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Author Topic:   Outrage center console deck

kingfish posted 02-13-2000 02:15 PM ET (US)
In preparing to install a new GPS on my console deck, I find that while everything that I want to have there will fit, they no longer will fit where they are currently located (fishfinder, compass and cup/accessory holder). So that means new holes in the deck, both small for screws and machine screws, and large for wires, and it means old holes where these things used to be. The new holes are no problem, but I'm not comfortable with the notion that gel-coat-type repairs are the answer for the old ones. Am currently considering having either a piece of teak fabricated, 1/2" thick +\-, or a piece of what I think is called Starboard fabricated, same thickness, matching the parchment color of the ambient gelcoat. Either piece would be the width and depth of the exixting console deck, caulked and screwed down to the deck, sort of like starting over with an un-blemished surface.
I know that I can't be the first one to be faced with this-what have other Whalers found to work (and not work) for this sort of thing? I welcome all thoughts and opinions.
kingfish

lhg posted 02-13-2000 02:38 PM ET (US)
Since I have two Outrage center console models, perhaps I can help. Which console do you have? The regular Montauk console, or super console? Larry
bigz posted 02-13-2000 03:54 PM ET (US)
Kingfish,
One way which then is easily replaced,looks nice, and won't cost an arm and a leg -- have a piece of 5/8 marine grade teak or mahogany (mahogany will be a tad less expense) have it cut 1" short width and length of the deck area your covering, then rout a 1/8" spline cut around the piece and install a matching solid piece of whatever wood you decided on 1" wide 5/8" thick spline to match , the spline would be of the same wood usually about 1"x1/8"thick so 1/2" goes into the ply and the solid piece use a waterproof glue. after you have this together use a round over router bit and finish off the edges then sand and finish as desired -- attach to the top with 6- 1/4" round head ss steel bolts -- make sure you use lock washers and regular washers on the underside --- before you install use a non-hard-ing bedding compound between the fiberglass top and the wood --- another neat add on if you can locate one is a polished aluminum hooded flip up wire handler these are something like 1-1/2" wide by about 3" or so long --you jig saw out a hole to fit in the face board at a central location thru the fiberglass deck -- that way all your wiring is goes neatly through one slot in lieu of drilling individual holes for each electronic item this could even be made out of solid wood and glued on the face board --- I like wood and never thought the Outrages had enough at least to suit my taste --- the other way which works nice but a bit pricey since a 3/4" thick 27"x24 will run about $75 is "King Starboard" brand marine grade polymer -- tough stuff and you can rout the edges over just like wood -- just some thoughts -- Thomas
bigz posted 02-13-2000 03:57 PM ET (US)
that's 5/8" marine grade plywood -- sorry
kingfish posted 02-13-2000 04:01 PM ET (US)
Larry:
Standard console (Outrage 22'); deck surface is roughly 28" wide x 9" deep - there is a storage bin immediately below the deck accessable from the front via a jointed gray plexiglas "overhead" door. This space is (guessing) 5" hi at the rear and slopes to 6" hi at the front (rear faces stern).
Nice to "see a familiar face"-
kingfish
kingfish posted 02-13-2000 04:20 PM ET (US)
Larry:
I confused even myself with the "front" and "rear" in previous post; the access door faces aft, as you would expect. Sorry. Underneath the floor of the subject storage space is the rest of the typical space inside a center console. Because of this and the sliding door that nests just underneath the deck when it is open, wire routing is an issue; they realy have to be kept as far forward to the front of the console as they come up through the storage space as possible or they interfere with storage or the action of the door.
kingfish
kingfish posted 02-13-2000 04:38 PM ET (US)
Thomas;
Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed response-your thinking is on line with one of the directions I have been considering. I have a friend who operates a millworking business, does a lot of work for S2 Yachts, can fabricate anything I dream up in teak or mahogany. Also, on each side of the sole of my Outrage at the stern, right up against the motor well bulkhead, there are two access wells that drain into the baitwell and have drain plugs to the outside. The previous owner of my boat had hinged covers made for these out of what I think is Starboard, looks like Corian (sinks and kitchen counters)that matches the color of adjacent fiberglass exactly and looks like it was born there - this would also work well, I think.
kingfish
lhg posted 02-13-2000 04:45 PM ET (US)
Kingfish
It sounds like you have what Whaler called a "Super Console" with an additional "top mounted electronics box". Both were extra cost options, as the Montauk console came standard in most Outrages. Both of my Outrages have the smaller "Montauk" console, so what I have done may not be of interest to you. However, looking at a Whaler catalog, I see a picture of what you probably have, and it looks like this option, complete with the high mounted plexiglass windshield, had black "mat-tac" on the top surface, as well as on other console surfaces. You might do something as simple as filling in the holes, and re-applying a new sheet of this black vinyl covering. Should look like new, and keep the console looking original.

I just installed a new Lowrance Global Map 2000 on my Outrage 25, complete with dual frequency shallow & deep water sonars, C-mapping, and Differential GPS, all in one unit. Very compact and clean looking on the small Whaler console, and I don't know how I got along without it! Highly recommended to anybody considering a multi-purpose DGPS/Sonar. In this day and age, don't even consider putting in a GPS without built-in mapping and optional C-Map or Navionics charting. This is all I have installed on the top surface of the console, except for a Ritchie Navigator compass, lined up with the steering wheel. I have found that the fold-up black plastic drink holders go best on the sides of the console. Good luck with your upgrade.
triblet posted 02-13-2000 06:24 PM ET (US)
Unless you already have teak or mahogany,
I'd go with the Starboard, or TAP Plastics
equivalent called Seaboard. TAP will
do all the fabrication for you if you
aren't mechanically inclined, but it's
at least as easy to work as wood. You
can rout it, drill it, cut it with a wood
saw, even plain it. I took the
pain-in-the-ass handles off the top of the
seat and covered it with Seaboard.
1/2" is more than you need. 1/4" would be
fine.
I'm faced with a similar task on my Montauk
as I go to new electronics this year. My
first pass will be to fill and gel coat the
old holes. The last couple of days I did
a couple of really old holes from the
original GPS mount. I was fairly pleased
with the way they came out. For each hole
I cut a 3/4" square piece of fibreglas
cloth and stuck that in the middle of a
2" square of gaffer's tape (like duct tape
but made of real cloth and the adhesive
doesn't get all goopy). Then I mixed up
some epoxy, wet out the bottom of the console
right around each hole, wet out the glass,
and stuck the duct tape on from beneath.
Next time I'll probably wait till that
epoxy sets, but I was impatient and filled
the hole in with epoxy almost all the way.
I let the epoxy set, then filled the hole
all the way with Sea Fit gelcoat repair.
In a couple of days, I'll pull the gaffer's
tape off and wet out the bottom of the glas.
I'm pretty happy with the way it looks.
If it ends up looking crummy, I'll do the
Starboard trick.
bigz posted 02-14-2000 05:19 AM ET (US)
Kingfish,
Thanks for the idea on the aft drain cover.
On our 20 Outrage there is only one on the starboard side and the hatch door was missing.Aside from the bilge pump, drain plug and all the engine controls that snake through it using the polymer as a deck hatch would work out since the stuff is tuff and a cut out for the cables and bilge hose can be made with out having to reinforce the cover.
As Larry mentioned you have the "super" console with the optional electronics box. I think the 1/2" thick polymer or acrylic Coran you mentioned would work nicely on the top deck. Easy to do and easy to replace.
Did yours have the black MacTac on the top deck?
Larry if you happen to read this rely -- how did you mount the GPS receiver antennae module on your radar arch? I have a Lowrance 2000 with map reader but without the DGPS and just the standard SAM single frequency sonar and was trying to think of how to mount the receiver on our Offshore 27 radar arch without having to weld a stub post. Appreciate your thoughts --- Thomas
bigz posted 02-14-2000 07:07 AM ET (US)
Kingfish,
Oops, did a bit of research and your console actually is the "newer" standard one I think. You have a sloped electronics box on top and it is about 30" (give or take) wide, and it is an integral part of the console-- correct me if I'm wrong on this.
That deck above the electronics box wasn't covered in black MacTac, so a nice 1/2" piece of matching polymer I think would work out fine.
I again am not sure but the "super" console is about 35" wide and I believe it was offered on all but the 18 Outrage as an option, standard on the 27 Offshore, this console didn't have an electronics box it was an add on option, the top deck was covered with black MacTac it did offer a sloped dash for engine instruments though. If you got the electronics box option for this console it was fitted on the top deck about 8" or so high and the full width and depth of the console and on the more recent models the top of the box isn't covered with MacTac, some of the mid to late 80's models were though.
I think you would be "kosher" just using polymer to do the cover up if you do have the standard console--- just some thoughts --- Thomas
kingfish posted 02-14-2000 10:30 AM ET (US)
Thomas, Larry, Chuck:
I think my console is a newer standard console; it narrows on all four sides from bottom to top, and the actual deck area is about 28" wide, and is clean, gel-coated fiberglass (albeit with more holes than I would prefer), not mat-tac. The storage/electronics area I have described is integral to the console and was created (by BW, I presume) by cutting a door and frame into the aft face of the console near the top, then installing kind of a shabby plywood deck just underneath the door opening that effectively seperates the storage/electronics space from the rest of the space below inside the console.
Chuck, I am anxious to hear how your project progresses. My preference would be to take my console deck back to an appearance and integrity similar to what it had before anybody started drilling holes in it, but didn't think it could be done. I consider myself handy and have become patient enough over the years that I am able to do things in their proper sequence. If your project is a success, I think with some instruction and practice, I could "start over" on my console deck rather than installing a seperate layer of a foreign substance.
triblet posted 02-14-2000 10:23 PM ET (US)
I forgot one thing when I posted last night.
The first thing I did was to do just a touch
of countersinking on both sides of the
holes. That way the epoxy plug has a bit
of an hourglass shape to it and isn't
dependent solely on adhesion to stay put.
Also, as the gelcoat has dried, it's become
apparent that it's a bit translucent and
I should have mixed some white tint (or
maybe some white filler, which I have) with
the epoxy. The gelcoat repair is a bit
darker than I wanted because some light is
getting through it, into the clear epoxy,
and thence to the dark BW material. Oh
well, I can always drill them out and do
them over if it's not good enough. But
this is a working dive boat, not a
concourse craft.
Round two of this saga will be a while:
I'm waiting for the new Garmin GPSMAP
162 and Standard Horizon Spectrum VHF to
hit the local West Marine.
Chuck
dfmcintyre posted 02-21-2000 11:37 AM ET (US)
Kingfish -
I'd go either the starboard, or a fabricated piece of marine ply. The problem with teak or mahog is that if you end up treating or varnishing it, it will look great for the first year, then you'l have to take the instruments off and redo it every winter (want another winter project, eh?)
Starboard is available in a number of colors, but you might have to look a bit harder for the right color. I had a source over in the Pontiac Michigan area, but I can't find the name and number in my files.
The other thought with piece of marine ply would be to cut it to the correct diminsion, coat it with the West system epoxy, and polyurthane it the same color. Color matching a problem? Nope. I took the 21' Outrage I rebuilt over to a local auto body paint retailer and had them "shoot" the hull with their paint diagnostic device. They mixed up some Dupont polyurthane (System 2000?). I took my part (a aluminium winshield frame) over to the guy who painted my boat with the Sikkens poly product and had them shoot the frame. It looks factory.
If you wanted to get fancy, you could route a small 1/8 wide, 1/8 deep channel, say 2 inches in from the outer edges, mask off the inner area, and later spray it black with some fine non skid in it.
Best - Don McIntyre, Port Huron (still in snow mode)
lhg posted 02-23-2000 01:21 PM ET (US)
Thomas/bigz: In response to your question on the Lowrance Global Map 2000 unit, I have both the GPS antenna disk and DGPS antenna on the radar arch. Most radar arches are built with three flat plates on the top surface. On the two outside plates, I have a radio antenna on one and the DGPS antenna on the other. In my case, the Lowrance DGPS antenna is identical to their prior Loran antenna, so it was a simple replacement on the ratchet antenna mount. The 3" dia round GPS disk sits on the center flat plate, near the high mounted navigation light. All in all it's a very neat installation. Elsewhere on this site are some pictures of the boat showing the arch. The separate sonar units & DGPS interface connector needed for this product are mounted inside the console. If you are using the electronic charting products, DGPS is highly recommended.
bigz posted 02-24-2000 09:32 AM ET (US)
Larry,
Thank you for the information.
Regards, Thomas
kingfish posted 03-25-2000 06:18 PM ET (US)
Chuck (et al):
CONSOLE DECK CHAPTER TWO:
Chuck, I'm really glad you chose to post your experience with repairing your console deck. Consequent to reading your post, I ordered a West System repair kit and a Spectrum paste gel coat repair kit (pre-mixed for Boston Whaler Desert Tan) from West Marine. I prepared the holes as you described, wetted them with clear epoxy (used the small fiberglass cloth patch on tape trick) then filled the holes from above while the epoxy was still wet with thicker epoxy I had mixed high-density filler into. It went so well that I attacked about a dozen screw-holes in my transom where various brackets have been, and that I have had plugged with caulk and stainless screws.
After the epoxy set up, I ground it just below flush at each patch and feathered the sides with a dremel, then touched each spot up with 220 grit sand paper. The Spectrum gel coat is a paste, so it holds perfectly well on vertical surfaces like the transom, as well as on the comsole deck. And the nice thing is, that unlike the gel coat that West System describes, where you have to cover it with wax paper or a release agent in order for it to dry, this stuff just takes off all by itself. Some of the spots had deep areas where the new gel coat went on a little over a sixteenth of an inch thick, so there was a shrinkage factor, but it was no big deal to lightly sand the areas that shrunk below flush and mix just a little more gel coat paste. Wet sanded starting with 220 grit and moved finally to 400, then rubbing compound, then color restorer, then wax. The holes *disappeared*.
It is so cool I can hardly stand it - I am wandering around the house looking for things I can slap some epoxy on and start messing around with...
Look out Key West! (Leaving next Friday.)
Kingfish

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Author	Topic: Outrage center console deck
kingfish	posted 02-13-2000 02:15 PM ET (US) In preparing to install a new GPS on my console deck, I find that while everything that I want to have there will fit, they no longer will fit where they are currently located (fishfinder, compass and cup/accessory holder). So that means new holes in the deck, both small for screws and machine screws, and large for wires, and it means old holes where these things used to be. The new holes are no problem, but I'm not comfortable with the notion that gel-coat-type repairs are the answer for the old ones. Am currently considering having either a piece of teak fabricated, 1/2" thick +\-, or a piece of what I think is called Starboard fabricated, same thickness, matching the parchment color of the ambient gelcoat. Either piece would be the width and depth of the exixting console deck, caulked and screwed down to the deck, sort of like starting over with an un-blemished surface. I know that I can't be the first one to be faced with this-what have other Whalers found to work (and not work) for this sort of thing? I welcome all thoughts and opinions. kingfish
lhg	posted 02-13-2000 02:38 PM ET (US) Since I have two Outrage center console models, perhaps I can help. Which console do you have? The regular Montauk console, or super console? Larry
bigz	posted 02-13-2000 03:54 PM ET (US) Kingfish, One way which then is easily replaced,looks nice, and won't cost an arm and a leg -- have a piece of 5/8 marine grade teak or mahogany (mahogany will be a tad less expense) have it cut 1" short width and length of the deck area your covering, then rout a 1/8" spline cut around the piece and install a matching solid piece of whatever wood you decided on 1" wide 5/8" thick spline to match , the spline would be of the same wood usually about 1"x1/8"thick so 1/2" goes into the ply and the solid piece use a waterproof glue. after you have this together use a round over router bit and finish off the edges then sand and finish as desired -- attach to the top with 6- 1/4" round head ss steel bolts -- make sure you use lock washers and regular washers on the underside --- before you install use a non-hard-ing bedding compound between the fiberglass top and the wood --- another neat add on if you can locate one is a polished aluminum hooded flip up wire handler these are something like 1-1/2" wide by about 3" or so long --you jig saw out a hole to fit in the face board at a central location thru the fiberglass deck -- that way all your wiring is goes neatly through one slot in lieu of drilling individual holes for each electronic item this could even be made out of solid wood and glued on the face board --- I like wood and never thought the Outrages had enough at least to suit my taste --- the other way which works nice but a bit pricey since a 3/4" thick 27"x24 will run about $75 is "King Starboard" brand marine grade polymer -- tough stuff and you can rout the edges over just like wood -- just some thoughts -- Thomas
bigz	posted 02-13-2000 03:57 PM ET (US) that's 5/8" marine grade plywood -- sorry
kingfish	posted 02-13-2000 04:01 PM ET (US) Larry: Standard console (Outrage 22'); deck surface is roughly 28" wide x 9" deep - there is a storage bin immediately below the deck accessable from the front via a jointed gray plexiglas "overhead" door. This space is (guessing) 5" hi at the rear and slopes to 6" hi at the front (rear faces stern). Nice to "see a familiar face"- kingfish
kingfish	posted 02-13-2000 04:20 PM ET (US) Larry: I confused even myself with the "front" and "rear" in previous post; the access door faces aft, as you would expect. Sorry. Underneath the floor of the subject storage space is the rest of the typical space inside a center console. Because of this and the sliding door that nests just underneath the deck when it is open, wire routing is an issue; they realy have to be kept as far forward to the front of the console as they come up through the storage space as possible or they interfere with storage or the action of the door. kingfish
kingfish	posted 02-13-2000 04:38 PM ET (US) Thomas; Thanks for the thoughtful and detailed response-your thinking is on line with one of the directions I have been considering. I have a friend who operates a millworking business, does a lot of work for S2 Yachts, can fabricate anything I dream up in teak or mahogany. Also, on each side of the sole of my Outrage at the stern, right up against the motor well bulkhead, there are two access wells that drain into the baitwell and have drain plugs to the outside. The previous owner of my boat had hinged covers made for these out of what I think is Starboard, looks like Corian (sinks and kitchen counters)that matches the color of adjacent fiberglass exactly and looks like it was born there - this would also work well, I think. kingfish
lhg	posted 02-13-2000 04:45 PM ET (US) Kingfish It sounds like you have what Whaler called a "Super Console" with an additional "top mounted electronics box". Both were extra cost options, as the Montauk console came standard in most Outrages. Both of my Outrages have the smaller "Montauk" console, so what I have done may not be of interest to you. However, looking at a Whaler catalog, I see a picture of what you probably have, and it looks like this option, complete with the high mounted plexiglass windshield, had black "mat-tac" on the top surface, as well as on other console surfaces. You might do something as simple as filling in the holes, and re-applying a new sheet of this black vinyl covering. Should look like new, and keep the console looking original. I just installed a new Lowrance Global Map 2000 on my Outrage 25, complete with dual frequency shallow & deep water sonars, C-mapping, and Differential GPS, all in one unit. Very compact and clean looking on the small Whaler console, and I don't know how I got along without it! Highly recommended to anybody considering a multi-purpose DGPS/Sonar. In this day and age, don't even consider putting in a GPS without built-in mapping and optional C-Map or Navionics charting. This is all I have installed on the top surface of the console, except for a Ritchie Navigator compass, lined up with the steering wheel. I have found that the fold-up black plastic drink holders go best on the sides of the console. Good luck with your upgrade.
triblet	posted 02-13-2000 06:24 PM ET (US) Unless you already have teak or mahogany, I'd go with the Starboard, or TAP Plastics equivalent called Seaboard. TAP will do all the fabrication for you if you aren't mechanically inclined, but it's at least as easy to work as wood. You can rout it, drill it, cut it with a wood saw, even plain it. I took the pain-in-the-ass handles off the top of the seat and covered it with Seaboard. 1/2" is more than you need. 1/4" would be fine. I'm faced with a similar task on my Montauk as I go to new electronics this year. My first pass will be to fill and gel coat the old holes. The last couple of days I did a couple of really old holes from the original GPS mount. I was fairly pleased with the way they came out. For each hole I cut a 3/4" square piece of fibreglas cloth and stuck that in the middle of a 2" square of gaffer's tape (like duct tape but made of real cloth and the adhesive doesn't get all goopy). Then I mixed up some epoxy, wet out the bottom of the console right around each hole, wet out the glass, and stuck the duct tape on from beneath. Next time I'll probably wait till that epoxy sets, but I was impatient and filled the hole in with epoxy almost all the way. I let the epoxy set, then filled the hole all the way with Sea Fit gelcoat repair. In a couple of days, I'll pull the gaffer's tape off and wet out the bottom of the glas. I'm pretty happy with the way it looks. If it ends up looking crummy, I'll do the Starboard trick.
bigz	posted 02-14-2000 05:19 AM ET (US) Kingfish, Thanks for the idea on the aft drain cover. On our 20 Outrage there is only one on the starboard side and the hatch door was missing.Aside from the bilge pump, drain plug and all the engine controls that snake through it using the polymer as a deck hatch would work out since the stuff is tuff and a cut out for the cables and bilge hose can be made with out having to reinforce the cover. As Larry mentioned you have the "super" console with the optional electronics box. I think the 1/2" thick polymer or acrylic Coran you mentioned would work nicely on the top deck. Easy to do and easy to replace. Did yours have the black MacTac on the top deck? Larry if you happen to read this rely -- how did you mount the GPS receiver antennae module on your radar arch? I have a Lowrance 2000 with map reader but without the DGPS and just the standard SAM single frequency sonar and was trying to think of how to mount the receiver on our Offshore 27 radar arch without having to weld a stub post. Appreciate your thoughts --- Thomas
bigz	posted 02-14-2000 07:07 AM ET (US) Kingfish, Oops, did a bit of research and your console actually is the "newer" standard one I think. You have a sloped electronics box on top and it is about 30" (give or take) wide, and it is an integral part of the console-- correct me if I'm wrong on this. That deck above the electronics box wasn't covered in black MacTac, so a nice 1/2" piece of matching polymer I think would work out fine. I again am not sure but the "super" console is about 35" wide and I believe it was offered on all but the 18 Outrage as an option, standard on the 27 Offshore, this console didn't have an electronics box it was an add on option, the top deck was covered with black MacTac it did offer a sloped dash for engine instruments though. If you got the electronics box option for this console it was fitted on the top deck about 8" or so high and the full width and depth of the console and on the more recent models the top of the box isn't covered with MacTac, some of the mid to late 80's models were though. I think you would be "kosher" just using polymer to do the cover up if you do have the standard console--- just some thoughts --- Thomas
kingfish	posted 02-14-2000 10:30 AM ET (US) Thomas, Larry, Chuck: I think my console is a newer standard console; it narrows on all four sides from bottom to top, and the actual deck area is about 28" wide, and is clean, gel-coated fiberglass (albeit with more holes than I would prefer), not mat-tac. The storage/electronics area I have described is integral to the console and was created (by BW, I presume) by cutting a door and frame into the aft face of the console near the top, then installing kind of a shabby plywood deck just underneath the door opening that effectively seperates the storage/electronics space from the rest of the space below inside the console. Chuck, I am anxious to hear how your project progresses. My preference would be to take my console deck back to an appearance and integrity similar to what it had before anybody started drilling holes in it, but didn't think it could be done. I consider myself handy and have become patient enough over the years that I am able to do things in their proper sequence. If your project is a success, I think with some instruction and practice, I could "start over" on my console deck rather than installing a seperate layer of a foreign substance.
triblet	posted 02-14-2000 10:23 PM ET (US) I forgot one thing when I posted last night. The first thing I did was to do just a touch of countersinking on both sides of the holes. That way the epoxy plug has a bit of an hourglass shape to it and isn't dependent solely on adhesion to stay put. Also, as the gelcoat has dried, it's become apparent that it's a bit translucent and I should have mixed some white tint (or maybe some white filler, which I have) with the epoxy. The gelcoat repair is a bit darker than I wanted because some light is getting through it, into the clear epoxy, and thence to the dark BW material. Oh well, I can always drill them out and do them over if it's not good enough. But this is a working dive boat, not a concourse craft. Round two of this saga will be a while: I'm waiting for the new Garmin GPSMAP 162 and Standard Horizon Spectrum VHF to hit the local West Marine. Chuck
dfmcintyre	posted 02-21-2000 11:37 AM ET (US) Kingfish - I'd go either the starboard, or a fabricated piece of marine ply. The problem with teak or mahog is that if you end up treating or varnishing it, it will look great for the first year, then you'l have to take the instruments off and redo it every winter (want another winter project, eh?) Starboard is available in a number of colors, but you might have to look a bit harder for the right color. I had a source over in the Pontiac Michigan area, but I can't find the name and number in my files. The other thought with piece of marine ply would be to cut it to the correct diminsion, coat it with the West system epoxy, and polyurthane it the same color. Color matching a problem? Nope. I took the 21' Outrage I rebuilt over to a local auto body paint retailer and had them "shoot" the hull with their paint diagnostic device. They mixed up some Dupont polyurthane (System 2000?). I took my part (a aluminium winshield frame) over to the guy who painted my boat with the Sikkens poly product and had them shoot the frame. It looks factory. If you wanted to get fancy, you could route a small 1/8 wide, 1/8 deep channel, say 2 inches in from the outer edges, mask off the inner area, and later spray it black with some fine non skid in it. Best - Don McIntyre, Port Huron (still in snow mode)
lhg	posted 02-23-2000 01:21 PM ET (US) Thomas/bigz: In response to your question on the Lowrance Global Map 2000 unit, I have both the GPS antenna disk and DGPS antenna on the radar arch. Most radar arches are built with three flat plates on the top surface. On the two outside plates, I have a radio antenna on one and the DGPS antenna on the other. In my case, the Lowrance DGPS antenna is identical to their prior Loran antenna, so it was a simple replacement on the ratchet antenna mount. The 3" dia round GPS disk sits on the center flat plate, near the high mounted navigation light. All in all it's a very neat installation. Elsewhere on this site are some pictures of the boat showing the arch. The separate sonar units & DGPS interface connector needed for this product are mounted inside the console. If you are using the electronic charting products, DGPS is highly recommended.
bigz	posted 02-24-2000 09:32 AM ET (US) Larry, Thank you for the information. Regards, Thomas
kingfish	posted 03-25-2000 06:18 PM ET (US) Chuck (et al): CONSOLE DECK CHAPTER TWO: Chuck, I'm really glad you chose to post your experience with repairing your console deck. Consequent to reading your post, I ordered a West System repair kit and a Spectrum paste gel coat repair kit (pre-mixed for Boston Whaler Desert Tan) from West Marine. I prepared the holes as you described, wetted them with clear epoxy (used the small fiberglass cloth patch on tape trick) then filled the holes from above while the epoxy was still wet with thicker epoxy I had mixed high-density filler into. It went so well that I attacked about a dozen screw-holes in my transom where various brackets have been, and that I have had plugged with caulk and stainless screws. After the epoxy set up, I ground it just below flush at each patch and feathered the sides with a dremel, then touched each spot up with 220 grit sand paper. The Spectrum gel coat is a paste, so it holds perfectly well on vertical surfaces like the transom, as well as on the comsole deck. And the nice thing is, that unlike the gel coat that West System describes, where you have to cover it with wax paper or a release agent in order for it to dry, this stuff just takes off all by itself. Some of the spots had deep areas where the new gel coat went on a little over a sixteenth of an inch thick, so there was a shrinkage factor, but it was no big deal to lightly sand the areas that shrunk below flush and mix just a little more gel coat paste. Wet sanded starting with 220 grit and moved finally to 400, then rubbing compound, then color restorer, then wax. The holes disappeared. It is so cool I can hardly stand it - I am wandering around the house looking for things I can slap some epoxy on and start messing around with... Look out Key West! (Leaving next Friday.) Kingfish