Last year, I decided to get rid of the worn out shredded carpet in my Blue Wave. I purchased and applied a coating called Durabak. Initially, the boat looked great, and I was completely satisfied with the material. The color and finish was very nice for a relatively inexpensive D.I.Y. coating, as seen below:<br />
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<br /><br />My boat is garaged, so sunlight and weather didn't get to it unless I was fishing.<br /><br />Well, during my first trip to the TX coast, less than a week after applying the coating, I had to store it outside for 3 days while we were there. Through that time and the time while we were fishing, the blue coating faded and turned a 'torquise' color. I thought it had to do with dust build up, salt water, dirt, etc...until I took it to the car wash and I noticed that the color of the coating would rinse away at a car wash, leaving just the rubber granules on the boat.<br /><br />Come to find out, Durabak sent me the NON-UV resistant blue, and the UV resistant white. Neither one of their gallon cans says UV/Non-UV, so I had no way of knowing. When I called them back to discuss the problem, all they wanted to do was sell me new UV-Resistant material at original cost. I was even more fed-up when I saw the original receipt showed UV Resistant for BOTH gallons...so they shipped the wrong stuff.<br /><br />So, I've now got decks that are part torquise, part bare resin and a white floor.<br /><br />The white floor is holding it's color well. It is just dirty in the pics. There is only one spot where I dropped the anchor and hit it on an angle where I managed to chip the coating...other than that, it's in good shape. I did notice that this material seems to be nothing more than a hard epoxy paint with granules mixed in...because once you walk on it long enough the color wears off and the rubber granules come through.<br /><br />Needless to say, I don't want to spend the money to re-do the boat with Durabak. I can't say I'm un-impressed with the white floor, but I can't stand to look at the faded/blotchy blue decks and sides any longer...and I'm un-impressed with the service I received on a mis-shipment.<br /><br />Here are a few pictures showing the 'AFTER'. Please note that this boat is stored in-doors and sees sunlight only when it's on the water. Note the areas where you can see fibgerglass through the blue coating (which was 'thick', 2 gallons worth...3 coats). Please excuse the messy boat...I am dismantling it, AGAIN!<br />
<br />(click the pic for larger version)<br />
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<br /><br />So, here are the two options I'm considering:<br /><br />1) Have a professional Bedliner sprayed into the boat. Same bedliner I've got in my truck...excellent product ($700 through a friend who works for the company). The prep is easy, it will basically stick right on top of this durabak because it is so rough and porous. Just a good cleansing and a scuff with 40grit in corners, and it's good to go.<br /><br />2) Remove the durabak, and GelCoat the interior with a splatter type finish like they come with from the factory. I have never applied gel coat, but I am an avid automotive painter and I assume it could not be much more difficult than laying a set of flames on a 32 Ford. My main concern here is cost. What does gel coat cost? Could I do the interior of a boat fairly cheap?<br /><br />I'm considering the gel-coat option. I assume that I could do it for less than the bedliner, and It would be more 'factory' appearing. I'm considering trading the boat for a larger model in the near future...and dealers seem to be a bit leary of any type of aftermarket paints/etc. <br /><br />Thanks for looking. Let me know what you think.<br /><br />And if anyone has questions on Durabak, feel free to email me.<br />S_Queeney@hotmail.com<br /><br />ShawnQ
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<br /><br />So, here are the two options I'm considering:<br /><br />1) Have a professional Bedliner sprayed into the boat. Same bedliner I've got in my truck...excellent product ($700 through a friend who works for the company). The prep is easy, it will basically stick right on top of this durabak because it is so rough and porous. Just a good cleansing and a scuff with 40grit in corners, and it's good to go.<br /><br />2) Remove the durabak, and GelCoat the interior with a splatter type finish like they come with from the factory. I have never applied gel coat, but I am an avid automotive painter and I assume it could not be much more difficult than laying a set of flames on a 32 Ford. My main concern here is cost. What does gel coat cost? Could I do the interior of a boat fairly cheap?<br /><br />I'm considering the gel-coat option. I assume that I could do it for less than the bedliner, and It would be more 'factory' appearing. I'm considering trading the boat for a larger model in the near future...and dealers seem to be a bit leary of any type of aftermarket paints/etc. <br /><br />Thanks for looking. Let me know what you think.<br /><br />And if anyone has questions on Durabak, feel free to email me.<br />S_Queeney@hotmail.com<br /><br />ShawnQ
)<br /><br />Now if I can just get some info on the Gel-Coat process.<br /><br />I know the basics...but I'm not sure what it takes to get a 'flat' finish instead of a gloss. I assume it's a flattening additive, or it is flat by nature, and then polished to a gloss if desired.<br />Also, the splatter...I believe that is called webbing, and they use an additive to create that as well. That is sprayed by messing with your air pressure and material volume, and the additive makes it dry mid-air so it looks stringy as it hits.<br /><br />I just wish there was more of a 'how-to' on it...<br /><br />SQ
