What is this paint?

[duncan14]

Hello All, new boat owner here with noob questions!
I just got an old Pearson, it needs some cleaning and painting. The cabin top has some strange grey paint marks, like someone carelessly brushed it all over. I saw another Pearson with same exact pattern, so is it actually normal? Lol. Is it non-skid? Trying to understand if this is a customary design or an old paint that is so rubbed off that it's now visible through. Any recommendations on making it nicer? Thank you!

 

[dlochner]

Looks like years of aggressive scrubbing with Softscrub or some other abrasive cleanser. It wore out the gel coat

 

[FastOlson]

Is that what it looks like after pressure washing? Or before.
I presume the boat was free or under a couple hundred $.
As long as the laminate checked out OK/dry when sounded and electronically measured, the surface non skid can be renewed - there are several good DIY systems on the market for that.
What did your surveyor say? (That deck appearance would provoke at least one or two paragraphs!)

 

[Tally Ho]

Certainly looks like the boat has had some work done around the chain plates.

The paint swirls almost look like someone painted something on the cabin top…not sure what.

I would think a good sanding all over, and apply some Kiwi Grip or similar non-skid. But before all that work, verify that the deck is Ok…not perfect I am sure, but make sure you can’t fall through the laminate!

Greg

 

[shemandr]

It looks to me like some tried to remove some paint with a solvent. And then gave up.
You can't sand non-skid paint off without sanding off the non-skid. Given ugly-non skid and no non-skin I'll take the ugly. To apply Kiwi Grip or like products I think you'd have to sand the non-skid off. That is a lot or work. I would look at re-appling gel coat. There's a web site often cited on this forum, Videos | Boatworks Today, which I understand has an episode about restoring non-skid by using a pattern. I couldn't find it but I don't think I have full access because I'm not subscribed.

 

[duncan14]

Thank you all! Is it possible to put non-skid on top of that, without removing anything? Just to make it a little better, not looking for a perfect finish.
The boat was cheap and no official survey done. It seems in good shape overall, no soft spots anywhere or any other issues.
Interestingly, I saw another Pearson 30 for sale and the photos have similar swirls of paint, only in different color. (Picture attached). So I thought it may be something commonly used.

 

[Tally Ho]

Maybe Pearson was trying some tie-dyed designs back on the 60’s and 70’s.

You probably CAN apply something over the top, but it may not last that long depending on the condition of the existing paint. If it is flaking off, the new stuff will lift off with it.

Greg

 

[Captain Larry-DH]

Looks to me like the original nonskid paint wore off or was partially taken off. Putting aside any questions about whether the underlying deck is solid, the quick fix is to clean it well with detergent followed by a solvent wash to degrease it. Then tape, prime and re-coat with a new coat of nonskid paint according to the paint makers’s instructions for surface prep and application.
There are lots of YouTube videos on painting decks with nonskid, and lots of good products. You’ll also find an abundance of help here and elsewhere online, so getting educated is easy. Good luck and congrats on your new project. This boat will be educational, for sure.

 

[heritage]

Kiwi Grip is an especially good non-skid for old boats. It goes on thick and covers imperfections, even gel coat crazing.

 

[william24424]

Total Boat makes a product for nonskid that works well enough over painted surfaces. I had a nonskid pattern that still showed through, although not as pronounced, I also added more non skid granules, it works very well. Good luck.