire radio from that mike, which I installed in an alcove I built from scrape PVC board. The alcove, which is cut into the side wall of the cockpit, also houses a red LED light which lights up the entire cockpit and has it's own switch located inside the alcove. The body of the alcove is watertight should the cockpit become flooded.  A small sliding door made from translucent fiberglass is installed in small grooves in the PVC board edge. It's worked great.
   I found out about my original radio handicap when I tried to stretch myself between the tiller and radio in the cabin. Had my arms been 6 feet long, it wouldn't have been a problem!
Bob23

[Ted]

Here is a progress report...

Motor mount upgrade

From this:



To this:



Here is an inside shot (there was virtually no backing before - just some washers):



Prep

The rest of the time was devoted to painting prep. Fixed about a dozen sets of holes like these:

[Ted]

Forgot I had started this thread... Most things on the list are DONE! I will post some pics of a couple of the items.

The PO of my boat had put on plasteak companionway hatch rails, hatch rails, eyebrows and handrails. They are getting brittle - I just broke off an eight inch section on the trip back home yesterday from one of the companionway hatch rails. I actually don't know how it happened: it was there when we left and missing when we came home with the boat. A few other pieces have broken off as well.

I live in Florida and the boat stays in the water most of the time so plasteak has been great. I would like to replace them all with the same material. Teak is too much work for me - my last boat (a 16) was teak and had to remove them about twice a year to maintain them well. I want to find a source for the wood colored plasteak or trex. Anybody done this and have any advice for me? I have though about cutting my own but I no great worker of wood.

If anybody has created the ordering "spec" for these, it would be great to get a copy!!

THANKS!!

[Ted]

So I decided to replace the cracking plasteak with a product called Azek. It's definitely softer than the plasteak but it's supposed to have a long life. Let's hope that is true.

I bought two boards 12 feet x 6 inches x 1 inch - way too much. The stuff isn't cheap! However, it's really easy to work with. The "top" will have a faux wood grain and the sides will be brown. I know, I know.... it's not teak and some of you would never put this on your boat, but I live in FL and hate pulling the wood to refinish it every year.



These are the campanionway rails. They took about an hour to do. The key was the router bit that made the nice edge.

[Bob23]

Ted:
   I work with Azek all the time. The cuts expose the porus interior. Wipe all the cuts down with Acetone and that'll kind of seal the cuts. 2 wipes works great. Otherwise, it will get dirty and even moldy.
Bob23

[Ted]

Just cut out the handrails tonight. Will try out the acetone trick tomorrow and hopefully mount them on the boat.