Seahorse1

They had one at the Clearwater Offshore Race on a trailer for people to go on top and look at the boat, this thing is sweet all arround, the desing i liked the most is the console and controls set up, when you're behind the wheel, you step up on a platform that puts you with an awsome visibility angle, your crew won't block your vision when you're docking or going a little fast by markers were you have to keep your eyes open and looking arround, I couldn't imagine the handling and tight turning until saw the video.

Say you're near an edge on your deck, you are buffing a flat suface and removing compound to get your gloss, when you hit that edge don't use full strengh and speed of the flat part of the buffing pad, use the egde of your pad and use a sweeping motion left 2 right a couple of times you're good, there is a lot less friction yet will get gloss easily, in fact I stay away from edges cause in nature they don't loose the gloss like the top of the deck or a side panel, etc. Another factor in gelcoat finish it's the quality of that gelcoat, I remember at Bertram they changed gelcoat supplier five times in one year, my supervisor complained to the purchasing coordinator in product development because he said they tried to cut a corner and in the end for the warranty given to the customer would have problems ehead with fading, discoloring, pigment yellowing, the problem was they bought tanker loads of it, once you started producing, you had to stay with the same for a while to make sure hulls, floors, decks and flybridges match in color, he was a chemist engineer and knew what he was talking about, but you know all we can do it's keep our stuff in good shape and whenever i see someone has simple question, if i know it and can save you $$, will tell you. take care Nelson hey bud, almost forgot, an inner edge has a lot less gelcoat above the lamination (black) than an outer edge, for example were your inside panel meets the floor is an inner edge, when the gelcoat painter is spraying the mold is easier to put product on the outer edge at the part, wich is the inner edge in the mold. may be confusing and may sound contraditive, but the mold is always the reverse of what you see in your boat.

Hey runner, Use compund Aqua Buff 1000, have a spray bottle with water in it, use a paint brush to apply just a few spots working a 2 sq/ft at a time, spray a little water, spread with a buffer slow speed, when hazed, buff at high speed to show high gloss. When you're done with the boat, follow with Meguiar's MIRROR GLAZE #3, the same way with the buffer, no water spray. To protect from UV and the enviroment, use Collinite's Fiber Glass Wax # 925. (stuff it's great) My boat is a 2000, gelcoat not bad but needed attention, did not need to sand. Use the Aqua Buff 1000 and repeat until you see what u want, don't hit the corners or edges too hard, will bring out (the black) fiberglass lamination under glecoat. Nelson

Thanks Rick, Will see about that Clearwater race, don't know if you follow or heard that the Miss Geico boat cough on fire and it'll be out of service for a while, this boats came to Sarasota every year, I always gathered some friends and family, went out in the gulf and watch the race, a true shame what happened. Rick, changing the subject,, do you have any experience or ever had on your boats a depht sounder? , the ones that look like a gauge and mounts on the dash, Hummingbird claims that it reads depth up to 60 or 70 mph, they also offer two sending units, one that installs outside the transom and a puck that glues to the inside of the hull and reads thru the fiberglass! I have a GPS and a Dual Probe Fish Finder that it does give me depth but it reads up to10 mph, ones I go on plane the depth disapears, so far I'm saved by my GPS with the map card tells me the latest bottom contours(depth sounds) in the area, but have been considering getting one of those gauges and haven't heard much about them, hate to open a hole in the console that's not going to help much, any comments on that are appreciated. thanks again, Nelson

A true shame, what a bad news, I've been watching them race for the past three years here in Sarasota Bay hope they get'r back to business

Thanks Rick, I was planning to put in this weekend and out the same day, then I think next month there is an offshore race out of Clearwater, we'll probably stay for that weekend, hope nothing happens to it. SCAngler, thanks, it took me 2 days to prep and 2 hours to finish, originaly the clearcoat was peeling off on it's own everytime I went out, on the first day I forced to peel as much as possible without damaging the graphics, these graphics were airbrushed at the factory, at first I though it was a big sticker, but no, it is very sensitive to sanding, so once exposed had to be very carefull with it, I used a pressure washer on an angle and about 3 feet away from surface, then washed with 50/50 degreaser both sides (washing is imperative if you hate fisheye on your paint) on the second day before you start sanding, wipe with Clean-Prep Solvent using shop towells(blue shop towells do not leave felp behind), start sanding with an orbital sander 400 grid to even out the old clearcoat that did not come off, but carefull with even the white, it's not the original gelcoat, they applied a pure white base coat to do the graphics on top. Clean-Prep Solvent again, used a pensil and slightly marked (dribled) both sides and followed with 800 sandidng to erase the pensil marks, at this point the surface was very smooth yet rough enough for the clearcoat to adhere, it started raining on me and I used the elements to wash the boat once more to remove sanding dust,etc. it stopped raining and sun came out, it was dried in an hour. I covered the whole boat from the fender up and the trailer, used Homedepot thin plastic film. Taped were the old clearcoat was with a 3M plastic painters tape, this is not ordinary tape, it is actualy used in custom shops, I used it at Bertram all the time to paint waterlines, etc. then masked/paper and wiped again with Clean-Prep Solvent the end of my day was about 9pm. Sunday morning(6am) bled my 3hp compressor, installed a 12" Binks air filter, I have run an air hose by the attic of my house so it's about 80 feet of hose(the further away you are from the compressor, the less chance you have for moist/water contamination to your spray), outside by the boat installed another pressure reg/ filter bough at harbour freight(cheap) but works. I used a Binks HVLP spray gun (HVLP= high volume low pressure) means less air, better flow and lower overspray than syphon conventional gun, but very careful not to run it. The beauty about HVLP and clearcoat is that clears are very sensitive when it comes to over spray and these system actualy uses between 40 to 60 PSI allowing you to see and put the right amount of paint were you need it. The morning was calm, not windy and on the hot side, I put a coat of Dupont 222D Adheresion Promoter, flashed for 15 min. came with the first med-light clear coat (Imron 500S) flashed for 20 min, came with second coat trying to get my high gloss and didn't because my air was too high and product valve too closed, it was too late to come back so I continued on to cover the hole boat, flashed 20 min, I had a little less than half a gallon and this was it, it had to come out wright, adjusted my gun lower air and a little more product, tested on a piece of cardboard and was just what I needed, went ahead with my third and last full gloss coat, started and did not stop till I got to the other side of the hull, and that's what you see in the pictures. Mid day or so as the sun came out it looked like the paint was strectching out, went out to get a bite to eat, came back removed the tape/papers, I've been taking pictures since. Degreaser Clean-Per Solvent and Blue shop towells. 400 grit dry orbital sander 800 grit dry Clean-Prep Solvent 1 Qt. Dupont 222D 1 Gal. Dupont Imron 500S Clearcoat 1 Qt. Dupont 192S Activator +3 HP Air Compressor A good Air filter/water separator. an air dryer would be ideal but expensive, harbour freight has one that uses silica for $40. will look into that. HVLP Spray gun (I recommend Binks or DevilBiss) Good mask respirator, face hood, and long sleeve painter's suit (The activator is odorless, but extremetely TOXIC) will cause permanent asthsma. AND, a good calm windless, hot, dry morning.

Thanks, When you adviced to use the 222D, I called Dupont and asked for the 500S Tech Sheet to get familiar and do it by the book, the gentelman who answered was very helpful and i mentioned 222d, he said was the way to go if you wanted top quality end results, that a lot of folks, including some manufacturers never even bother with it, but it was the correct way to do it, specialy for recoat. How long should I let it cure? I was going to give us a week or so to cure, but for sure as soon as she hits the water will take more pics. thanks again Nelson

Coyote, I'm out of bradenton, the trip to the gulf shouldn't be too bad, but one thing to look for is the tides, on the West coast there are a lot of shallow areas and in low tide, is looow, Depends on your draft, but usually those canals that acces from properties to the bay and gulf are maintained and dretched, with markers, you should be ok. Google can help a lot, if you look at a property, google it and do hybird or bird's eye, look on the water acces and it should give you a good idea. good luck Nelson

Finally got it done today, I've been waiting for the right time, no rain, calm morning and a hot day, Started prepairing friday, covered, sanded and cleaned on saturday and sunday morning was the day, One coat of Dupont 222D Adheresion promoter, 2 medium coats and one full wet coat of Imron 500S Clearcoat. At first alittle orange peel, and though the product valve was too opened, closed it a little and increased air psi, by 10 am the sun was coming up and the paint started to stretch, it looks like glass. I've looked at it about 100 times and just got told that I love the boat more than me!!, so we're going out for an ice cream! Thanks for all your advices, 250 Osprey and Capt. Rick Hoitt. Nelson

Just south east off Egmont Key, beautiful morning, flat and weather said scattered showers in afternoon nothing to be surpirised about, set my chum, and casted several times, nothing... acouple of boat arrived, just when I was going to move on a feeding frenzy started under my boat, it was like show time, we got them in 45 min tops, one after next, cleaned up and left. don't know what happened next, but we had fun. We had pin fish, tried but nothing, I decided a shripm,,,,,baaang,,, there we go. after that anything you pu in the water they went for it. This reef was set about 9 years ego, just two years ego a great fish activity started to develop rapidly, so I read on line. wothr the try. Nelson Wet Dreams-Scarab Sport 302 Bradenton,FL

I did the same when bought mine, asked others and in my case went for the Nitto Grabblers, on a F250 superduty, paid $875 set of four mounted and balanced, I pull a 5000 lbs scarab, going on 25000 miles and looking great, rotate every two oil changes (6000 miles) also this tires were original designed for offroad in sand and gravel performance, but work great on wet surfaces. on the boat ramp never spin the wheels, push on the accelerator slowly and surely brings the boat right out of the ramp, I give alot of credit to the Nitto's. In my search did not hear great things about the Firestone's, they wear faster than other brands, so I was told Meckey Thompson's are also good , but pricy Goodyear, good, Toyo's excelent, MasterCraft not bad, Uniroyal don't go there, Kuhmo's so, so. but no negative comments. Tire manufacturers write lots of wonders on their labels but few stand behind their products, I put 4 new AmeriTrail on my trailer and less than a year one looks cracking on the sides. By the way I take care of things, wash regularly, cover them from the sun and keep them with tire protectant on. The shop I bought them from didn't know why, but also did not offer any warranty or exchange. Also it depends how much they want to help and go far they're going with you. Good luck

Gulfcoaster I am, checking in from Bradenton, I boat/fish all arround from lower Sarasota to Tampa Bay areas. Does anyone know where to buy the Evinrude XD100 Oil at bulk price? some dealers sell the oil when you bring an original empty container at a lower price. I know Gulfcoats Marine in Largo does, 45 miles from home and normaly closed when I get out of work. any help greatly appreciated.

Does any one know who is selling XD100 E-Tech oil in bulk near Sarasota/Bradenton? I heard it's cheaper when you bring the old jug.Thanks

52 of our senators are direct owners in the oil industry, they don't care, they are the main inventors of the ethanol scam, ethanol it's cheap alcohol and water mutated into the gasoline, they use our own tax money to steal from us, they, they,,,,, we need more than ever to realy say "May God Bless America" more than ever. they are little by little destroying us.

Yes, it's a MarineMax sponsored , I heard when they started these events it was only Searay's owners only, but now it's everyone who has a boat and get there by water, just hang out and sometimes they have conserts. When I inquired about it, went to their website and they are having another aqua palooza in Texas were they're having a Country Music concert, don't know what they're doing in thisone. I subcribed in the aqua palooza website and they've sent me updates, one of them is the one here in Sarasota on the 18th, I was wondering if any member have been to one of this and tells us how is it. I'm planning on going, hope it doesn't rain. If anyone going, let me know Nelson