In this publication10 photos
On a visit to the show in Düsseldorf, I could try different non-slip finishes. Epifanes sold polypropylene beads separately to mix with paint, or ready-mixed paint. I’d had a bad experience with something similar: during training at Moscow’s Sailing Academy years ago, a man-overboard exercise on that coating cut my palms and scratched my Apple Watch. Unpleasant. Ruled out immediately.
Nearby was KiwiGrip. I went to feel their finish. Pleasant to touch and look at, which settled my choice.
What I needed
• A €196 kit: four litres of white KiwiGrip in four one-litre pouches, a textured roller and multilingual instructions. My boat took exactly three litres. Four people at the marina had already used it and were very pleased, boosting my confidence.
• A €2 brush
• Sander and 80-grit disc
• An 80-grit abrasive pad, €0.50
• Alcohol and cloth, always aboard
• A €1 roller handle
• Personal protective equipment
Applying it
1. Masked the areas. Surprisingly laborious: a good half-day.
2. Sanded with 80-grit. Mostly by machine, astonishingly on one disc. Awkward areas by hand with the pad. About three hours.
3. Cleaned and degreased with leftover Epifanes Fibreglass Prep Cleaner, though alcohol would do. About thirty minutes.
4. Shook the paint pouch thoroughly, about ten minutes.
5. Squeezed several thick blobs onto the surface.
6. Spread evenly with the brush. Crucial: too thin gives weak texture; too thick creates bubbles and irregularities that collect dirt.
7. Formed the texture carefully and very slowly with the roller. Any speed created bubbles and splashes, complicating and dirtying everything. Painting took about five hours.
8. The instructions allow walking on it the next day, but recommend longer drying in cool, humid conditions, out of direct sun. The shed was 12°C, humidity about 70%. I returned after a day.
9. Removed the masking tape. Harder than expected: constant tearing, requiring screwdriver and fingernails. Almost six hours, sore fingers and a thirty-litre bag of tape scraps.
10. Refitted hatch, locker lids, vents and other fittings, generously bedding every bolt in marine UV-resistant sealant. Usually Sikaflex 591; this time, similar Tikalflex Contact 12.
How it felt
When I finished and looked closely, the emotion overwhelmed me. Two months’ work justified in a moment. Photographs can’t convey it: I was literally breathless with happiness. A passing marina employee looked at the deck and asked if I was proud. Then I knew: absolutely!
#maintenance
Nearby was KiwiGrip. I went to feel their finish. Pleasant to touch and look at, which settled my choice.
What I needed
• A €196 kit: four litres of white KiwiGrip in four one-litre pouches, a textured roller and multilingual instructions. My boat took exactly three litres. Four people at the marina had already used it and were very pleased, boosting my confidence.
• A €2 brush
• Sander and 80-grit disc
• An 80-grit abrasive pad, €0.50
• Alcohol and cloth, always aboard
• A €1 roller handle
• Personal protective equipment
Applying it
1. Masked the areas. Surprisingly laborious: a good half-day.
2. Sanded with 80-grit. Mostly by machine, astonishingly on one disc. Awkward areas by hand with the pad. About three hours.
3. Cleaned and degreased with leftover Epifanes Fibreglass Prep Cleaner, though alcohol would do. About thirty minutes.
4. Shook the paint pouch thoroughly, about ten minutes.
5. Squeezed several thick blobs onto the surface.
6. Spread evenly with the brush. Crucial: too thin gives weak texture; too thick creates bubbles and irregularities that collect dirt.
7. Formed the texture carefully and very slowly with the roller. Any speed created bubbles and splashes, complicating and dirtying everything. Painting took about five hours.
8. The instructions allow walking on it the next day, but recommend longer drying in cool, humid conditions, out of direct sun. The shed was 12°C, humidity about 70%. I returned after a day.
9. Removed the masking tape. Harder than expected: constant tearing, requiring screwdriver and fingernails. Almost six hours, sore fingers and a thirty-litre bag of tape scraps.
10. Refitted hatch, locker lids, vents and other fittings, generously bedding every bolt in marine UV-resistant sealant. Usually Sikaflex 591; this time, similar Tikalflex Contact 12.
How it felt
When I finished and looked closely, the emotion overwhelmed me. Two months’ work justified in a moment. Photographs can’t convey it: I was literally breathless with happiness. A passing marina employee looked at the deck and asked if I was proud. Then I knew: absolutely!
#maintenance
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