MarkBano's Dyne - Priming

What is the update Mark?

 

Greg:

The news is so-so. The boat is repainted all except for the non-skid areas on top the deck and the transom and splash well. Unfortunately, when the non-skid areas were lightly sandblasted to prepare them for paint, small pin-holes showed up in the gel coat, which is a problem that we have had on other areas of the deck as well. In the other areas, a polyester resin-based primer was used to fill the holes but on the non-ski we can't use that primer, as it will also fill in the pattern on the non-skid surface. Thus, we need to decide whether we can repair the non-skid surface through larger areas of gel-coat mold casting or whether it is just not worth it, in which case we would sand off all of the non-ski and simply apply a commercially available step pad on the gunwales in the area where people board. My painter is sending me some pictures today, so we can discuss and decide. I will probably go eyeball it tomorrow, as well.

It never ends....

 

This is my vote. Sounds like this will just keep rearing it's ugle head down the road. You want it to be perfect, so I don't think sufficing for the paint to fill in the webbing would make you happy. You need to go see Bob's boat. The sidewalls have this "texture" instead of the webbing like the originals. It is only different because it is not painted on, it is part of the fiberglass. I think you would like the result. I do not think I have any photos on file, but maybe Bob can submit a close up photo for you.

Greg

 

Mark,

My boat had issues like that and they painted it with the pattern still showing. I'm no paint expert and the guy is no longer in business, but it turned out nice. I am inclined to believe that the primer covered it.

I asked them to not smooth the areas on the deck where you could see the fiberglass cloth pattern showing and they did that too. That area had some pinholes as well. I think some of the early Dynes had the cloth pattern showing just like the first year Vettes did. I did not want that removed and they did not.

jim

 

I spent a long time talking to my fiberglass/paint guy today. Attached are two not-so-good pictures which depict the problem. Basically, it is pin holes and pitting. The problem is only really on the two rear decks. After years of waterskis sliding across the rear decks, the gel coat is just worn to the point that prepping it for paint has opened up these pin holes.

Ultimately, our plan is that he is going to use a filler which will be brushed back off before it totally hardens, which should leave (hopefully) just the pitting filled, and not the non-skid. Then we'll see how it looks from there.

My inclination, which I communicated to the paint guy, is to just paint over the non-skid as it is if we can't fix the pin holes -- as Jim is suggesting. While I have no doubt that I could do something along the lines Greg did on his boat, and it would look good, the fact is that sanding off my entire non skid would be a big job, and might be hard to do without creating waves in the gel coat and/or further gel coat problems. The gel coat is so thin on this deck that we don't really want to any sanding that we don't need to do.

I have to keep reminding my paint guy that these boats were utilitarian to the core, and were never "fit and finish" boats. What made them great is the sturdy construction, the design of the hull, and the long heritage as America's tournament ski boat. They were never high-polish, fancy pants boats. It is one thing to make a new one out of the mold and make it better, which makes perfect sense if you are building a new boat. On the other hand, it doesn't make sense to try to make the finish on my 34 year old boat nicer than it was when it was new. It ain't going to happen. I just want the &%#*&$% thing back. I must have told this fellow 10 times that it will have scratches on it in the first 30 minutes after it arrives at my house because my boys will be in and out of it about 100 times in the first 30 minutes. Which is fine with me. I'm not showing it - I'm using it.

I'll keep you advised of the progress, as always. Everything is painted except for the back of the hull, the inside of the splash well, and the non-ski/gunwales. My paint guy has been sick, and he sounds sick on the phone, so that has slowed things down just a bit, too.

 

Mark,

Mine was not that bad. It had only "pin" holes.

jim

 

Well, these pictures make it look alot worse than it is because of the color differential. The fact is, if you painted this surface you really wouldn't notice this stuff much.

Now, if I could just get him to paint over it and be done with it, I might get the boat in the water this year.

 

I think you need to just stay on him like you have been. The boat will be nice and a lot of fun.

jim