1988 Stratos resto

[Timman]

Hi guys. I picked this boat up for like $400 last summer knowing that it needed a lot of work. Now that spring is around the corner, I'm starting to figure out exactly what my options are. I got the boat from a friend of a friend. The boat sat out in the sun for years and now the insides are showing it. The previous owner bought everything to replace the carpet and passed that along to me. Do you know if, under the carpet is plywood or is it fiberglass? Just curious what I can expect there.

My biggest concern is the gelcoat though. As you can see, it's seen better days. Do you guys have any input on what is going on here? I've searched on here about boats with clear coat and this doesn't quite look the same as those do. Perhaps is there a clear gelcoat layer on top that is bubbling and flaking as a result of the sun? When I rub my finger over areas where the bubbles have popped/peeled, it feels like +/-300 grit sandpaper, but the color and flake are still intact. Thoughts on what is going on and what my options are to repair it?

P.S. I'm not looking to make it showroom quality. I just want a decent boat I can take my 6 year old out on without worrying if he will get a cut on the flakes or a fiberglass splinter.

[crank68]

It appears someone may have spayed some sort of clear over the original gel...sand it off a see what you have.

[Timman]

It appears someone may have spayed some sort of clear over the original gel...sand it off a see what you have.

I'm nervous to do that because a couple areas where the bubbles popped open, I can feel a rough texture already, like 300 grit sandpaper. I'm nervous that's the flake and if I start sanding, I will damage it.

[Timman]

Attachment 354646 Here's a shot of one area that has already popped open for reference. This is up at the front by the trolling motor. Under the bubble where it flaked off, I can feel that fine grit sandpaper texture.

[crank68]

You don’t have a choice.

[Timman]

You don’t have a choice.

Ok, so if I start sanding and I am down to the flake, what then? And is there any hope that the cloudy spots that haven't broke open yet can be cleared up by sanding, buffing, polishing, etc.?

[crank68]

It appears when the clear was applied the suface was not prepped correctly. The original gel may have been completely shot that’s why they applied the clear. If the original surface is really rough and the flake has changed color then the gel is basically gone. Couple options...1 grid it all off fill, flake, and gel which is really expensive. 2 sand down apply “paint” the color of your choice then clear with paint. Not my favorite but cheaper than a re-gel.

[KandKKustomz]

Had a 179v wih a worked 150 super six suzuki 150. One chine walking fast bastard.. loved that boat..good luck on restore ill be following

[STRETCH1]

Be careful how much you spend on it. I bought a $300 boat and restored it for about $4500. If I would have known that I would have just bought a $5000 boat. It is very easy to spend time and money but in the long run you can find a decent boat that dont need much work for the same amount of money.

[Timman]

Thanks for the info everyone. I don't want to spend a ton of money on this. I'm going to test one small spot with sanding, buff and polish. If that doesn't come out good, I'll probably call some vocational schools in the area and see if they would be willing to strip the clear and apply either clear gel or auto clear coat just to help protect the boat so I can get a few good years out of it. I did that with my first car. The clear coat was peeling off and cloudy all over and they stripped it all off, repainted, and applied the clear. And they only charged me for materials. Total cost was like $600

[crank68]

Good idea. Let us know how it turns out. I’d prolly go the automotive route due to it appears the flake has changed colors.

[CastingCall]

I'm not looking to make it showroom quality. I just want a decent boat I can take my 6 year old out on without worrying if he will get a cut on the flakes or a fiberglass splinter.

Couple other options:
Wrap the cap with vinyl - buy the material in bulk and DIY. Would run you a couple hundred for material, and time. It would be a cover-up, but would make it look decent. Lots of different colors, finishes, and textures available.
Roll and tip with a solid color marine enamel. Would probably cost less than $40 for materials. Roll it on, then lightly "smooth" it with a fine haired paint brush. I've used this technique on a few projects (including boats) with excellent results.

[hankll]

My 1990 ProCraft is virtually same color. When I got it, it was very similar. Sun burned finish. When I did light sanding to remove the blush and followed with high speed buff with typical fine buff surface cleaner, it began to get into the flake. I waxed it with a resin based wax, TR3 from Zone store, and it polished up nice, just a bit of missing flake which had a solid black base coat of Gel coat behind the flake. It has now got to be done again or I was thinking of doing the cap in a solid paint...but I hate to loose the stripe features in the Gel coat. Its old and solid, and it has now got a 1987 Suzuki 150. But I'm wanting to get a Mercury on it. Tired of messing with the carbs on the Zuki.

[Timman]

Just a quick update. Snow is melting so I was able to check a few other spots. I was able to pop and peel a few more of the bubbles and under the 3 new ones I checked yesterday, the gelcoat is very smooth. It sounds like it is auto clear. If I recall correct, I saw in a previous thread that there is a chemical stripper that can be used to remove auto clear that is safe for gelcoat. Anyone remember what that is? I will have to strip the entire top portion of the boat from the rub rail up, so sanding seems crazy tedious.

[Bassnailer]

There are 1 part and 2 part clear coats, and you could really have either on there. You may get lucky and it is actually a crappy 1 part clear that someone shot on with rattle cans. If this is the case, then you can use a product called Citristrip which is available at hardware stores. I would try this first, as it is easy to apply and doesn't really hurt anything but the crappy paint you want to remove. If the Citristrip doesn't work, then they likely sprayed a 2k clear which will be harder to remove.

[Rip Bass]

To the OP. I don’t mean to rain on your parade,but before I spent too much time and money on that boat,I would check the structural integrity of the hull. That boat has a lot of wood in it,transome,stringers and decks. Since it has sat outside for so long,there is a good chance that the wood is rotten and the boat is not safe to use. I recently looked at a similar looking boat for a customer,he wanted new carpet and to repair some soft spots on the floor and deck. Turns out it was too rotten to be worth it,but at first glance it didn’t look too bad,just like yours.

[Skunked again]

Good luck timman !

[Timman]

Update:
I've taken a while to examine the boat and my options. Went into a shop for a good once over back in May. Motor needs a VRO and water pump but otherwise runs good. Some electrical problems, but nothing major. Hull is solid.

All that said, I still very much have the flaking clear going on. I don't need this to be showroom perfect. However, I do plan on taking my 2 sons out when they are old enough and don't want them to get a cut on peeling clear. Re-gelling the boat just doesn't seem worth the money. I'm thinking of doing something like Rustoleum Marine Primer and Rustoleum Marine Paint on the topside since it doesn't have to be perfect. Any advice on how to remove the flaking sections to best prep for the paint?