Re: Painting the Hull

Posted by Steve C on Jul 6, 2004

I use my one year old 17LT 2 to 4 times per week, paddling 250 miles since last July. When I built it, I fussed over the finishes and the thing looked georgeous (Hi-build primer, Brightsides, Epifanes varnish). After the third time out, I realized it is almost impossible to cart the thing out of the garage, get it on the roof rack, remove from the rack, dock or beach launch, make one or more dock or beach landings, return it to the roof rack, transport it home, and return it to storage, ALL without leaving a mark on the thing. Hence, I refinished my Triple two weeks ago with what CLC refers to as a "workboat finish". After one year of heavy use, I realize that paddling is better than time in the shop, and I built the thing to PADDLE, not look at. . .

FWIW, my 17 has about 200 little paint chips, strap abbrasions, scratches from paddle float rentry practice, paint missing on keel from landings, black marks from roof rack foam, etc., and there is not a single time that I launch where kayakers or regular citizens fail to provide feedback indicating how beautiful my boat is. The point is that only you will ever see or care about what minor imnperfections remain.

My advice, get the thing in the water.

SteveC

Its not worht fussing put the boat on the roof rack

In Response to: Painting the Hull by Joe Deets on Jul 6, 2004

Replies:

• Re: Painting the Hull by Dick R on Jul 6, 2004
  • Re: Painting the Hull by Joe Lombardo on Jul 6, 2004
    • Re: Painting the Hull by Steve Miller on Jul 6, 2004
      • Re: Painting the Hull by Doug Judd on Jul 6, 2004
    • Canal Paddling by Steve C on Jul 7, 2004
      • Re: Canal Paddling by Doug Judd on Jul 7, 2004
        • Re: Canal Paddling by Rich P on Jul 7, 2004
      • Re: Canal Paddling by Joe Lombardo on Jul 8, 2004
• Re: Painting the Hull - W by Paul Jordan on Jul 8, 2004
  • Re: Painting the Hull - W by Steve Miller on Jul 8, 2004