Hello! I could use some advice if you would be so kind…
I recently bought an old fiberglass Necky Arluk 3 that seems to have no more gel coating on the hull. You can feel the cloth but it is completely smooth, almost as if someone removed the gel coating that was on there. (Pic attached) I filled the hatches and cockpit with water and it’s completely watertight. I also paddled it for 12 miles and no leakage. I’m looking to have a finish put on the hull. I’m not looking to redo the gel coat but maybe use a marine paint like Interlux Brightside. (Or should I leave it as is?) Do you think Brightside would be a good choice for this hull or do you recommend something else? Any advice for the painting process? I didn’t pay much for this boat and I’m trying to keep the cost down. Really love this boat BTW!
I looked at a used kevlar/glass kayak in Maine last year - it happened to be an Arluk III as well. The seller was a craftsman at a business that built and worked on mostly wooden boats, and he refinished the kayak hull using Interlux Brightside and it looked fantastic. Unfortunately I have no details on how he prep’d the surface or applied the paint, but a “pro” chose Brightside and made it look as smooth as gelcoat.
(I didn’t buy the kayak - a little too tippy for casual paddling for this old man.)
Brightside would be a great choice. How good the end result is will be in direct proportion to how thoroughly you prepare the hull. Don’t expect pro results with an afternoon’s work. But regardless of how it comes out it will look better than bare fiberglass! Follow the directions to the letter and you should be OK.
There is an associated primer that goes along with the topcoat. I wouldn’t skip it but keep in mind that the paint job will add some weight. But that bare glass will thank you for covering it up.
Thank you for this feedback Wolf. Good to know that this exact model came out nice with the Brightside.
Yes, the Arluk can feel a bit tippy…had a friend try it who is new to paddling and he didn’t like it. But I find it tracks well and is reasonably fast.
Brodie, thank you for the advice. I see the Brightside Pre Kote primer and plan to take this step. So 1 coat primer and 2 coats paint? Would you like be able to give me an idea of how much paint I would need? Could I get two coats out of a gallon?
Yes, funny thing about the paint adding weight…I expected the Boat to weigh about 55 lbs, but when I went to see it and lifted it up, I thought to myself “there’s no way this is close to 55lbs”. Turns out is weighs a bit over 35lbs without with finish on the hull. I had no idea it would add that much weight!
I doubt the paint would add 20 lb! Maybe a couple of pounds at most unless you went crazy with fairing primer. Yes I would do one coat of primer and two topcoats. I think a quart of each would be far more than you would ever need - a gallon would definitely be overkill. I’m sure there are some good videos online about applying topside paint like Brightside - you can use a (good) brush or roll and tip.
I don’t recall exactly what the painted Arluk III I looked at weighed, but thinking maybe 48 lbs +/-. I do remember thinking it was four lbs. or so above what I expected based on specs I had found. And yes, it paddled nicely. It was just the sort of hull shape that you had to keep moving. It was twitchy when you weren’t moving forward.
