TENGERU RE-FIT

This is where I started. Tengeru had previously been painted black. Not a good colour for a cruising boat, methinks.!!

I decided that since she was verging on becoming a classic, having been built in 1970 - 44 years ago - I would change the colour and chose a slightly off-white colour, Ivory. I think this more in keeping with a boat of that age.

I'd read somewhere, 2 pack paint was by far the best to use. However, if you don't know what the existing colour is, you have to use a one pack paint. So, that's the way I went. I used 'Toplac' as a top coat and International's 'Pre-Kote' as the base.

After first rubbing the whole hull down, with 80 grade sanding paper, on an orbital sander, I then went round the hull, inch by inch, looking for imperfections. Besides stress cracks that had appeared amidships, both sides ( you can see the one on port side - the big white splodge) I found a multitude of small pin holes in the paint/gel coat. I think these would have been left after she was first laid up in the mold, where air bubbles would have been. I filled everything I found with epoxy filler and faired them with 120 grade. I then washed the hull off with soap and water and once it was dry, wiped it all down with white spirit. I then rolled on a coat of the 'Pre-Kote' trying to get it as even as possible........................

................. This picture is of the first 50/50 coat. That is half Pre-Kote and half topcoat. I forgot to take pics of the Pre-Kote stage (doh). At this point I broke out my wet and dry and went over the whole hull, as I had previously done with the Pre-Kote base. I used a 360 grade wet and dry, with a little washing up liquid in the water. You need to be gentle as you don't want to rub the whole lot off again. Once I'd done that, it was wash it down and clean it off with white spirit, once again. I then applied another coat of 50/50. On all these applications of paint, I used the 'roll and tip' method. It's a lot easier with two people, one following the other. I guess I looked like an octopus, as I first rolled the paint on, then dashed for the tipping brush to apply the down ward strokes. The weather was extreemly warm and I was aware that the paint would start to 'go off' as I applied it. You need to keep a 'wet edge' as you go. I ruined 2 T-shirts and a nice pair of blue shorts doing this job.

And here we are with the final topcoat on. Again, I forgot to take pics of the rubbing down of the 50/50 coat. (again Doh). Mind you my name's Nigel Robinson, not David Bailey, hehee.........

Spot the brush marks.!!!!

I have to say that International Toplac does what it says on the tin. It colours the boat and smooths out well.

I'm now going to wait a few weeks for the paint to harden, before I play with the boot top and the fancy line on the sheer. My reason is simply that I don't want to apply masking tape before the paint is fully dry. I'd hate to pull the paint off.!!