I didn't want to restore this 1997 Islander this summer

[Fj40fiji]

I’ll have a total of three bilge pumps with dedicated outlets and the live well inlet/outlet fittings all new and sealed with 3M 4200 (not 5200) sealant when they go in. Does anyone have a brand preference for these fittings? Perko? Atwood? Is there something out there proven more or less durable? My originals seemed in good shape other than the inlet missing its screen and the bilge discharge being a little chalky from sun exposure but I don’t see who made them.
I also plan to put maintenance hatches in the floor and use pink foam, in pieces I can remove through the hatch, against the transom so that I can access the lower transom if needed and vent the space when store long term.

 

[redneck joe]

I used attwood. What gph are you using?

 

[Fj40fiji]

I replaced the seized up 500 gph that was in the boat with an 850 Johnson. I got a 2200gph to install as an auxiliary in the engine compartment and I got a Johnson low boy 1250 to put under the cuddy floor.
I intend to wire all three for auto and manual operation. I’m thinking the two aft ones on separate batteries for auto, but would have to put the forward on one of those batteries as well. I don’t expect to slip this boat much, but am likely to do so at least a little bit.
I’ll route the forward pumps discharge to come out amidship, near the helm. The rear auxiliary will discharge next to the original discharge, all three on the starboard side so I can look at them when I switch them on.

 

[Fj40fiji]

Alumahawk says on the can, “roll, brush, or spray” but in all the online literature they really discourage spraying. I don’t have and can’t readily get MEK to thin it and I watched 100 people “roll and tip” boats online with results I’d find satisfactory for this project.
This still drying so it may improve a little, but it drys fast so you have to be more careful than me to not over work this paint. I don’t know if I am going to do any better on future coats than orange peel and lap marks. I put this down at about 68 degrees ambient at 6 am and 60% humidity. I thought that’d be ideal conditions, unusually cool and typically dry for this area this time of year.
Has anyone ever used topside paints on the hulls of trailer boats? There is a chance this boat may get slipped for 3-5 days 1-2 times per year but otherwise it won’t be in the water for more than 8 hours at a time. I trust that this paint offers the adhesion and protection that it claims but I’d like a little better look for my effort and I get better results with rustoleum oil paint, so I will probably top coat this with something but I don’t know what and didn’t plan to use any ablative paint (I know not to use copper bearing paints, be very careful with Al boats!). Pics won’t upload for me at the moment.