Wooden deck and Line-X?

[seacoyote]

This may sound crazy, but I would like to know what you think about applying Line-X to the deck of my tug boat?
I am trying to find a water proof non-skid solution and I have read they use Line-X on the decks of USN submarines, so why not a 64 year old tug boat?
BTW - The deck is made of douglas fir.

Thank you,
C. D. Hunter

[MJC]

Did a quick check of the Line-X website, the FAQ's indicate that it'll stick to "any properly prepared surface". So, the question I'd ask the Line-X home office (not a franchisee) is "How do I properly prepare a wooden substrate for Line-X application?"

[Jamaica Mike]

I like this stuff. A lot of metal boat owners use it to preotect / quiet / insulate their hulls. It is expensive, and you don't even want to think about removing it - it sticks.

I expect that you will have to figure out a way to isolate the coating from any water invasion in the deck substrate. They do apply it over painted surfaces, and it can be laid on pretty thick.

[Peter Malcolm Jardine]

I would think if you epoxy sealed the deck (cpes) that would stabilize the deck surface pretty well. I must admit that after selling this product in the car business, I was REALLY impressed with it. It's tough as hell.

[Mike Vogdes]

Is this the same stuff they spray on pick-up truck beds?

[Jamaica Mike]

Yep. Same stuff. Comes in colors, to!

I am prepping my trailer and Landcruiser for Line-X treatment to protect the lower quarter panels from gravel, dirt, etc. while running on bad roads.

There are some DIY products (Herculiner is one) that can be rolled or brushed on, but I believe that Line-X is the premium product. Probably a lot better than the deck paint with granulated walnut hulls that I used to slather on the deck of the troller.

JM

[Mike Vogdes]

Passage Maker magazine did a piece on someone tearing out old leaky teak decks over spongy plywood. They repaired the plywood where needed, then epoxy and cloth with minimal fairing, then hired a guy to come out and spray this stuff on. It looked to be a good fix for a very common problem.

I also recall an artical (in Passage Maker again) about one of Sam Devlins beautiful trawler yachts getting this same material shot in all lockers and storage bins as a finish thats easy to maintain and to keep things in place when underway.

Its on my list of things to try...

[Simmons18]

I build small plywood fishing boats (creek boats and small Johns) and coat the interiors with Rhino which is very similar to Line-x. Line-x is a harder material. The important thing is to seal the wood (epoxy) then scuff the surface to give a tooth for the stuff to stick to. It'll be a good surface for what you're wanting.

[Mike Vogdes]

Simmons18,
Does Rhino come in colors and is it a spray product or brush on? Thanks..

[Simmons18]

Mike
Rhino does come in a few colors but they cost more and fade more redily. It is sprayed on in a booth under controled conditions by well suited/masked/skilled applicators. And it can be pricy. Some dealer can go moble. Get with your local dealer and ask about preparation that you can do that will make the job less expensive. It should be sprayed quite a bit thinner in boats than in a truck bed and that will help the price. Al in all though it's good stuff.

[Mike Vogdes]

Thanks Simmons, would like to try it on the deck boards of my engine room, just removed the batteries and and the deck boards are removable so, this would be a good as place as any...

[AlanD]

Montana Boatbuilders http://www.montanaboatbuilders.com/driftboats_recurve.htm# puts LineX on the bottoms of all its driftboats, which are made for bouncing over boulders in Montana trout rivers. I had LineX applied to the bottom of the driftboat I built to Montana Boatbuilders plans a couple of years ago, and I can testify that it is tough stuff. I have dragged the boat over gravel bars when the Michigan rivers run low in August, and I've pulled it up textured concrete boat ramps. So far, nothing has left a mark on it. The bottom of my boat is 5/8 Douglas fir, with a layer of glass and several coats of epoxy. I roughed the bottom with 40 grit sandpaper for better adhesion before they sprayed the LineX. If you put it on the bottom, find somebody who can spray it smooth, so it doesn't hang up on rocks or have unneccessary drag. There have been several LineX discussion threads on the Montana Boatbuilders builders' forum.

[seacoyote]

My thanks to all of you for the feedback.

C. D. Hunter