Professor May 12, 2009 at 3:19 pm Reply Hi Gord…This is a nice hull for the big waters of Eagle Lake. The ride is impressive. I’m sure that your efforts will produce a beautiful finish. Are you planning on restoring that previously damaged area near the bow?
Gord May 12, 2009 at 3:44 pm Reply No, this is more a refinishing job vs a restoration. I hadn’t planned on taking off the keel but it was so bad I had to. I would like to have it in the water in a couple weeks so the rush is on. The weather is going sour with chance of snow this Friday…..seems like a typical walleye opener! I will be chasing the trout so I will report back on that.
Perchmaster May 13, 2009 at 11:55 pm Reply Saw that forecast glad we are a week late agin this year hope things warm up by the 21st, but some cold weather till then is good keeps the water cold and the lake trout in shallow for when I arrive.Better get that boat up and running or you will have 2 very unhappy guests in cabin 1 again this year.HAHAHA!!!!Looking good Gord better put a bigger motor on the back right away?
Gord May 14, 2009 at 1:27 pm Reply It’s hard to do any boat refinishing when the wind is howling and the temperatures are below freezing! This coming weekend looks like a good one to skip.
Perchmaster May 15, 2009 at 12:43 am Reply The forecast I see hear sounds like it will be a typical openning week-end for Canada. COLD/SNOWNICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Andy Lewis May 15, 2009 at 3:46 pm Reply Gord, Are you going to refinish with a simple varnish, or have you ever used epoxy? Epoxy makes a very strong sealing coat but still needs a few final finish coats of varnish to provide U.V. protection. Andy
Gord May 15, 2009 at 7:27 pm Reply I’m refinishing with a “West System” epoxy, followed by some special (must be at $40 a quart) varnish. The epoxy was what was used by the person that built the boat….it looks pretty tough. Calling for snow tonight so that refinishing will have to wait.
Andy Lewis May 15, 2009 at 7:37 pm Reply Gord, The West System is the way to go. I first used epoxy when I built a Chesapeake Bay mahogany kayek. From that experience I was able to renovate a Boston Whaler that had significant hull damage. It’s amazing the strength you get with just a few coats of epoxy. The instructions with the west system are also quite good. Just be sure to scrub with soap, water, and 3-M pad between coats to get rid of what is known as the amine blush. The varnish does little more than provide U.V. protection. The epoxy turns “cloudy” if you don’t have some form of U.V. protection.
