Okay, so I have a 1969 or 1968 Widgeon and I've been attempting to restore it. I am having difficulties removing the paint. Currently I am using a random orbit sander and 40 grit paper. Is there anything I could use to make the paint removal easier? Also I see a lot of different recommendations on which paint to use but most of those are in water months at a time. Mine is a small 12' day sailer and will be staying in my garage when not in use. So what paint should I use? And how should I go about fixing the wood on the back?
Restoring a Widgeon
- Thread starter Tyler R
- Start date
I sailed a widgeon as a kid.... The deck and outer hull are gelcoat, not paint, and you really shouldn't remove it and expose the glass to water. If the outer surfaces have been repainted at some point, there are a number of commercial strippers that should work. The inside of the hull was painted and the 40 grit should remove loose paint and you can use one of the interior hull/bilge paints made by petit or interlux.
If the transom wood is clean and dry, with no rot, I'd use a penetrating epoxy and paint on several coats until the wood stops absorbing it. You could add strength by adding a layer of glass. If there are rotted areas, dig out the damaged wood, apply the penetrating epoxy, fill the damaged areas with epoxy putty, and glass over.
If the transom wood is clean and dry, with no rot, I'd use a penetrating epoxy and paint on several coats until the wood stops absorbing it. You could add strength by adding a layer of glass. If there are rotted areas, dig out the damaged wood, apply the penetrating epoxy, fill the damaged areas with epoxy putty, and glass over.
So I should just sand off the peeling paint? If I did that and then repainted wouldnt that just make an uneven finish? I was just stripping the paint off down to what I thought was the gel coat.
I would suggest using a single part epoxy for the exterior hull. I'm most familiar with Interlux Brightside, but I've heard good things about Pettit Easypoxy. For a great finish, strictly follow the manufacturers' instructions for surface prep, primers, thinners and solvents.
The best way to apply this type of paint is with the "roll and tip" method.
For the interior, go with the less expensive enamels
I painted my Nacra 5.2 last year with Brightside... I'm very pleased.
I saved quite a bit by shopping around on line.. if you PM me I will tell you where I got the best deal....
You will learn a lot about Interlux Brightide through Google or the paint company itself: www.yachtpaint.com
There are many instructional videos on this type of paint and painting methods. Just use the keywords "Brightside application video" or "roll and tip" or "painting a small boat" etc....
Before you do anything, you must decide what type of paint you're going to use.... study the preparation and application instructions.... then develop your plan.
Do not strip off the Gel Coat down to bare fiberglass.... DO NOT. Choose your paint and read the instructions..... then.... you can do some sanding.. But remember your goal will be to create an even surface for the paint. If you're having trouble getting the existing paint off... then leave it.... it ain't coming off... you can fill in the scratches with filler, sand it smooth, a few layers of primer, then 2 to 3 layers of the topcoat.... per instructions, sand between each layer EXCEPT the final coat...
These paints will level out and dry to a hard glossy finish... you'll be really proud of how your boat will look....
There isn't any bare fiberglass I know that would be bad. Lol Also my dagger board is a lever rather than the ropes of the later widgets and the dagger board itself is stuck inside the trunk. The lever works just fine but I've got to use a rod to be able to pull the dagger board out. It looks like it's being wedged. It almost looks like a previous repair in the trunk is making it stick. Is there anything I could do to fix it?