Coat it?

Firedog · 06-19-2001, 09:49 AM

Ok I was wondering what is the best for the bottom of my new drift boat. Was told should put something on it and was wondering if coat it is best or is there something better or do I really need to have anything on it. Boat is a 17' Willie. Thanks Firedog.

Oakie Drifter · 06-19-2001, 10:03 AM

Try Fishermans Marine Supply. Its where I have purchased the stuff in the past. OR, you could call around to places like GI Joes to see if they carry it and price compare. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Big Willie · 06-20-2001, 02:22 PM

Firedog...I use Coat-it and it works well. Keep in mind that if you fish low water, you will have to fix the cracks every year. Which is nothing more than patching with more Coat-it. It is durable, but not bulletproof. If you don't fish low water than your first coat will be your last. A little tech tip...follow the directions closely.

fish forever · 06-21-2001, 12:23 PM

Dont forget to get the right Roller/brush. Get the ones with real short knap, tough quality roller.

Dumb me, i just grabbed any housepaint roller - and now i got this nice fleck texture of roller cloth material on the bottom where the roller disintegrated.

Tanner · 06-21-2001, 12:38 PM

You should talk to Hey Yall, I hear he uses Preperation H on the bottom of his cataraft. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Seriously, you might want to go to West Marine and talk to them, they have a product that is called (I Think) Epoxy Bottom Coat. It is supposed to be a lot better than gluvit

Firedog · 06-22-2001, 08:21 AM

Thans for the info. From everyones advice I went to fishermans the day before yesterday and got some Coat It. Now just need to find a day I am not working or fishing and get it taken care of. Thanks for the tips on applying also. Off to try and get a couple fish to BBQ at work this weekend, got two the other day but we ate them already [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Take it easy. Firedog

KarenLee · 06-22-2001, 08:23 AM

useful info [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

RiverMan · 06-22-2001, 01:05 PM

Can anyone tell me if all the gluvit has to be removed before using the coat-it? And if so, how best to remove it? Oh, and how much coat-it will it take to adequately cover a 16' Alumweld? Thanks.

RM

06-22-2001, 06:19 PM

Can Coat-it or Gluvit be used on the bottom of a fiberglass driftboat that has had the slippery gel coat worn thru? Thanks.

RT

smilesforu · 06-22-2001, 11:25 PM

RT if it is the fiberglass bottom portion your asking about I asked Don Hill and he said to just get some coat it. Makes it as good as new. I was concerned with the new mini drifter and its bottom protection. Apparently I can use it until I need to restore the bottom and can use the Coat it to do it. What I am not sure about is how slipppery the regular fiberglass is compared to the coat it.

RW · 06-23-2001, 10:37 PM

RiverMan,

All of the gluvit does not have to be removed before applying coat-it. I first used a scraper to get all the loose stuff off, then I used a rough grade sand paper on a belt sander to get off all the rough edges and thin some areas. I applied the coat-it (I used the larger of the two cans I had to choose from, the size I don't recall) with a wide blade spreader with little problem, just don't get it on so thick that it wants to run down hill while drying.

It was a lot easier than I thought it would be to do, just some time and elbow grease required! RW

RiverMan · 06-23-2001, 10:43 PM

Hey RW,

I appreciate the information, thank you.
I will give it a try.
RM

Pete · 06-25-2001, 04:34 AM

I do grind all the old gluvit off the bottom of my drifter before recoating. I use a scraper, followed by a rotary sander to get as much of the old coating off as possible. There are always some spots that I can't get to bare metal.