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MicHughV · 24-05-2024, 06:43

My boat was steel and had the usual several layers of paint...zinc...primer...top coat, etc

The deck tread is expensive...about $30 per sheet. Going from memory, it was about $900 to do my boat.

You might try the Chines website " Temu" they list some on there at a cheaper price.

Jim Jones · 24-05-2024, 06:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicHughV

Going cruising with a side arm strapped to your side seems to defeat the purpose of cruising ???

Yes I get that and in normal circumstances I would agree - but it is what it is where I am. Its a wild place and very remote.

My work takes me there so its just something to be faced. I have been captured by rebels before (When the Congo was at war and no I was not in Congo waters - they were on our side of the border and they grabbed me, my crew and our boat - but we escaped so no harm done - just had to stay out of that area for a while as they were upset that we escaped) it is quite unnerving - having an AK shoved in your face is no fun. I was not on a sail boat then - only a "local boat" which was a 10 meter plank boat that was nothing more then a wooden hull with an outboard strapped to it.

In a 42ft sail boat I am expecting much worse. Prefer not to have shoot outs if possible so prefer to hide in the shadows as much as possible - I am not kidding about this stuff - its very real.

Precautions I am taking are - fitting 2 electric motors to the hull so I can move silently at night (keeping the diesel for long distance day time work and use electric at night so almost silent), fitting a crows nest to the mast so I can put a local guy up the mast every night with night vision goggles to scan the area around us all night, fitting IR lights to the spreaders/Bow/stern so that the area is bathed in IR light so that 1/ the night vison goggles can see like its day light when the bandits are close to us 2/ so that day - night cameras around the deck can see very very well at night and from down in our bunks we will be able to see them when they try to board us. (ie, networked cameras - N2K is our friend)

Having said all that, I have lived here for 25 years and quite used to all this stuff. Its just something one learns to live with and deal with. Dark nights are not such a worry but nights with moon illumination will make a boat with a white deck/super structre will stick out like...well will stick out.

Jim Jones · 24-05-2024, 07:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicHughV

My boat was steel and had the usual several layers of paint...zinc...primer...top coat, etc

The deck tread is expensive...about $30 per sheet. Going from memory, it was about $900 to do my boat.

You might try the Chines website " Temu" they list some on there at a cheaper price.

Thanks for the info. If its still $30 per sheet its a bargain and I will take a serious look at this. Hopefully it is available locally.

Jim Jones · 24-05-2024, 08:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by MicHughV

My boat was steel and had the usual several layers of paint...zinc...primer...top coat, etc

The deck tread is expensive...about $30 per sheet. Going from memory, it was about $900 to do my boat.

You might try the Chines website " Temu" they list some on there at a cheaper price.

OK so looked at this. What happens when the deck tread is worn down - how does one replace it? Seems that it is glued down very tightly - might be nightmare to get off when the time comes (and it will)

MicHughV · 25-05-2024, 05:59

Ha, I had that deck tread on my boat for about 10 years, where it saw a lot of abuse, but not to worry, it can take it, as it is extremely tough and resilient, and looked the same after 10 years as the day I put it on.

Yes, I glued it down. I used a one part epoxy glue, schmeered it on, and placed it over the deck. I had some heavy steel weights which I placed over the deck tread to keep it in place as the deck curved, etc. while the glue set, usually about 12 hours as I was doing this in the winter time.

It cuts very easily, as I rounded all the edges, etc, where it had to pass around stanchion bases, vents, etc.
I used several sheets as I wanted the " thread" from one piece to line up with the next foe aesthetic purposes, but if this is not important, you can use less sheets. I did not butt the pieces together, but left about a 1" gap between pieces as I thought it looked cool that way.

I never planned for it to come off. Around the bow, where the anchor and chain are located it saw a lot of abuse, but did just fine. Same at the stern, where there was a lot of activity, no wear whatsoever.

I used cardboard, which I salvaged from various cardboard boxes to lay out the shape of the deck tread patterns. Whatever I cut out for one side, I could flip over and use on the other side.

Seem to recall it took about a week to do it all. The only place I never put it, was the cockpit seats as they had their own cushions.

As I said check out the "TEMU" website. Not sure what kind of delivery service you have in your neck of the woods, but it is a product that gets used a lot in industrial places, etc. so should be available.

As an aside, the original color of my boat was a dark blue and together with the grey deck tread was often a challenge to find in the dark, coming back from the bars in my dinghy. Off course, having had a snootful, didn't help my case either

Jim Jones · 26-05-2024, 06:04

Thanks for the info Mic.

Do have any link to the product you are talking about ?

I have found several "Deck Tread" products, although I have not looked on Temu as I have never used that site before.

MicHughV · 26-05-2024, 06:39

This is the "Temu" link.

Temu is the Chinese version of Amazon.

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.h...iABEgJBrfD_BwE

Jim Jones · 26-05-2024, 06:40

Cheers and beers for the link.

MicHughV · 26-05-2024, 06:42

I can just tell you from personal experience, that for a metal boat, " deck tread" is a "must have" option.
Especially so, when wet, as it is...hands down...far superior to grit/paint mixtures.

Jim Jones · 26-05-2024, 06:45

my only concern is it looking "ratty" after a few years. However you covered that and said it help up ok for 10+ years, so worth consideration.

MicHughV · 26-05-2024, 08:10

Nah, I've got a photo albums full of boat pics, which I could drag out, but just take my word for it.

I've cracked open a gazillion conch and lobster on that deck tread, plus cleaned countless fish and abused it in many other ways, and there was barely a scratch on it.
On the fore peak it had to withstand the abuse of two anchors and chain and did so without a murmur.
Likewise on the transom, where countless other impacts were perpetrated, you'd be hard pressed to find any damage.
It especially shone in wet weather and I could walk about without fear of sliding off.

There was not a lot of color options back then, but these days, you can get it in most any color you want.

As I've already said, I glued it down with a one-part epoxy, which I was able to purchase in a one gallon can, and which pretty much took care of the whole project.