Blue Kiwi Grip- Wayward Star Refurb

ilance

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May 19, 2017
43
Catalina 22 Medford, Or
I'm getting my paint and epoxy orders in. You folks who were recommending Jamestown Distributors were right: nice website, cool selection, better prices than my "west coast" alternative........

I got one of their 5:1 epoxy kits to try, some G10 backing boards, a chunk of Starboard to play around with, and misc goops and powders. All for about what I WAS gonna get a West System quart kit for! Can't wait to see what sanding nightmares I can concoct with it!

Part of my first order came in, though: blue Kiwi Grip! I couldn't wait to play with it. This is WAY thinner than the recommended application, obviously.....I just dabbed it on with my finger. The purpose of sharing, though, is to show how close it is to the OEM blue nonskid color. I've sanded a couple of spots to see what "NEW" looked like......and it was a very close color match. In my little swatch, you can see that it's too thin and showing through......but this was an experiment to see how it worked. Applied correctly, it looks like it's going to refresh the look considerably!
IMG_0768.JPG
 
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Joe

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Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
Don't mean to spoil your excitement... but if you just want to "refresh" your existing non skid, a simple non skid paint is much cheaper and easier to apply. Kiwi grip is more like a complete transformational product... using the provided texture roller to create the non slip surface. Practice on a piece of plywood, per the instructions, to see what I mean. There are many YouTube video tutorials.

I am currently revitalizing my old blue non skid with Kiwi Grip..... it totally fills and covers the bazillion fractures in the old surface....but it is easy to try to apply too much at a time... and this leads to a very aggressive surface... a notched spreader... 1/8 to 1/4 inch will help with consistent thickness. If you want a non aggressive texture... go with 1/8".

For those of you who are shopping, I purchased a gallon of Kiwi grip from Hodges Marine (online) for $119.00 and paid another $5 for a delivery upgrade. Minney's Yacht Surplus....has limited supply on the shelf, I only saw the quart sizes in stock, but it was only $39.99.

Finally, you can tint the kiwi grip to any color you want... by taking it to a local paint store with a sample to match..
 
Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
it is extremely hard to tint kiwigrip anymore. I checked a dozen paint and hardware stores of different brands and in different locations and was refused every time. They all went to digital color matching which requires a known base 'color'. If you cannot enter the base formula, the computer cannot do anything. I tried repeatedly to get a 'base color' from kiwi to use and they refused to help. The old style rotary tint setups with the push handle to squeeze out some tint has been replaced due to EPA rules. If you can find one of those old style paint tinting setups you can match but they are virtually all gone.

If someone has the tint base 'color' for the white kiwigrip, I would like to know it.
 

dzl

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Jun 23, 2016
159
Catalina 22 Trailer
Please share once you have applied some of the Kiwi grip. I'm particularly interested in close up pics. I can't seem to find any online that show the texture that results... I just applied Totaltread from Jamestown to my cockpit floor and I'm happy with it, it's a little difficult to get the media applied evenly, but it is not too aggressive and seems adequate. I'd like something a little more textured for the decks though...
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
I just finished installing kiwi grip on my 33' deck. Following the instructions is critical. For my boat I used 1.75 gallons. It is important to apply a uniform thickness. I used a west system 1/8" sawtooth notched spreader to apply, followed by the special texture roller. If the deck is too hot the kiwi grip will set up immediately before you can roll it. This happened to me on one 85F day. I had to scrape it off and wait for a cooler day to reapply. If you are unhappy with a particular section that you did you can scrape it off (dry or wet) and do it over. You will not be able to detect the repair as it blends in perfectly. Plan on spending most of your time applying masking tape. The suggestion in the instructions to use two people, one to paint and texture and the other to immediately remove masking tape as you proceed is a good one. I worked alone but could have used the second person.IMG_0240.JPGIMG_0240.JPGIMG_0241.JPG
 
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Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Please share once you have applied some of the Kiwi grip. I'm particularly interested in close up pics. I can't seem to find any online that show the texture that results... I just applied Totaltread from Jamestown to my cockpit floor and I'm happy with it, it's a little difficult to get the media applied evenly, but it is not too aggressive and seems adequate. I'd like something a little more textured for the decks though...
This is my cockpit floor. In hindsight, I wish I had gone just a little more aggressive with it:

 

ilance

.
May 19, 2017
43
Catalina 22 Medford, Or
Gene: I REALLY like the look you got! Super nice!

My intent is to cover what's left of my nonskid. My "free" boat come with a TON of free holes.....I'll be plugging a lot prior. My existing deck is also in really bad shape.....so I'm hoping for a good cover. 1/8" it is!
 
Sep 30, 2013
3,538
1988 Catalina 22 North Florida
Thanks ilance! You'll like Kiwi Grip, it's easy to work with.

BTW ... the instructions suggest practicing on a piece of scrap plywood or cardboard before proceeding to your boat. I did not do this (I was afraid I might not have enough material to spare), but I would recommend it to help insure you get the precise texture you're looking for, as well as a uniform job. I would be a little happier with my texture if I had practiced first.

Good luck, have fun, and post pics!
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
I had excellent results with Kiwi Grip as well. I got a nice texture (moderately aggressive) and it still feels comfortable under bare feet, it has a rubbery feel that has some 'give' while still giving great wet traction. One gallon is just the right amount for a C-22, all decks, cabin top/pop top, and cockpit. Yup, you will tape lots and lots of tape, tape, tape.
- I recommend sanding the old non-skid down with 60 grit on a 5 inch orbital (yes, I said 60 grit). It does not have to be perfectly flat, don't worry about taking all gelcoat off by any means. The old non-skid is aggressive enough to show through Kiwi-Grip so a good once over with 60 grit will knock it down enough to be sure that doesn't happen. The sanding cleans it up good and then wipe it down well with acetone.
- DO NOT Kiwi Grip under deck hardware or winches. Tape these areas off. If the area had non-skid before sand it as smooth as possible and then paint it gloss white or whatever you like. If it was a smooth gelocat area before leave it that way, just take the time to wet sand and buff the gelcoat back to its original luster before you roll the non-skid. Clean it well with acetone but save the wax until after you roll the non-skid.
- Take the time to over-drill and epoxy fill all deck hardware holes. This should be part of you prep-work. Don't re-drill the hole until later, just mark the center with a punch or a shallow hit with a pilot bit.
- Tape, tape, tape... but leave yourself easy tabs or dog-ears to grab and pull up the tape. Also use cheap masking paper to cover EVERYTHING... Even when you go slow with the textured roller you can still sling a few small drops of the yogurt in far off places. Those wayward blobs will still stick like the dickens to over surfaces (even non-prepped) and be a bear to clean off after cured. When it doubt, cover it up well.
- Can't emphasize enough how much a second pair of hands helps to pull tape while you roll. Also, as mentioned above, be mindful of temperature, hot days are bad for rolling non-skid outdoors.
 

ilance

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May 19, 2017
43
Catalina 22 Medford, Or
Guess isn't better order more! I only have a quart!

Better to know now. Thanks for the advice guys!
 

RoyS

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Jun 3, 2012
1,739
Hunter 33 Steamboat Wharf, Hull, MA
I used the 1/8" sawtooth spreader from west system. Be careful as there are 1/8" notched spreaders out there also that will apply a different amount of material. I was happy with the sawtooth design. Also, when I was half done I had to purchase a new spreader as the first one had worn out with all of the teeth rounded off. This product will cover a lot of surface imperfections such as gelcoat cracks. Good luck.
 
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JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,039
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
So when you paint a boat do you need to sand the entire non-skid completely off? Also is it better to paint the non-skid areas first or the glossy areas first?
 
May 8, 2011
189
ODay 25 Cambridge
Paint the non non-skid first with no need to mask off the non-skid. The non-skid area does not need to be sanded but it needs to be oil and grease, so it there is a chance of petro on the non-skid use a degreaser. Scrub the non-skid clean with a scotch rite pad and soap and water before taping.
 
Nov 26, 2008
1,966
Endeavour 42 Cruisin
You will get better adhesion with light sanding. I had a few spots peel after degreasing and scrubbing with scotchbrite pad.
 

JRT

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Feb 14, 2017
2,039
Catalina 310 211 Lake Guntersville, AL
Thanks, mostly I'm looking to learn and absorb for future fall/winter projects. We have to see how first year of boat ownership goes and if we keep our O'Day 25 or sell and move up. The admiral has already indicated larger might be nice for the family that seems to want to sail with us now...
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
So when you paint a boat do you need to sand the entire non-skid completely off? Also is it better to paint the non-skid areas first or the glossy areas first?
Not completely off... totally not necessary. Just flatten it some with 60 grit. Kiwi Grip is very thick BUT the non-skid pattern in the original gelcoat is just aggressive enough to show through. Taking down the old gelcoat 'mostly flat' will ensure that it does not show through.
 
Sep 8, 2014
2,551
Catalina 22 Swing Keel San Diego
Paint the non non-skid first with no need to mask off the non-skid. The non-skid area does not need to be sanded but it needs to be oil and grease, so it there is a chance of petro on the non-skid use a degreaser. Scrub the non-skid clean with a scotch rite pad and soap and water before taping.
I agree but I also disagree... It all depends on what type of paints you are using and what your strategy is. If we are talking about doing ALL paint with no concern about restoring gelcoat that is too far gone to save (which is what I did), I sanded everything down all at once including the non-skid. I primed the areas where it was gloss white with white primer first, not really taping much at all, just using a straight edge paint guide and hand brushing curves. Then I taped off the non skid areas and primed them with a grey tinted primer. Sanded all with 220 grit to smooth the primer, then taped off all the nonskid again and did gloss white on all deck and cabin. If I was spraying I probably wouldn't have taped anything off, just did the whole thing in white primer then gloss white, but you have to be careful not to 'loose' your non-skid area reference lines. Believe it or not Kiwi Grip will stick tenaciously to even glossy paint (don't ask me how I know this), but to be fair I would still lightly hand sand the gloss off with 120 grit before rolling Kiwi Grip.
 
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