Does anybody know what the deal is with the two-tone deck paint job on our boats? Was the colored area originally painted with non-skid paint? Or was is just meant as a design thing?
Two-toned decks
- Thread starter jfrench
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Interesting question. We had a C22 for a few years, a C25 for 12 and our current C34 for the past 13 years. All of ours had camel colored nonskid, which is built into the decks when the hull is made, not painted on. The Mark II boats are all gray nonskid. The “deal” was to differentiate boats as well as to note where the nonskid is, since the spaces in between with no color are “slippery.” The original 1985 C34 price sheet had three options: no deck color, camel or gray. I’ve seen ONLY one white C34, and it looks, well, funny. Given that choice, it was a “design thing” but a good idea for knowing where to put your feet when going forward! 
So is the non-skid quality imparted by the diamond pattern molded into the deck?
The reason I ask is that time has degraded the gelcoat surface of my deck and it has an open, chaulk-like surface that readily accepts staining and mold growth. I'd like to apply a top quality paint with hard gloss finish, but I don't want to then find out it's too slick to walk on. Most non-skid additives I've seen leave a sandpaper-like finish that has the same dirt-grabbing problems I'm trying to fix.
If I can use a gloss or matte paint and still have non-skid because of the molded diamond pattern, that would be the best of both worlds.
The reason I ask is that time has degraded the gelcoat surface of my deck and it has an open, chaulk-like surface that readily accepts staining and mold growth. I'd like to apply a top quality paint with hard gloss finish, but I don't want to then find out it's too slick to walk on. Most non-skid additives I've seen leave a sandpaper-like finish that has the same dirt-grabbing problems I'm trying to fix.
If I can use a gloss or matte paint and still have non-skid because of the molded diamond pattern, that would be the best of both worlds.
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oldstyle restore
Most that are restoring the old style boats sand the deck flat as it's next to impossible to do anything with the molded non skid. It's becoming increasingly popular to use the KiwiGrip (sold right here) in place of the molded non skid.
It's proven to a very good replacement.
Most that are restoring the old style boats sand the deck flat as it's next to impossible to do anything with the molded non skid. It's becoming increasingly popular to use the KiwiGrip (sold right here) in place of the molded non skid.
It's proven to a very good replacement.
Really? If this is true, why was the non-skid on my C-30 foredeck hatch - and I suspect yours on your C-34 too - white in color, the same as the 'slippery' parts of the deck?
For my boat, white is fine on the foredeck hatch. I for one don't want to step on mine... Which follows logic already posted. As for texture on it, I suspect it is a finish that shows less flaws for such a small, non-cored non-structural part.Old Skool Neil said:
I step on mine all the time and I'm thankful for the non-skid present there. It's the single reason I haven't changed to the much more stylish Cruising Concepts tinted Lexan hatch. Well, that and the price.
I'd like to know the source of the information presented, particularly that contrasting non-skid was ever intended as a visual reference and now that non-skid might serve as a hide-all for poor tooling.
I know this might sound like an attack but I don't mean it to. As stated several times, I worked for several fiberglass sailboat manufacturers, was right there in the middle of it from tooling to production to administration and some of the info in this thread is absolutely baffling to me.
My response to the original poster is the non-skid is for safety, the contrasting color is purely cosmetic. Painting the existing pattern will degrade the already questionable non-skid performance unless a non-skid paint or non-skid additive is used.
And Bilbo is correct, dark colored non-skid gets far too hot in the sun. Light colors are the way to go. However, many manufacturers acquiesced to their customers' wishes as to color preferences so there were many darker non-skids produced. There is a vintage Catalina 27 with butterscotch non-skid on my dock and I can only imagine what it's like under bare feet.
Question for Phil:
Your hatch isn't cored?? Are you sure? Every hatch I've ever seen, seat hatches included, were cored. Some companies used plywood on the flatter small parts, others used end grain balsa and still others used a product called Core-mat.
I'd like to know the source of the information presented, particularly that contrasting non-skid was ever intended as a visual reference and now that non-skid might serve as a hide-all for poor tooling.
I know this might sound like an attack but I don't mean it to. As stated several times, I worked for several fiberglass sailboat manufacturers, was right there in the middle of it from tooling to production to administration and some of the info in this thread is absolutely baffling to me.
My response to the original poster is the non-skid is for safety, the contrasting color is purely cosmetic. Painting the existing pattern will degrade the already questionable non-skid performance unless a non-skid paint or non-skid additive is used.
And Bilbo is correct, dark colored non-skid gets far too hot in the sun. Light colors are the way to go. However, many manufacturers acquiesced to their customers' wishes as to color preferences so there were many darker non-skids produced. There is a vintage Catalina 27 with butterscotch non-skid on my dock and I can only imagine what it's like under bare feet.
Question for Phil:
Your hatch isn't cored?? Are you sure? Every hatch I've ever seen, seat hatches included, were cored. Some companies used plywood on the flatter small parts, others used end grain balsa and still others used a product called Core-mat.
Oh, sorry, you caught me out!
The hatch is white but does have non-skid.The color is a light, light tan, and even the gray doesn't get hot, not like a dark color.
You have a few choices, but I suggest going from least invasive to most, before you sand down the necessary diamond pattern, which makes the non-skid work.
clean
then find some non-skid deck cleaner, it is not wax
only then more invasive stuff
Good luck.
I respect that Stu. I'll admit it was a bit uncomfortable being the contrarian.
A final blast on factory molded non-skid and then I'll step back:
It's my opinion that most if not all factory molded non-skid performs poorly. Simply painting it fills the pattern and makes it worse. Virtually any applied commercially available material intended for such use is superior.
My preference is my own concoction - learned during my tenure in the industry - of thickened gel coat applied with a texture roller. I've redone all the non-skid on my C-30 and if fallen on, you'll come up with road rash. It's got some serious grip.
A final blast on factory molded non-skid and then I'll step back:
It's my opinion that most if not all factory molded non-skid performs poorly. Simply painting it fills the pattern and makes it worse. Virtually any applied commercially available material intended for such use is superior.
My preference is my own concoction - learned during my tenure in the industry - of thickened gel coat applied with a texture roller. I've redone all the non-skid on my C-30 and if fallen on, you'll come up with road rash. It's got some serious grip.
Thickened gel coat and a textured roller sounds similar to the factory description of the "Kiwigrip" non-skid, previously mentioned. It goes on like a crackle finish industrial paint by using one of several textured roller methods.
How's your gelcoat method so far as accumulating dirt?
How's your gelcoat method so far as accumulating dirt?
It's about the same as factory non-skid dirt-wise. One of the real keys in mixing the material is the addition of surfacing agent. Without it, cured gel coat remains tacky and tends to pick up permanent stains. One fluid oz. SA per quart of gel coat is standard but I tend to go a little heavy.
Touch up is easy too. Since I created the pattern (crackle finish as you mentioned), I can re-create it.
I have no experience with Kiwi Grip so can't comment or compare but by your description it sounds similar.
edit:
I just checked the Kiwi Grip website and the the picture of the finished product at the bottom of the page looks exactly like my gel coat method. This suggests to me their 'proprietary' roller is readily available at Lowe's.
Who would have thought a 40 year old technique could be brought to market as an innovative product?
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