CONTINUOUSWAVE

Hello everyone. I just picked up a [1995--please use FOUR DIGITS for model year] Montauk 17 last weekend and couldn't be happier. As I tear into the boat for cleaning, I have run into a few items that I want to address and am wondering the best way to tackle them. Please provide any thoughts on how you would go about the following. Thanks in advance.


[There are] chips are on the [deck] next to the non-skid. To me, it looks like [the damage area] is down to the glass fibers, and I assume I will want to fill this with a fiberglass and resin mixture, then gelcoat. I didn't want to spend much more on this boat than I already have, so the plan was to put a temporary patch down to hold me through the summer until the fall when I have more time and money to do it correctly. Should I grind down [the chipped area] a bit and add some marine Loc-tite just as a temp fix? The interior color is white, although it is an off-white. How well would it match, as I hear the Loc-tite marine is a close match to the desert tan.

[I removed two dead links here--jimh]

The bow locker is splitting along the corner and there is some cracking on the sides and top. Any thoughts on how to get this back together for good? I assume the cracking would be handled the same way with the Loc-tite for now and grind and gelcoat in the fall.



3. The gauge plate and dials are pretty dried out. How do I make them shine like new?



Thank you all in advance for your help.
Brent

I assume the bow [laminated hatch cover] is hollow. Do I apply 5200 around the edges and put a weight on it [until the 5200] cures?

To make a temporary repair to small holes in the deck, cover the holes with Scotch 35 vinyl electrical tape in white. This will keep water out until you can make a proper repair with resin.

The bow locker laminated cover can be repaired with epoxy resin with some thickener. Tint the epoxy to an off white. It looks like the repair area will not show when the hatch is closed, so you won't have to get a perfect match.

I have never heard of Loc-Tite marine. Thus I don't know if its color is similar to Desert Tan.

Most repairs are made with epoxy resin or perhaps with polyester resin. I find epoxy much easier to work with, easier to make small patches, and it is a better adhesive.

The helm instrument panels are usually made of aluminum and are painted. To restore the color and luster to the paint, try some paint renewal treatments, or just repaint the panels with new paint. Try WD40.

The electrical gauge dial bezels are often plastic. Sometime the color and lustre of plastic can be renewed with WD40.

Thanks Jim! Appreciate the feedback.

He's referring to Loctite marine epoxy, available from Home Depot. I use it to patch old screw holes. It's not a perfect match, but it's reasonably close enough that it doesn't stand out like a sore thumb. It can be used underwater and takes about 2 hours to set up. I've had some repairs intact after 8 years. I'd recommend it for temporary or permanent repairs, depending on where the patch is and how visible the area is.

I was actually thinking about trying to add some brown and maybe yellow acrylic paint to the marine loc-tite and see how it sets up on a test piece of plastic. I figure the small amount of pigment might help match the color better and should not make much of a difference to the overall makeup of the epoxy. I am trying it this weekend and will report back with the outcome.