PocketShip.net

I am assuming that the inside face of the transom and the centre board case require two or three coats of clear epoxy before painting? Views welcome.

Does anyone paint their centre board? I am tempted to do so. It is functional but not pretty and would look better with some colour. Again, views welcome.

Steve

Steve,
I think the rule is everything gets at least 2-3 coats of epoxy to water proof before painting or varnish. I have followed this on all of my build. I coated the inside transom and centerboard case.

For the Centerboard, I didn’t paint mine. I bought some graphite, but decided not to. No one will ever see it, except you.

Thanks

Hi Steve,

I agree with Ron and others.... Absolutely, every bit of wood receives 2-3 coats of clear epoxy (if nothing else), and especially the centerboard trunk which will be permanently out of reach for inspection or repairs necessitated by water contact with bare wood. You really don't want issues with your centerboard trunk.

I used a bit of graphite in my epoxy-coating of the centerboard after trolling the CLC general forum and the PS forum to learn about graphite and its use with epoxy. It made my centerboard look great, but now it's permanently out of sight as Ron notes, so it was a learning exercise for me likely not otherwise valuable. You just want your centerboard smooth, fair, and totally protected with epoxy (and you want the CB trunk smooth as well so nothing sticks during CB operation).

All the best,
Mark

Thanks Mark. Can you suggest where I might find graphite for the centre board please?

Steve

You can get it from the CLC website - it is used on some of the kayak kits.

Great. Thanks!