In January I bought my first boat, a 2013 LT25 with a stick steer 30hp Tohatsu. Water ready but also enough of a fixer upper to keep my appetite for a project satisfied.
![Tire Sky Wheel Automotive tire Vehicle]()
The gel coat on the deck was worn away in a few places and the original owner glassed in a system to carry a kayak (gotta haul your kayak with your motorized canoe right?)
The paint was so badly oxidized I thought it was matte grey. I should have left this be because it actually looked didn’t look that bad if you didn’t know it was supposed to be gloss black lol.
But she ran like a top and fished well so I was at a fork in the road, fuck it and go fish or work on the boat. I said I’ll fish it while I make a game plan.
Life has a funny way of making plans for you and on the 4th or 5th trip I put her on the by trailer and one of the bunks detached. The bracket that the bunks were attached to the trailer were toast, miracle the other bunks were still there at all. So I replaced the bunks and brackets on my next day off. Was still itching to work on the boat so I got started restoring the gelcoat. It turned out fairly well but a year later it needs to be redone.
![Boat Watercraft Automotive tire Boat trailer Tire]()
That kept me happy for a few more months while toyed with how I wanted to approach the deck. In august I burned up the Jack plate relays and bilge pump and decided it was time. I really wanted a center console and raised front deck but after much deliberation I settled on removing the vertical rod holders, kayak rack holders, 4ft power pole (way overkill) and a few other Knick knacks and fixing it a fresh coat of paint.
Never again will I paint a boat in august in Texas. It was miserable work but still better than being at work. I also rewired some of the lights and added rod tubes under the rear deck because 9ft rods didn’t fit as well as I would have liked.
I used the one part Rustoleum Topside primer and paint, I read that guys were having issues with the paint being really soft and I saw that someone used a catalyst hardener from tractor supply. Im not sure how soft it comes out without the catalyst but it seems pretty dang hard with it!
I don’t have any pics of the work so I’ll see if I can get some soon.
The gel coat on the deck was worn away in a few places and the original owner glassed in a system to carry a kayak (gotta haul your kayak with your motorized canoe right?)
The paint was so badly oxidized I thought it was matte grey. I should have left this be because it actually looked didn’t look that bad if you didn’t know it was supposed to be gloss black lol.
But she ran like a top and fished well so I was at a fork in the road, fuck it and go fish or work on the boat. I said I’ll fish it while I make a game plan.
Life has a funny way of making plans for you and on the 4th or 5th trip I put her on the by trailer and one of the bunks detached. The bracket that the bunks were attached to the trailer were toast, miracle the other bunks were still there at all. So I replaced the bunks and brackets on my next day off. Was still itching to work on the boat so I got started restoring the gelcoat. It turned out fairly well but a year later it needs to be redone.
That kept me happy for a few more months while toyed with how I wanted to approach the deck. In august I burned up the Jack plate relays and bilge pump and decided it was time. I really wanted a center console and raised front deck but after much deliberation I settled on removing the vertical rod holders, kayak rack holders, 4ft power pole (way overkill) and a few other Knick knacks and fixing it a fresh coat of paint.
Never again will I paint a boat in august in Texas. It was miserable work but still better than being at work. I also rewired some of the lights and added rod tubes under the rear deck because 9ft rods didn’t fit as well as I would have liked.
I used the one part Rustoleum Topside primer and paint, I read that guys were having issues with the paint being really soft and I saw that someone used a catalyst hardener from tractor supply. Im not sure how soft it comes out without the catalyst but it seems pretty dang hard with it!
I don’t have any pics of the work so I’ll see if I can get some soon.
