TOPIC: Newb.

Hey gang, newbie here...

Jus picked up a 1958 Dorsett Belmont last week. Restoration underway. Pics to follow.

Paid $300 for boat and trailer, no motor. Found it in San Jose, CA.

Would love to hear from other Dorsett owners. Wondering about floor covering ideas other than carpet? Thinking about trying to "seal" entire interior in Tuff Coat possibly first and then re-evaluate. Thoughts? Opinions? Comments.

Sneak peak. Just a bit of the original gel coat shining through. Also - had a 60's Dorsett glass windshield installed.

I could really use some help from other owners who have restored a similar boat. My main focus at this point is getting the interior straightened out. I already completely rebuilt the original rear bench seat (except foam).

I'm looking to coat the floor of the boat with some sort of sealer/sealant/coating this week before I do anything else.

I almost bought a gallon of flex seal (90$) from Lowe's this afternoon but was hoping to hear from some members before making my decision.

Nice boat. Why the seal coating on the inside? Does it leak or are you just trying to make it "touchable" instead of raw fiber? Pictures of the interior might be helpful for recommendations too.

I've used flex seal on other stuff and it's good for certain things, but I don't think this is one of them. First, I don't think it will hold up well to being walked on. Second (and more importantly) it's going to make any future work on the glass impossible. Once you get that stuff on there no other normal epoxy, 'glass, or gel coat will even think about sticking to it. You will never be able to make any other repairs. I just don't think I'd go down that road.

But maybe someone here has actually tried it and will chime in...

Boat does not leak at all that I am aware of... want to coat the floor to fill in some imperfections and provide a uniform, clean, fresh, sealed up feel and appearance before I just throw carpet or hydro turf down. Will post interior pics for review.

Already bought some top side paint from West Marine to do the interior side walls with. The guy said if I used the "roll and tip" method, it would turn out like glass.

Only reason, I don't think Ill use this on the floor is because the floor is much more rough and imperfect than the walls and I feel that I need more of a filler or something thicker to fill imperfections.

Here is the current condition of interior. I'm 99% sure I'm going with 1 gallon of Tuff Coat UT-100 (Med Grey), 1 quart of Primer CP-10, 1 special roller from Tuff Coat. I guess its a kit of sorts that they made me. $140 shipped to my door.

Hoping for more people to share there thoughts on my boat project with insights, criticism, etc.

I'm planning to be about $2k into the boat and trailer not including motor. My main goals at this point are making the boat as clean and sound as possible externally and internally before I add a motor and put her in the water.

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Sorry about the upside down pics. I literally just tried 5-6 different ways of uploading them and they all show up upside down. SSSOOOO FRUSTRATINGG!!!

I think you'll be much better off with the tuff coat. It will still cause havoc if you ever have to do glass work, but I think it should hold up well enough over time that it may never be an issue.

Actually, I'm interested to hear your experiences using it. I may have a floor project going this winter on my boat.

Will do. Purchased the TUFF COAT kit today. It ships from PA.

On another note, I completed my rear bench project today. Really happy with the way it came out. Rock Solid and half professional looking for a first timer.

Will post pics if anyone is interested in seeing how they came out...

Yes, please post pictures. I have been using this free software for years for rotating and zooming into pics. Pretty easy to use.

download.cnet.com/IrfanView/

Rear bench re make.

bUmP.

the tuff coat is the way to go , i used it instead of carpet, soft on the feet i got the flex option , light blue and i bought several gallons and primer, follow instructions and you will be happy. if you tear it up, grind it down a little primer it and recoat it. i bought the texture sprayer from harbor freight works real good. sputters it out. its a two man job to spray. it. if you roll it get you a wide brush to get into the corners. roll a little then brush a little two coats is what i used three in the high traffic areas..

sspade wrote: Sorry about the upside down pics. I literally just tried 5-6 different ways of uploading them and they all show up upside down. SSSOOOO FRUSTRATINGG!!!

Both you and Dr. Go need to bump heads together to get the pictures right side up, time to huddle up

Looks really good from what the pictures show. Now you have a good base to start with. Keep us posted.

looks great! How's it feel under foot? I'll be interested to hear what your opinions are on it after you're on the water for a bit. Coincidentally, I just saw a pontoon boat advertised locally that said the deck was redone in Tuff Coat.

Those pictures look right viewing on th I- phone. I will need to put a thread on support. That boat inside spray job looks great. You mentioned a 2 person job... what does each do? ... I want to learn.