Rubber Deck coverings

[NateHanson]

I'm thinking of doing my current boat's deck with Vetus or Treadmaster non-slip when I repaint the deck. Has anyone had experience with these? Anyone know a good source for this material? (All I've found for the Vetus is vetus.com, and it's pretty darn expensive (like $320 for a 3'x8' piece!)

(I have to admit this isn't for an Ericson - my NEXT boat is an Ericson - so for now, please forgive my questions regarding a non-E-boat.)

 

[Loren Beach]

Putting the "Non" back into the Skid

Whenever I run this idea by the local yard manager (and indeed I have...) he sez to beware of the added weight of the Treadmaster plus the epoxy adhesive on top of the deck. He generally would rather that I grind the old non-skid flat, and paint with LPU with non-skid grit added.

While the weight of the Treadmaster would not be as much as a teak deck, there would certainly be a noticeable increase, relatively high off the waterline, that would change the performance of the boat a bit.

As my boat ages, the factory non-skid pattern gets smoother by the year, and the subject of renewal keeps gaining currency...


Interesting topic. Keep us posted. What size and species of boat are you refurbishing?
Loren in PDX
Olson 34

 

[NateHanson]

It's a Columbia 26 MkII. I originally found this list when I was looking at an Ericson 30, that I was considering buying with a friend. Then this came along for a buck, and it was a lot more realistic for us to refit this boat for a couple years, and move up to a mid-30's range Ericson or similar robust performance cruiser in a bit when we've got a little more cash to invest in the boat we really want.

Back to the deck covering - I hadn't considered weight. That's worth thinking about. I wonder what a sheet of that weighs. I'd imagine for my 26 footer, I'd be talking about no more than a couple hundred pounds of added weight. (at least that's what I'd hope.)

Some of that weight is accounted for by grinding off the existing non-skid though.

I suppose grit in PU paint would be a good deal cheaper than vetus too, eh? And cost is an important factor on this refit. We don't want to put $10,000 into a one-dollar boat that we probably can't sell for more than $5,000 down the road.

Nate

 

[Chris Miller]

no more toothbrush handles for you!

Hey Nate, just make sure you cut off half of the handle of your toothbrush and tear the cover off your one 300-page-or-less paperback. If all your crew does this- and replace the cushions with pipe-berths, you'll gain all that weight back... No Problem!
Just kidding--
Let us know how it turns out,
Chris

 

[NateHanson]

I'll just make sure my 2 y.o. daughter stops growing.

 

[NaplesbobT]

Nate:
When I was out looking for my 35-2, one of the prospects had done the treadmaster bit. It really looked good, in a contrasting color, and the fellow that did the job, seemed to be very happy with it. The 35 I ended up with, is in Bristol condition, as far as the deck goes, but it does not have treadmaster. When I get some other projects and equipment updates done, I may think again about re-doing the non-skid. I don't think weight would be a problem on a boat above 30 feet, but the big factor would be cost. It seems to me that these companies that offer a non-skid like treadmaster, are self defeating, and that the production costs for them, can't be that much. They could really increase their sales volume by a 20-30% decrease in price, and probably increase their over-all profit, just on volume. Anybody have an "in" at one of these companies where they could suggest such a thing?
NaplesbobT