Fully refinish boat deck or partial and SeaDek?

Propofloor

Cadet
Joined
Jan 20, 2019
Messages
12
Hey guys I am looking for some opinions on my boat. I have a 2003 Pathfinder 1900 that has some large chips and cracking in the deck. The whole boat is a Haze gray color. I would like to repair the chips and cracks, but I am torn on which way I should go. I am debating whether I should pay someone to re-do the entire deck and paint it white including fixing the cracks and chips (about $2k+)? The other option would be to repair the larger chips outside the non-skid using a factory color spectrum patch kit, that matches pretty well, then putting a very light colored SeaDek or similar product down to cover the non-skid. I could do the repairs outside of the non-skid myself, then just get the SeaDek done and cover some of the blemishes in the non-skid areas. What are your guys thoughts?
 

roffey

Commander
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
2,187
I would do the DIY stuff but that is me. For me my boat is my R and R and I can take hours to do something that might take someone else 10 min, lol. Pour a rum and coke, turn the radio on and just putter away.
 

roffey

Commander
Joined
Nov 22, 2012
Messages
2,187
... and I bet every response you get will be do it your self, lol. That's what we do here..
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
Our new boat was delivered last November. We ordered it with SeaDek, not only on the swim platform but thru the entire boat as well.

Only 36 minutes on the clock, but I have been working on her all Winter and that SeaDek is awesome on the feet. My son's boat has it and his experience has been very good too.

They have DIY kits, where they send you pattern material and you send them back and they custom form it. Looks like installation is easy.

We looked at the competition at several boat shows this Winter and they surely are the best.
 

briangcc

Commander
Joined
Jul 10, 2012
Messages
2,090
Read the FAQ's on SeaDek....carefully. There's an entry in there about the parabolic effect that windshields create in the sun and how it will bake the SeaDek. One of the reasons I wouldn't recommend it for a full on floor.

SeaDek is also pricey. All in $500 for my custom swim platform.


Don't get me wrong, its wonderful stuff. Just make absolutely sure you know what you're getting yourself into when using the product.


As for the deck....its the last thing to rot. You have other issues going on that will need to be addressed....stringers, transom, wet foam, etc...
 

JimS123

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
7,952
The issue with SeaDek is a "sunburning effect". The specs call for a max temp of 165 F. What enticed us to spend the extra $$$ was past experience that showed extremely cool temps in direct sunlight. In contrast, the next most expensive decking is SeaGrass, which gets really hot in the sun.

While windshields could be a source of problems, probably a worse problem would be a glass bottle laying directly on the deck for long periods. Regardless, for the interior, a covered boat should not be an issue, and a cover is the only way to go anyway.

I have seen 6 year old boats with swim platforms that looked like new. These were boats that were kept outdoors in the water for full summers. For a garage kept trailerable boat it should last a long time. But then again time will tell.

In our case, the interior is snap-in, so if we see issues it can easily be replaced.

I'll report back in 10 years with real life data.
 
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