Painting the dinghy

[James]

Not a question about my O'Day but rather a question about the dinghy I use to get to my O'Day 23 when it is flaoting on my mooring. Thanks in advance for recomendations and suggestions ....This year I am doing some repairs on my 8 ft fibreglass dinghy which includes some fibreglassing. The dinghy does not stay in the water so does not have any bottom paint - the hull is a flat white.Once I have finished all the repairs I am thinking about painting the hull - I do not want to make the dinghy look too attractive to "land pirates" since it is stored in the open - chained to a tree near the dock. I've never does this kind of repair before so what paint can you suggest for the outside of the hull.ThanksJames

 

[John Dawson]

One part polyurethane

Interlux has an improved version of the Brightside paint which I think is called something like 'Perfection', using the same roll-and-tip method for topside paints. Any one part polyurethane topside paint would be fine; Perfection, Brightside, Pettit or WM Seagloss.

 

[Steve]

Seagloss

I used the WM Seagloss for my old beater dinghy and it turned out great. The PO had done some very poor fiberglass repair and I didn't bother improving it much. But after I painted it with the inexpensive ($24/p) Seagloss I wished I had. If your dinghy looks to nice, it may be swiped, eh? This will make her shine. I used off white.

 

[James]

Steve - Isn't that the way

Steve - Isn't that the way - You start of just doing a little something and then - when it turns out better than you'd imagined wish you had taken more time to do a better job? The dinghy looks great.I am still undecided on painting the dinghy this year since I will be moving from Fairhaven to a new mooring in Bullocks Cove on Narrangansett Bay and will leave the dinghy in an unsecured location - a tree near the public dock. Will wait until I am in the water and have some more experience with the area.Thank you Steve and John for your input and suggestions.James

 

[Bob B.]

Speaking of dingies,

does anyone know how to repair a hole in a "plastic" dingy? I have a double hull plastic that has been used among other things to haul stuff down to the beach by dragging. Of course the bottom wore thin & has a hole. This material is quite flexible compared to fiberglass. I thought that I might fill the space betweeen the hulls with Great Stuff (expanding foam). I could then patch the hole but don't know what adhesive might stick to the plastic. All help appreciated.Regards, Bob B.

 

[Steve]

Whaler

Bob....Whaler has the foam between the layers of their fiberglass..like you are planing on. No idea on what will stick to it. ?? Maybe some type of epoxy. Check out the West Epoxies.James....sounds like a good summer for the boat. I took my first official sailing lessons on Narrangansett Bay a few years back. What a great place to sail!