Removing\leveling original non-skid hatches?

[jeff6645]

I am redoing my floor and want to go back with Kiwigrip but hit a snag... on the casting deck and hatches I still have the original non-skid pattern. I thought I would just sand it,but that seem to be a bigger job than I have planned!

Thought about roughing up surface and mixing up some epoxy & silica and use as a leveling compound will that work?

Any tips on smoothing it out?

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

why do you want to smooth it ? why not just go over it ? it will have a slight lip on the paint if you tape the edges ?? this interests me also as well as the Kiwi grip as i have to do the inside of mine.. a good friend of mine that does some fiberglass uses white appliance enamel with shark grip.. this will be one of the next things done to mine .. and if i may add to yours .. if you filled any old holes how did you fill them.. i have been chamfering all the old holes i find just to stop any cracks but need to start doing the hole filling soon...

[jeff6645]

I wouldn't smooth out the old non-skid if I could match it on the new decking I put in.

Did a trial on one of my hatch covers. I roughed up the surface and mixed epoxy with carbosil and spread it with a 12" paint guild. Looks good, will sand tomorrow and see how it looks... may have to add a second coat. I did fair out around all cracks and holes.

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

dont use sand !! it is vewry corse and when the paint rubs of the top will leave holes.. use shark grip of other similar texture..

[jeff6645]

I am using "air bubbles" that you mix in with the epoxy.. sands pretty easy.

[nate22]

I used a belt sander with 60 or 80 grit paper to level mine. After it is knocked down level you can use a higher grit paper on an orbital sander to make smoth. Yes it did take some time but was not that bad at all. You will have top prime and spot putty befor the kiwigrip.

[jeff6645]

Got it almost ready to paint after a lot of sanding and filling.

Removing the rod holders and cleats was a lot harder than I thought it would be... someone used stainless bolts with steel nuts and the were rusted in place, had to cut some of them off and drill out one that I couldn't get to with the grinder.

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

Follwoing to see the finished product !! i have to paiint the sole in ours and undecided on what my process as of yet... i dont want to take our boat out of condition until after summer..

[jeff6645]

I didn't want to take it out before snapper season but the floor was just to bad. Glad I did now after seeing the gas filler hose... it was rotten and leaking.. vent hose too. It was just a matter of time before we had a fire. The old saying "what you don't know wont hurt you" sure didn't apply in this case.

Posted some pictures in the album section.

[RUSTYNTABATHA]

I wont be fishing the first 2 days... too ruff the first day and My wife's mardis gras crew puts on a race party in one of the penthouse condos at turquoise towers for the boat races on sunday... Ita a pretty good shin dig... 50 a head includes food and alchohol with live music on top of the tallest condo in the middle of the track....