[Rhodes22-list] Non-Skid guidance

[Mark Whipple]

Bob,

There's a large variety of non-skid tapes out there and some are advertised
as water proof. Tape tends to be a shorter-term solution than paint, but
easier to apply. There's also many options for marine non-slip mats, some
of which have the appearance of teak. Treadmaster was one that was very
popular for a while. The mats will have a longer lifespan than tape.

The most durable solution will be paint with some kind of grit added to it.
There are also paints with the grit already in it. I tried a coating called
Durabak many years back that had ground-up rubber bits in it. It was rather
tricky to work with. Painting will also require the greatest amount of
preparation. Practical Sailor has a free article outlining the process:
https://www.practical-sailor.com/blog/refinishing-your-boats-non-skid-deck If
you're a subscriber you can also find articles testing various non-skid
paint options.

For the section of the gunnel where you step down from the dock, you could
put a few small strips of teak to provide some traction.

There's a type of plastic grating called DriDek that you can lay over your
cockpit sole. Doesn't require much prep, but you'd have to screw the edges
to the cockpit sole. DriDeck comes in 1' x 1' squares that interlock. Some
feel it can be hard on bare feet.

Like a lot of boat projects, the longest-lasting solutions will require the
greatest amount of effort! But painting is the way I would go if time
allowed.

Hope that helps,
Mark

2000 R22 *Luna Mia*

On Tue, Apr 18, 2023 at 3:20 PM Bob Garrant <bgarrant at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have 2000/2017 refurb Rhodes.
> I keep the boat in a slip during sailing season and most times the gunnel
> is below the pier so crew has to step down onto the gunnel.
>
> The non-skid sections are the cockpit floor, foredeck and side-decks.
>
> The nonskid is textured but virtually smooth so it provides no non-skid
> functionality.
> 1. Any suggestions for making the current non-skid areas functional as
> non-skid?
> 2. Adding non-skid areas?
> 2a.  To the cockpit gunnels where crew boards the boat.
> 2b. And to the bench area below the gunnel where crew steps down from the
> gunnel to the bench to the cockpit.
> Any suggestions or warnings for this?
>
> Thanks
> Bob Garrant
> s/v Sail la Vie
> Kent Island, MD
>
> --
> null
>