JakeyBaby

Lots of hours sanding, fiberglassing, and grinding the hatches I have been rebuilding are finally ready for paint. I'm going with Pettit Easy Epoxy paint with the rolling and tipping method. Hope it comes out ok! Will post some pics after painted, not sure if I'm going to go with 2 or 3 coats. Paint will be followed up with Kiwigrip for non skid.

Finger Lakes Tackle

Green Alwife "Bubble" Rad

Where are you located?

To bad opening day is still a month and a half from now. Hopefully they will still be jacked up in May with this weather.

For a 4x8 sheet? That's a good price

As far as I know you have to paint if you don't add a wax additive. If you add wax you can gelcoat. I plan on painting since very little surface area will see as I am putting non skid down over most. Does this answer your questions?

Wood is finally in place after fixing all my screw ups when separating the two sections of glass to get to the core.

I went to Pittsford Lumber to get mine a 4x8x1/4 was $81.55. They also carry West Systems Epoxy Resins and Hardener and fillers there also. IMO the best stuff out and very easy to use. Unfortunately i have to go back tomarrow to buy more west system, I used more then I thought I would on my project which has been a royal pain in A$$ to this point. Gota love it to stick with it!

The problem I have with it is there being constant power to the unit. God forbid you for get to turn off the unit for some reason and leave it for a few days and water enters the bilge and the pumps don't run you are screwed because the battery's are dead! I do this because when I 1st installed my auto pilot I had it ran directly to the battery wthout a switch in line to kill the power, if you shut the bettery switch off then tuned it back on the unit would kick back on but the screen never showed any indication that there was power. This would leave my batteries damn near dead over night. I agree with an in line fuse you take the frying risk out of the equation. The only thing that is directly to the battery's on my boat are the bilge pumps.

Me personally would NEVER run straight to starting battery or any other battery for the matter. I would definitely go to bus bar with a fuse. That way you don't fry the unit if something hiccups, if you hook directly to a battery the unit will have constant power and you don't want that. #2 you should be reading 14v at the unit if proper power is available. Sounds to me like maybe your battery could be in its way out, it's not charging properly or something is drawing pretty hard. Still not sure why the fish finder is doing what it is, even at 11-12V it shouldn't blank out.

Yup mine is coming off this afternoon!