posted 04-19-2010 01:21 PM ET (US)        

First time caller, long time listener.
Thanks for your input in advance.

I'm restoring a '70 Whaler 13; 2A3083. The boat spent its service life as a utility boat for a environmental firm - and was kind of abused. The interior is in really good shape, core is dry as a bone, the exterior has some significant scrapes and dock rash. The boat sat for so long it had lichen growing on it, but what is not scatched, buffs out really well to a lovely shine. I think the grime may have preserved the hull if that is possible. It must have sat for decades. I don't want to paint this boat!

Gel-coat - I think Spectrum and Mini-craft are too spendy for this project. I called my local ship yard and they can match. They'd bill it hourly and they guy said it'd probably take about 2 hours @$80 and hour + $50/quart. Nope...

The other option: Color match myself. Quart of neutral from Jamestown Distributors for $35 and color additives for $8 each. This is the route I'd like to go. I get big satisfaction out making my pennies go far.

Would anyone out there provide a ballpark formula of what colors were added to get to Whaler White (white-white); pre desert tan creamy white.

Any other thoughts or guidance would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

posted 04-19-2010 01:38 PM ET (US)            

I like your idea of mixing it yourself, and I recommend you get a bit of cardboard and mix up some test batches. Wait for a good sunshiny day to match it up to your cleaned and buffed hull - just to make sure you have the right mix - then have at it!

My brother and I were looking at some property a few years ago - and out back behind the building was a 13' Hull on it's side with lichen growing on the hull...I looked underneath and the whole thing was intact...

...couldn't bring myself to bid $150K for a $100K lake house just to get the Whaler....