CONTINUOUSWAVE

Dear friends: I have a [1986] Montauk 17 and I'm planning on re-powering. The reason I'm writing is to inquire about the detail work I need to do before placing the motor on the transom. I was planning on doing the entire bottom paint as well as filling all the holes and scuffs on the transom, but, when I began contemplating this process, I realized I do not know enough about the bottom and base paint or gelcoat. I am admittedly a novice and a bit out of my depth.

I am an architect and builder, so be as specific and technical as you need to: I would love some input as the best way to fill the holes. Most holes are small screw holes although some are larger bolt holes that held on the ladder and kicker motor.

As to the body paint or gelcoat. What manufacture would you guys suggest? And where would I source these products. HELP!

Djubaya, Sonoma Co., California

[I deleted two other topics from this thread. For advice on bottom paint, please start a new thread here in REPAIRS and MODIFICATIONS, or read the many existing threads on this topic. For advice on engine choice for re-powering, please start a new thread in PERFORMANCE, or read the many existing threads on that topic. Threads that ask for advice on multiple topics just get too long and drift back and forth from topic to topic--jimh]

I have just went though the some of the same tasks; so here goes:

For filling the larger holes [in the transom] I bored the holes a little larger than what they were so I could get to fresh wood and also check for any dampness. I bought a plug cutter of the appropriate size and cut plugs is soft wood. To use dowels is not recommended; the grain is in the wrong direction. Make sure the plugs are shorter than the hole so that there is room for applying a finish. I used epoxy resin. I rolled the plugs in it, and applied the epoxy in the hole with a small brush; Then I inserted the plug and let cure. I used GOOP marine epoxy paste in beige for finishing. The color matches closely the Desert Tan on my hull and not that noticeable on the transom.

For smaller holes I usually bore them out a little larger as well and flare the opening a bit. I use a small syringe and inject epoxy. Then put a piece of tape over the hole and let cure.

I have an a 1979 Newport, not close to being a showboat but still solid and dry, I will leave the refinishing and painting for others to answer.

As far as the E-TEC 90, I have re powered this spring with this motor and so far very happy. Please do a search on this site and you find very useful information on properly mounting the motor. Proper setup is key to the performance you can get with this engine.

Marc-B

I describe my experience with making repairs of areas of small damage in a old article I wrote many years ago. See

The Epoxy Cure
http://continuouswave.com/maintenance-logs/epoxy/

There are two other articles that describe repair methods. See

Repairing Hull Damage the Whaler Way
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... epair.html

INSTRUCTIONS -- HULL PATCH KITS
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/refere ... tions.html

To fill small holes from screw fasteners that are no longer useful, you can typically just fill them with some resin that has been mixed with a filler. Sometimes it is simpler to just put in a dummy screw fastener. Aesthetically a random screw head here or there might be less objectionable than a poorly-color-matched resin-filled hole. Use a dress washer and an oval head screw. In some spots which are really prominent I have used this method of handling old fastener holes instead of trying to fill them with resin and get a perfect color match.

Typically the transom of a Boston Whaler boat will probably already have been drilled with holes for mounting the engine, and, most likely, the existing holes can be re-used. There is a standard arrangement for engine mount hole location. See the FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION and answer on this topic in the REFERENCE section of the website. (The website contains extensive amounts of information that is not in the forums.) I recommend reading all of the FAQ at

Frequently Asked Questions
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/FAQ/

I have made many minor repairs using WEST System epoxy and their small Repair Kits. The Repair Kits contain small foil packages of epoxy resin and hardener. Each packet makes one small batch of resin. The working time of epoxy resin after the resin and hardener are mixed depends on the ambient temperature, the presence of fillers that dilute the resin somewhat, and the amount of resin that is sitting in a clump. Curing of epoxy is an exothermic chemical reaction. The reaction rate increases with heat. If you mix a large volume of epoxy and let it sit in the mixing bowl, it will begin to get hot as it cures. As it gets hot it cures faster, releasing more heat. You can get thermal run-away quite easily.

I like the WEST System repair kits because the foil packets contain the exact ratio of ingredients. Mixing epoxy resin and hardener is like making a cake: you have to keep the ingredients in the exact proportions. With the pre-measured packets you will always get the proper ratio, get a good cure, and have reasonable working time. I have used these packets many, many times and always had excellent results. The convenience of them is worth the somewhat higher cost. Real epoxy always requires mixing of the reagents in proper proportions. Some products sold as "epoxy" that only suggest that few drops of hardener are needed to get a cure are probably not true epoxy resins or are quite unusual ones. The usual mixing ratio is from 1:5 to 1:1.

A great source of information about working with epoxy is the WEST System literature. I think it is on-line for free download. I would post the links, but, as it happens with the vagaries of the internet, the WEST System website seems to be having a bit of a problem this morning and cannot be reached. Visit their website to get the instructions.

Epoxy resin tends to yellow over time if exposed to sunlight. Its color will change. For this reason, if you want the best cosmetic outcome you should top coat the epoxy resin with gel coat resin. You may learn more by listening to an interview with Jim Watson of WEST Systems. See

Whaler Radio or Podcast
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/radio/

and play the interviews with Jim Watson. I recorded these years before the term "podcast" was invented or the Apple iPod was a product.

You can change the color of epoxy with filler materials and with pigments. I have used acrylic art pigments to tint epoxy. I have found that some TITANIUM WHITE with a tiny bit of RAW SIENNA makes a close match to Desert Tan. Your success with this depends on the color perception of your eyes and the lighting environment. The off-white hues can be very difficult to match and often change their appearance in different light. Sunlight is the best light to use for matching.

To find information about re-powering your boat with an E-TEC 90, look in the PERFORMANCE forum. Please do not continue this thread on the topic of performance of a MONTAUK with an E-TEC 90. That is a topic for PERFORMANCE.

Re the finish on a Boston Whaler boat hull: almost all older Boston Whaler boats have a hull finish with gel coat resin as the top coat. The gel coat resin is applied to about 0.020-inch thickness and gives the hull a nice color, glossy, finish. Boston Whaler boat hulls were typically never painted at the factory, that is, until just recently. Beginning around c.2005 Boston Whaler began to offer some options for hull colors and created those colors by applying very specialized marine paint, probably some sort of a two-part paint similar to AWLGRIP or other modern high-lustre very-durable paint finishes.

If you find a pre-c.2005 Boston Whaler hull with paint as the top coat finish, it was probably not originally made that way. Someone has applied paint over the original gel coat finish.

For more details on how a Boston Whaler boat is made, see the REFERENCE section articles:

BOSTON WHALER FACTORY TOUR
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/factory.html

Original Design and Conception
of the 13-foot Whaler Hull
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/reference/13/originalHullDesign.html

Boston Whaler hulls are made in a female contact mold. The gel coat layer is the first layer applied to the mold. Gel coat is a good method for creating a top coat layer due to its very opaque color and its thickness. Minor imperfections in the finish can be easily rubbed out and correcte.

Matching gel coat color to the existing color of an older boat can be difficult. The color of older hulls has often faded and the gel coat has become oxidized. You should first restore the gel coat and buff it to a high-lustre finish before attempting to color match new resin to the existing hull.

On my boat, which is now 26-years-old, there are a number of very minor scraps and bruises. Most of these are in inconspicuous areas, seldom ever to be seen, so I just repair them with epoxy resin with a white filler and with some acrylic art paint tint. If ten years later there is a minor change in color, I don't really care as about the only time you will see these areas is when the boat is on the trailer, and you crawl under the keel. On the other hand, if there a prominent location with visible damage, the repair should be made with the intention of having a good cosmetic outcome.

Working with gel coat resin is much different than working with epoxy. First, it will not cure if exposed to air. For this reason the resin must either be covered with a temporary coating to seal off the air, or the resin must be mixed with a special additive, usually some sort of wax, which will tend to rise to the surface and seal off the air. Usually a polyester resin is used. All of these resins are in the process of curing in the can, and the "hardener" is a catalyst that drastically speeds up the cure time. Don't plan on keeping cans of polyester resin around for ten years--they will probably harden in the can. The resin comes with a consistency of peanut butter, and it must be diluted to apply it with a sprayer. Sometimes a poly-vinyl-alcohol (PVA) layer is applied to create the seal from air. Gel coat resin also stinks; it has "that new boat smell" with much greater intensity.

When I restored the hull on my 1986 15-footer, I faced the same problem: the exterior of the hull was in great shape with no dings or scrapes whatsoever. It only required sanding and polishing to look new again, but [my boat] had the same transom problems as your boat. I did this:

--I redrilled the [unnecessary] holes to be slightly larger in order to get to new wood;

--I epoxied hardwood dowels in the wood and left them about 1/4-inch short on each side; It makes no difference using plugs or dowels when filling holes in plywood;

--I filled this void with marine Bondo;

--using a hole saw, I drilled holes over the repair no deeper than the existing gelcoat. I carefully chipped off the gelcoat inside the drilled portion to get to a clean edge;

--I bought a small container of Desert Sand tinted gelcoat paste and smoothed it over the hole;

--after [the gel coat layer] set, I sanded it smooth to the depth of the existing gelcoat;

--I blended in [the new repair] by sanding the whole transom, starting with 800 wet or dry paper [and progressing to] 3000 grit.

At first the new gelcoat wasn't a perfect match, but now, two years later, it is not noticeable at all.

--rich