Non-skid question

Folks: I am in the process of preparing my 1969 Cal34 for painting the decks, which will include putting on new non-skid. I am doing most of the prep work myself, but will have an excellent local boat yard do the actual painting and the final prep to the extent more is needed. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is cost, I am giving serious thought to using either Kiwigrip or Durabak rather than paint and grit. From what I have read, if I use Kiwi I will not have to sand off all of the old remaining molded in non-skid nor would I have to apply a primer. I am not so sure about Durabak, though a local boat just put on Durabak and it looks and feels very good, with more or a rubbery and grippy feel. Any thoughts or experiences of others would be greatly appreciated. Philip Lewis Soufflé, Cal34 Portland, Oregon

Philip, We are currently using Kiwigrip and have learned that, while you don't need to sand the previous nonskid to get it to adhere, you may actually see some of the nonskid through the Kiwigrip. We have since been fairing and sanding any areas before hand. Other than that, I highly recommend it. It will probably wear down over several years of use, but it is very easy to reapply in the future. Greg - Cal 39 > On Nov 2, 2015, at 10:31 PM, 'Philip A. Lewis' ph… [at] phillewis.com [Cal_Boats] <Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com> wrote: > > Folks: > > > > I am in the process of preparing my 1969 Cal34 for painting the decks, which will include putting on new non-skid. I am doing most of the prep work myself, but will have an excellent local boat yard do the actual painting and the final prep to the extent more is needed. For a variety of reasons, not the least of which is cost, I am giving serious thought to using either Kiwigrip or Durabak rather than paint and grit. From what I have read, if I use Kiwi I will not have to sand off all of the old remaining molded in non-skid nor would I have to apply a primer. I am not so sure about Durabak, though a local boat just put on Durabak and it looks and feels very good, with more or a rubbery and grippy feel. Any thoughts or experiences of others would be greatly appreciated. > > > > Philip Lewis > > Soufflé, Cal34 > > Portland, Oregon > >