Hewes 21 Redfisher restoration.

[Fsu11]

15 minutes ago, Josh B said:

Thank you.

I think the non-skid job is very doable for most folks. Doing the cockpit only you can probably get away with doing it by yourself. The biggest mistake I made was trying to do the entire deck alone without any help. You have to keep the paint wet while you shake out the non-skid. It's very important to do the entire area in one-go so you're not stopping and restarting. You don't want to have any overlaps, you want one steady, consistent layer of non-skid throughout. The cockpit area should be small enough that you can roll it all out and get the non-skid applied before it dries. Especially since you can work from the deck. When I was doing the deck I had a make-shift scaffolding setup using a 2x12 and two ladders. I had to move it front to back as I went and it just took too much time to get setup and moved, etc. I ended up with a few lines in my non-skid where I had to start-stop-start and it definitely aggravates me that it wasn't perfect. Although, to be honest like most things after a few trips you don't really notice it anymore.

1. I used Medium particles. Make sure you order more than you think you'll need. You want to put it on super heavy and then 3/4 of it you will recover after it dries. 

2. I used the same AlexSeal paint that I used on the hull, obviously in white. If your boat is factory gelcoat, I would recommend doing that to match. 

3. So in my case I actually used 50% Soft-Sand and 50% Fine Pummice. Because I was being cheap and I already had the Fine Pummice on hand and didn't want to pay the crazy cost for more Soft-Sand. That was probably a mistake. I should have done 100% Soft-Sand. You can definitely tell a difference and the Soft-Sand particles are soft and squishy, the Pummice I used, even being "fine" is very rough. It's not a problem, but if I had over to do I would have not used it. 

Good luck. Prep is everything, sand, clean, clean again, mask it off, clean again, roll gelcoat, sprinkle non-skid heavy and evenly, let dry over night... brush off excess, top coat, remove tape, enjoy. 

Josh B.

Man this is perfect, exactly what I was looking for. I appreciate the insight and seems easy enough especially only doing the cockpit. Having a similar sized cockpit mine maybe a tad smaller do you think a quart of soft sand is plenty? I can't imagine needing a gallon but don't want to go short like you said and just do 1 pint.

[Josh B]

Here's a few pictures of the bench seat that we built... thank goodness I was painting it, because that welding gig aint for me. Talk about aggravating... a very fine line between getting that aluminum to puddle and not blowing out the edges. I'm sure it would get better with some practice, but I did the weld, grind, weld, grind, weld grind too many times to get it half way decent. But when all said & done I'm happy with how it looks. 

My dad did the cushions and it was his very first attempt at making cushions. There's a couple mess ups, but just an amazing job for his very first time using the sewing machine with a double diamond stitch with black thread on white material. He still impresses me after 40 something years of watching him build stuff. 

The backrest is removable and the legs are through bolted to the hatch lid. I did add some extra latches on the front side to make sure everyone stays put when it gets rough. I need to make a backer cover for the backside of the backrest to cover up the staples and I need to upgrade the shocks on the hatch to a higher poundage to facilitate opening the lid but it actually opens up very easy as-is. 

I'll be the first to say that I think the boat looks way sexier without the seat all together. But the seat is definitely needed and it's super comfortable. It looks a little goofy being so high, but the cushion is perfect for me to lean agains while standing and I can still see over the console just fine while sitting down comfortably. 

Should be putting it all to good use this summer with the kids. 

Josh B.

[whichwaysup]

Josh, I missed your updates, glad to see things are still moving forward.  Looking forward to more action pics now that she is done!

[Moderator]

Your bench seat checks all the boxes, Josh.. If it is comfortable and keeps the kids safe when running.. it’s perfect !

The rod holders and drink cups are a bonus !

MM