Northwest Fishing Reports

I just spent the three day week end coating the bottom of my 14' Valco aluminum boat. What a bugger of a job. After inspecting it tonight when I got home from work it looks like I'll need another coat of Gluvit.

I put that on an alum driftboat 15 years ago. Was a messy, time consuming job. I sold the boat 3 years later when it needed re-coating. Of course if I'd not bumped so many rocks it would have lasted longer. Never heard of anyone using it on anything but DB's. Some friends that have alum DB's have been coating their bottoms (DB's) with Coat-it rather than Gluvit as its easier to put on and wears better.

wolverine wrote: I put that on an alum driftboat 15 years ago. Was a messy, time consuming job. I sold the boat 3 years later when it needed re-coating. Of course if I'd not bumped so many rocks it would have lasted longer. Never heard of anyone using it on anything but DB's. Some friends that have alum DB's have been coating their bottoms (DB's) with Coat-it rather than Gluvit as its easier to put on and wears better.

Thanks for the tip. Next time I'll try Coat-it. I had a few leaky rivets on the bottom of my boat so I sanded all of the rivets and the bottom of the boat then put on the Gluvit. I hope that cures the leaks. After it completely cures I'll lightly sand then apply Aluthane to gat that aluminum look back. If the boat proves to be stable enough to hunt ducks out of I'll spray it with Parker duck boat paint. If it's not hunting stable I'll just fish out of it.

Well I painted the bottom with Aluthane and put it in Spanaway lake. I used my 46 lb. trolling motor and went all over the lake. Happy to report no leaks. I've painted the inside of the boat with Aluthane as it is a self etching top coat or primer. I had to do that as the Parker duck boat paint I'm going to spray it with this weekend is an oil based paint and will not stick to aluminum. After I get it sprayed I'll let it cure for a week or two then paint the cammo stencils my wife is making for me. When the boat is all done then I have to get my outboard up and running. By the way it is alot different fishing for bass out of this boat then from my son's bass boat. He didn't like casting while sitting down but it brought back memories from my younger days.

I cast while stting down all the time, much more relaxing and not as hard on my back to sit as compared to standing all day.

Well I finally got my Valco painted. What do you think?

Where is it? I can't see it for all the grass and trees.





Looks good.

Thanks it was alot of work but I'm pretty happy with it. Hope the ducks like it. LOL. Now I just have to tune up my 25 hp Johnson that hasn't been run in several years and I'll be good to go.

i was gonna say... looks like the works of a wingshooter there! You hunt locally or make all your trips east? I hope to get into the salt at least once this year. I want to find an old squaw!

good looking boat!

Nice job, looks sharp!

The paint job looks great!!!!! The drift boat guy's paint the outside bottoms of their boats with the coat-it or gluvit so they suposedly slip over the rocks easier, not to seal the rivets, there aren't any. For sliding there is a graphite lube paint that John Deer sells for plows and stuff that is superior to both, some guy's even paint their jet sleds........ Bonded UHMW is a better solution than any of them for sliding. For leaking, a coat of thinned bed liner paint the and then a traction coat would be the way I'd do it, guaranteed for life if you have the pros do it. sorry I didn't notice your thread till late.

Awsome looking job, did you paint the motor too? That'll look really good on the water... Ducks beware.. =)