Don Silsbe Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 My local paint store will match any color you bring in. I’m sure that one near you will do the same, including Lowes or Home Depot. For something this simple, any alkyd enamel will work. Rustoleum Marine paint is merely their standard product, minus the rust inhibitor. It is a good alkyd enamel. If you paid the big bucks for Kirby’s marine paint, you’d be getting the same thing. If you buy Epifanes’ two part epoxy from Jamestown Distributors, they will mix any color you desire. But I know that you guys are wary about using two part poly, for some reason. It is just about the only thing I’ll use on boats anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted December 20, 2021 Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Many years ago I built 8 ft. fiberglass yacht dinghies for a living. One day I decided I wanted to make one "lite red" ---whatever that means. I don't remember what I thought I was making. I added some red gel coat to white, and guess what---got pink. I went ahead and finished the dink, but couldn't sell it. I also raced outboard power boats at the time, and took the dink to a boat race with me just to mess around with, Word spread throughout the pits, and everyone came to see it. They were saying, "I wanna see your pink dinghy." The wives and girlfriends though that was funny and teased me all weekend about my "pink dinghy". How embarrassing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted December 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 Chick, that was a laugh-out-loud story for me. (Even the second read-through .) (OK, even the third read through made me laugh… even as I TYPE this I’m laughing. Sorry, Chick.) First vote from family is to go with the yellow ‘cause it would be cute and fun. Hard to argue (being that the opinion is my wife’s. ) Besides, I like the blue/yellow IKEA-like color combination and the stainless hollowback covers a lot of the yellow of the gunwale. And, to explain the origins of IKEA, a recent video by a couple local Wisconsin comedians… check them out: Dude Dad and Manitowoc Minute. Always worth a good laugh. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted December 20, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 20, 2021 A Coat of the Final Color A pink one becomes red: I think we’ll go with the yellow for the other: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chick Ludwig Posted December 21, 2021 Report Share Posted December 21, 2021 PadrePoint, That's the idea. There was PLENTY of laughing going on that day! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted December 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2021 Final coat of paint. I think the FIN-ish is suf-FISH-ent for the PERCH on top of the mizzen masts. The 10 foot rule is thus enforced. Next comes a fish-face for each. Gotta practice my fish-face yoga first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted December 23, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2021 Getting ready for the whole family to join us. I’m planning to have the mast floats ready for the grandkids to name them… and I’m preparing myself for the name Floaty for the yellow one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted December 23, 2021 Report Share Posted December 23, 2021 @PadrePoint— I love ya like a brother, man, but if you start doing that face yoga around me, I might get violent! LOL. Merry Christmas! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted December 24, 2021 Author Report Share Posted December 24, 2021 My wife came up with an Amazon order for two 5’ rolls of outdoor use stick-on vinyl in black and white that we will use for making the fish-faces instead of trying to paint those details. (My hand just wouldn’t paint this as well as my cutting vinyl with a scissors.) We temporarily taped on some cut black paper pieces to see what the yellow float might look like. (The red float will get white vinyl pieces for the face.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted January 20 Author Report Share Posted January 20 OK… the two mast floats are done!! I will name the red one Bruce (for my late brother.) It will ride on the mizzen mast of Norma T. The yellow one, yet unnamed, will ride on my newly purchased boat, Avocet. I’m asking my three grandkids to name the yellow one. I planned to let them name both of the floats, but as I got the color on the red one I began wanting to use my brother’s name, Bruce. If you know the movie Finding Nemo you might remember the friendly shark, Bruce, who led the “Fish are Friends, Not Food” support group. Yup, my family thought about my brother, Bruce, when they saw that part of the movie. (Film Clip:) And the funniest experience we had of watching Finding Nemo was on a Disney Cruise, watching the movie in the large theater with hundreds of kids… what a gas. My kids had chipped in together and surprised my wife and me with airfare and the cruise to celebrate our 40th anniversary… (AND their being grown up and able to gift us in this way… I’m starting to think about another Disney adventure when my wife and I treat everyone for our 50th.) And the best part of the cruise is that they ALL came WITH US on the cruise!! It was the best gift we’ve ever received. The funniest part of watching the movie happened at the end, when the great pathos moment occurs, making the theater all somber and quiet and sad… and a four year old cries out, “DON’T WORRY, HE’LL BE OK!!!” The mom replied, “Spoiler alert, sorry.” Nemo is dying… and the audience is splitting-gut laughing. A great moment I’m enjoying skiing right now… but I find myself thinking about using my three new boats (Norma T, Joe, and Avocet) as I head up the chairlift. Usually I’m alone, but a friend joined me a couple days ago. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted January 22 Report Share Posted January 22 The floats came out looking very nice, Ted! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted January 22 Author Report Share Posted January 22 They were fun to make. And, I like their happy look… that’s good for the grandkids and amusing to me. And, they might just help prevent a disastrous turtling in case of a capsize. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PadrePoint Posted January 25 Author Report Share Posted January 25 My wife helped me design the fish faces. She then decided they each needed a soft plushy bag to hold them when transporting or stowing them. She quickly sewed up a couple bags on a recent afternoon and gave them ribbons to tie the ends. The little bags should help prevent gouges and nicks. And, they have a good ol’ northern Wisconsin look to them. Thank you, Buddy. (Maybe I will be able some day to enlist her sewing skills on a couple tarps for the boats.) Bruce is peeking out of one of the bags. Finally, I just learned why fish are so trim and sleek… they eat fish! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Silsbe Posted January 26 Report Share Posted January 26 Those flannel bags will keep them nice and warm for those Wisconsin winters! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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