1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

Feel free to start pointing and laughing. I can take it, it's ok.

I don't "need" to paint my 15' fiberglass affair, but I'd really like to. It's never been punctured or cracked, but it has enough rash, etc; I'd like to smooth it up all nice like, and get a fresh paint job done. Of course, my money tree is still in the mail so I'd like it to be as economical as possible.

This is what it looks like today - any ideas?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Start by reading the threads at the the bottom of this page (scroll down), then do a search, there are hundreds of threads on this topic. This will give you a much better idea of what you need to know and will result in more specific questions.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

That is nice little boat you have on your hands............why does the side of it look smashed in? does the other side of the hull match? I have never seen a hull design quite like that before.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

The front bow/hull area does look a little funky in the pic. Almost like heat warped or something? I had a little runabout that was close to but not in a forest fire; lots of weird shapes in that one afterwards.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Sorry, I should have known better to post something before asking questions.

Must be a shade/lighting trick in the photo - looks wierd to me too now that it's mentioned, but rest assured that both sides of the boat are the same and as they should be. Here is the other side:

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

last pic was a no go.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

did that work?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

rustoleum seems to be the budget option.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Page #10 of my My Flamingo thread has details on how to Paint your hull and top cap with Rustoleum Professional Oil Based Acrylic Enamel, using a Hardener. You can do the entire boat for under $100.00 Roll n' Roll or HVLP Spray. Results are very durable and paint is very shiny. It will look like a new one. It should be noted that with any paint job, good results depend on Good Prep of the underlying surface.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

allCAD said:

did that work?

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Yes the pic is good now. and i see what the function of that dip is now. it appears you will be sitting WAYYYYYYY forward in the boat. i have never seen a boat like yours before. I like it a lot. Good find. keep us posted on the paint job, make sure to take pictures so we can drool. what color are you going with?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Walcott said:

Yes the pic is good now. and i see what the function of that dip is now. it appears you will be sitting WAYYYYYYY forward in the boat. i have never seen a boat like yours before. I like it a lot. Good find. keep us posted on the paint job, make sure to take pictures so we can drool. what color are you going with?

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Yeah, I thought it had it's own swagger/personality as well. I'm glad she's mine. The seating arrangement is kinda silly, if you ask me: actually sitting down in the drivers seat, you are so close to the wheel it feels a bit ridic, but I know a lot of boats that have that feel. I already know I'll spend most of my time sitting on the top of the seat, but whatever. It is Canadian-made, so maybe my fellow hosers had put a few stubbies away before getting to work. I'll have a lot more pics up to view, but I think it is situated so far foreward to allow for further seating: aside from the 2 standard double-back seats, there is a matching bench in the back that slides out of the way to cover the gas tanks/battery/etc. So, for 15', it can seat 6 with ease and 8 in a squeeze.

My thoughts right now are to go bright teal/turquoise, perhaps flecked, accented with hospital white; all of it high gloss. I want it to look like it rolled off the assembly in the 60's and fell directly into a time warp to my backyard in 2011. Ugly as sin, but also head-turningly beautiful, and oh-so appropriate for the time period it was built. I got the idea from the underside of the bimini cover: it's that colour.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Woodonglass said:

Page #10 of my My Flamingo thread has details on how to Paint your hull and top cap with Rustoleum Professional Oil Based Acrylic Enamel, using a Hardener. You can do the entire boat for under $100.00 Roll n' Roll or HVLP Spray. Results are very durable and paint is very shiny. It will look like a new one. It should be noted that with any paint job, good results depend on Good Prep of the underlying surface.

Click to expand...

Yes, I am prepared for this to be 90% gruelling prep and 10% painting. I will certainly spend some quality time with your thread, thank you greatly for the reference. I'm just a guy that will have off-and-on assistance from friends that volunteer in his garage and/or backyard - can you do the roll/roll method on a boat like this under those circumstances? It's probably 500lb+. I do, luckily, have access to proper spraying equipment.

Re: paint fiberglass?

Re: paint fiberglass?

Yep, Roll n' Roll works great once you get the hang of it. Temps are important too! I'd recommend using Mineral Spirits as your reducer when Rolling.

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

I just started grazing your Flamingo thread, it is awe inspiring and if nothing else, will serve as a bar to jump over. Or at least attempt: that'll be a high jump.

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

Nah, I was just like you a while back. This forum can teach you just about anything when it comes to boats. If you have any skills at all, you'll be performing like a Pro in No Time!!!!

PM me anytime you need help.

And Oh by the way....

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

If its cool out dont use Mineral Spirits, the day I did my green, it was cooler, and Mineral Spirits definately gave me more time, but also more runs, The acetone worked great to keep it from running, but during a hot day id say MS all the way because on hot days the acetone thickens paint too fast and it wont self level! This is just what I learned doing it alone at the snails pace that I move.

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

JDA1975 said:

If its cool out dont use Mineral Spirits, the day I did my green, it was cooler, and Mineral Spirits definately gave me more time, but also more runs, The acetone worked great to keep it from running, but during a hot day id say MS all the way because on hot days the acetone thickens paint too fast and it wont self level! This is just what I learned doing it alone at the snails pace that I move.

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Now that's good hands-on advice.

I would like to miss as little time as possible with this as I can, so I will be using it in it's current state for what's left of this year, storing it for the winter, and then will begin after the thaw. If the stars are aligned, I'll be able to maybe get a good headstart on the prep before the snow this winter, but after I've taken it out for the last time. Sometimes our late Novembers/early Decembers are without snow and still bright/sunny during the day.

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

In reading some of the awesome restoration threads around here, I see a common theme (unfortuantley) is sogged out transoms and decks/foam/stringers. I'm cool with doing that kind of work, but yesterday I drilled into the transom and the ply is dry as a bone. I did not continue into the floor thinking I may be trying to fix what's not broke: what are the chances everything is fine? Is there any way to check without making holes?
The transport Canada tag (original to the manufacturing date) shows the weight of the boat as built: if I took the motor off and everything out that is not supposed to be part fo that weight (gas tanks, battery, anchor, etc) and then put it on the scales, would getting the original(ish) weight showing up be a good indication of a dry boat through and through? Or still risky? Again, I'm not shy about doing work that's needed and I'm not a corner-cutter, but why would I get all involved in something I don't have to?

Also, the winshield has a big crack on the passener side (battled with a barn swallow years ago, and there were no winners). Do I have any chance at all of replacing it? I cannot for the life of me find any information about this boat, and my e-mail to the manufacturuer has gone unanswered (even though they are attempting a resurgence by re-releasing a new version of their best seller [Humber Jewel]). It does, however, look a lot like many other windshields from other boats/manufacturers of the same period (tons on this very forum). Were they standardized? Is there a chance the windshield from a different boat would fit like OEM to mine?

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

the only reliable way is core samples... you have to make the holes. Maybe start in the bilge and work with the stinger back there so that the hole is unseen. I'd imagine that's where the stringer rot would be most likely to start.

Check with an auto glass place for a windshield. They can probably fab one for you. Or you can buy a windshield or do what JDA1975 did and get a free boat and take the windshield from that. Plenty of options.

Re: 1967 Humber Surf beautification project.

As I expected. I wiffed on the transport Canada tag anyway; I thought it said 500 someodd pounds, but a wipe with my thumb and a closer look shows it to actually read 1500 someodd pounds fully loaded including motor and passengers. I'm taking it out this weekend for some fall fishing, so no coring yet, but I'll update the thread when I do.

And, as a shot in the dark, I'll post this picture of the decals on the sides of the stern. These will be removed when I get to prepping and painting, but I'd really like to replace them when I'm done. I've e-mailed the manufacturer, but no response of any kind. They are matte painted, but I can see when there have been rubbed, etc that they are on some kind of foil base.