TOPIC: Owens Gel coat or Paint?

Although slow, I am making progress restoring my Owens runabout. The new floor bearers are in and I am fitting the cross braces. Before I fit the new floor I wondered if it would be prudent to turn the hull over and carry out any filling / gel repairs that were needed.

However the hull is heavier than it looks I could not turn it over on my own. I did manage to get it up at about 45 degrees so that I could work on one side. The dirt and grime that I thought would come out with thinners or compound proved to be far more ingrained. So much so that I had to sand it down.

The curious thing is that there was a lot of dust which I would not expect with gel coat. Were the Owens boats painted? I can't see an edge of paint up near the gunwale or anywhere else.

What is the usual practice when you need to work on the underside of the hull? Should I continue and fit the floor and replace the deck and then turn it over when the boat has it's full strength?

shmbry wrote: What is the usual practice when you need to work on the underside of the hull? Should I continue and fit the floor and replace the deck and then turn it over when the boat has it's full strength?

I don't know that there is a "usual practice" for that but in my experience, most people don't turn it over to work on the bottom. If the hull is too big to easily turn over, leave it upright and get it onto blocks or jack stands so you can work from underneath. Having said that, I have turned over boats that weighed several hundred pounds with the help of friends and/or mechanical aids. In those cases, I made sure the hull and (attached) deck were structurally sound before the turnover. I would say, do the floor and any side structures that support the deck and gunnels because upside down they will be supporting the weight of the hull . Note: it is sure a lot easier to work on the bottom when it is upside down so the extra effort to turn it over was worth it to me.

JerryF