Re: [Paddlewise] Fiberglass jitters- deck and hull upkeep

Tom,

>From one GS owner to another CONGRATULATIONS!! My boat is three years old
and has picked up a few scratches and dings over time.

The previous owner of my boat (he had it for 2 years) is a retired fire
captain and is absolutely anal about the way he cares for his
equipment--plus he paddles with me every week and inspects the boat for any
new marks. ;-)

One trick I learned from him is to buy two cheap camp stools to put the boat
on when you get off of the water and carry fresh water to wash it down with.
Then use some 303, Armour All, or equivalent UV protectorant over the entire
boat. It works better than wax on making the scratches disappear. The 303
will wash off as easily as any good FG wax, but it really makes the boat
look good.

My boat gets used, does surf launches and landings, etc and has picked up
some scratches along the way, I still get complements almost every time I go
out, while some of my friends with newer boats don't get any.

Another tip that I learned (from Derek H) was to take some Marine Tex epoxy
and use it to build up the keel right behind the skeg box. That area gets
rubbed a lot when launching from a beach with surf and was starting to wear
down to the fiberglass. Derek said the epoxy was easier to work with and was
more abrasion resistant than gel coat.

Hope this helps and enjoy your new boat--I sure love mine.

Steve Holtzman

----- Original Message -----
From: "Tom LeTourneau" <tletourn_at_maine.rr.com>


> OK, I've got to be up front. I'm a proud owner of my very first fiberglass
> kayak... a CD Gulfstream, with which I have sincerely fallen in love.
Snip............
............ Like a new car owner, I haven't gotten over the jitters of
> watching every little ding and scratch appear, especially on the hull
> during rescue and rolling practice.


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