Refinishing the cuddy

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Refinishing the cuddy

Postby Nephroid » Fri Jul 24, 2020 2:39 pm

Hey folks,

I'm getting ready to clean out and refinish my cuddy. The previous owner didn't really take care of it and it's pretty dingy and not all that pleasant. Can anyone recommend a good paint for the cuddy interior? I was thinking of just using Rustoleum Topside Marine Paint in Gloss White.

https://www.rustoleum.com/product-catalog/consumer-brands/marine-coatings/topside-paint

The inside doesn't seem to be gel coated but just painted fiberglass. My plan was just to scrub the interior clean, maybe rough it up with some sandpaper before applying paint directly. Should I consider a primer or am I overthinking it?

Also when I was in there, I noticed that two spots on the cuddy floor, just aft and to either side of the mast step, felt a bit thin and were slightly oilcanned. I was worried about trusting either spot with my full weight, afraid I would punch through the floor. Just wondering if this is a common trait of DSII's or whether it's a sign on underlying damage. Will try to take a couple of pics when I'm able.
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Re: Refinishing the cuddy

Postby tomodda » Fri Jul 24, 2020 5:57 pm

Hi Nephroid!

Seems like EVERYONE is doing boat work instead of sailing this summer.. what a crazy year it's been. So, answering as best possible - and I'm a DS1 owner, so my opinions are just that - you absolutely can go ahead with Rustoleum Topside, and no you don't have to primer it. But you may want to give it two coats, especially along the deck (bottom). Primer is a needed step to get even (not blotchy) coverage, but inside the cuddy, who cares? Well, primer is supposed to also improve adhesion, but on fiberglass, you'll be fine, IMHO. As for the soft floor, yeah... DSII's have double floors with a real bilge. All kinds of evil may lurk in the bilges. Do some searching here in the DSII forum to see what others have done about the situation. Pro tip, don't use the forum search function, it's not all that good. Google for: site:https://forum.daysailer.org/forum/ +"Your Search Term" where your search term may be bilge or soft floor or whatever.

Good luck, hope you get back out on the water soon!

Tom
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Re: Refinishing the cuddy

Postby Nephroid » Sat Jul 25, 2020 1:22 am

Thanks, Tom.

Will poke around the forum a bit more and may just poke around the bilge from the inspection ports and see what I can see (or feel).

That google search tip is a life changer.
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Re: Refinishing the cuddy

Postby GreenLake » Sat Jul 25, 2020 3:08 am

About soft spots in the cuddy I wouldn't worry about - unless you regularly carry heavy gear (like batteries) in those places - where it could do damage over time if you keep slamming into waves. If something flexes if you crawl around in there, I wouldn't by too concerned. Most likely you won't live to see that floor fail (and unlike oilcanning on a single hull) flexing of the cuddy floor doesn't impact your sailing performance. (If you ever puncture the floor, you can cut out the bad section and make a repair).

Now if this was the cockpit sole then you might be able to see damage progressing if it's a spot you walk on a lot. Still, unless visible cracks and real "soft" feel (not just flexing) I would be tempted to sound like my dentist and advise you to "watch" the spot. (I have a spot on the cuddy roof that flexes a bit more than I like when I stand on it, I'll keep it under observation before rushing in with any strengthening.

The interior of the cuddy is well protected, so any paint you apply there doesn't get exposed to the levels of UV etc. that normal topside would, so any paint would be fine. Even the cuddy floor doesn't get as much abrasion as the cockpit floor, but I agree with Tom that a second coat might be a good idea. You are right about the absence of gelcoat on the walls and ceiling, but the floor should have had gelcoat (it's unfinished side would face down).

For color, may I suggest either using an off white (or gray) or tinting your own. Pure white shows any little dirt and will look grungier than a nice gray. Also, gloss is something best left for exterior surfaces, again, it's something that tends to show defects or unevenness of the surface much more than a semi-gloss. If you decide to tint, you can get universal tinting agents -- just be sure that they claim to work with the type of paint you are using (whether oil-based or water reducible). For an off-white or light gray you wouldn't need much, go slow in adding so you don't overshoot, and mix thoroughly before judging the effect each time. Also, make sure you tint the entire batch. (Not everybody can color match by eye :) ).
~ green ~ lake ~ ~
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Re: Refinishing the cuddy

Postby Nephroid » Mon Jul 27, 2020 2:30 pm

Thanks, GL.

I decided to go with an off white as you had suggested. Paint should come in the mail this week so hoping that the weather holds up for this project over the weekend.
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