Duckworks Magazine

The Dinghy Project - Part 3

By Bob Means - Remlik, Virginia - USA

The paint I use is the cheapest exterior water based latex I can find. Believe it or not I find this hold up the best. I use a flat latex white for the base.

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Give the outside a coat.

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Let dry (it should be dry in less that an hour), lightly sand by hand and give another coat.

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Then I use the same latex based paint only semi gloss for the finish.

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Apply two coats and turn the boat over and do the same on the interior. First sand lightly,

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Apply flat latex white now and then sand lightly.

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Another coat of flat and then two coats of semi gloss.

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I did forget to mention that you need to drill a 3/8" hole, center of the fore transom, 2" down from upper edge. This is for the bow line or painter. You just run the end of a 3/8" by 10 or 15' piece line through the hole and tie a figure eight knot on the inside

I then take a light buff color to highlight the rub rail, to finish the painting out

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Now that your painting is finished we add two sets of bronzed oarlocks. The reason for two sets is that if two people are in the dingy it's easier to row from the forward station. I set the oarlocks 7" aft or back from the mid and forward seats.

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Then carefully pre-drill your screw holes so you don't go all the way through the hull.

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Then set your screws. I use a hand screw driver to make the screws are set tight with stripping the heads.

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Finally, put on your USMC T-shirt and stand behind your new boat for a picture.

Back to Part 1

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