1993 Chaparral Gemini 190: Chronicles of a New Boat Owner (Deck Rebuild) [SPLASHED June 2018]

[ACon977]

Nice! Great to see it together. Did you just use a roller to put the gel coat on?

 

[bpounds1991]

Thanks! Yeah ACon977 I used the 4" white rollers from Home Depot, they come in a 6 pack for about 10$.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I used the 1/4” nap smooth surface, (cabinet) rollers from HD. I laid down gelcoat in my bow instead of carpet like the factory. You have to do a lot of prep work to include sanding and fairing, but in the end the results are very satisfying. I can remember how nice it was to have that bright white smooth surface going down. Ahhhhhh!

 

[bpounds1991]

Oh yeah it feels fantastic and the wife is digging it lol. I just put down the 5th (waxed) layer and am waiting for it to stop being tacky. Taking longer than usual considering it's about 80 out, used 1% MEKP, and 2% styrene.

 

[bpounds1991]

I just left the house and it’s still tacky, not horrible but definitely not what I expected with the wax. Has anyone had similar issues or does it just instantly feel smooth once it cures? Must be user error

 

[bpounds1991]

When I came home last night it had smoothed over, and the admiral took her first steps on the smooth new deck :laugh:. Went to install all the hatches today and the ski locker hatch was warped, so Amazon is overnighting me a new one for tomorrow.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

Awesome. I was going to post to give it more time or add heat. Either way, it would cure. Love the white gel.

 

[bpounds1991]

Got the new ski locker hatch installed, worked like a charm but still slightly warped. It's frustrating but I think I can look past that in the main scheme of things lol. The admiral and I are going to sit down and make out the final to-do list in the morning, and then I'll spend most of tomorrow and the rest of the week finishing all of it.

 

[bpounds1991]

 

[chevymaher]

Solved that problem did ye. Congrats.

 

[tpenfield]

Is the locker hatch warped . . . or is the deck opening not 100% true?

 

[bpounds1991]

It's not warped in the opening, it slid right in no issues. The problem is even if the hatch is just sitting on a flat surface the lid has a slight bend to it, but the gasket is completely sealed somehow lol.

 

[kcassells]

lol

 

[bpounds1991]

As we move closer to this weekend I'm still curious about the wood panels (that section off the bow area storage, as well as the long piece I removed that separates the aft storage area from the bilge) in post #456. If they're for structural integrity I'll most definitely put them back in, but if they're just for "cleaner" storage, I'll just leave as is.

 

[bpounds1991]

Nothing?! D:

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I did go back and look, it’s just really tough for me to see what your asking in those pics. Maybe a new pic?

 

[bpounds1991]

Sure thing, let me go take a few.

 

[bpounds1991]

 

[bpounds1991]

From top to bottom:

On picture 2 is the very front of the bow storage section, it's missing a panel on the left side that I'll be cutting and replacing tomorrow.

Pictures 3 and 4, passenger and driver's seat straight through to the left and right bow storage areas. Do I need to put a piece enclosing the storage off from the side of the boat's fiberglass, or can those be left open and gel coated? My plan is to enclose that area with one small piece of ply on the back of each section, and then another panel to hide the hardware (where your feet would be).

Pictures 6, 7, and 8:

The wide aft storage section where I removed a wood panel that closed the area off from the bilge, batteries, and oil housing. Is it a structural necessity to replace or can it be done later?

 

[bpounds1991]

Gentlemen, I have officially hit a roadblock. Everything was put back together today... drain hoses, fuel/vent hoses, bilge pump, aerator, steering cables, all hooked up and good to go. When we dropped the cap....everything was going fine BUT in the transom area, we are roughly 3/8" off from getting the outboard bolts connected. Most likely going to get some quotes tomorrow to see how much it would be to have it "professionally finished" i.e. top cap back on with the rub rail etc.

Here's some pictures of today, the pictures with the washer and the other gel coat hole show just how close but far off we are.