by Sherwood Heggen

When the topic of painting deck seams comes up, there is a lot of discussion on what is preferred or correct. The original white deck seam caulking was covered with varnish which caused it to have an amber color. To many, that is the way the seams should appear. Then, why do we insist on making bright white stripes over the seams on our boats? A question asked in the same manner is why do we put 14 plus coats of varnish on our boats when 3 coats were enough from the factory? Strong opinion says it makes the boat much more attractive, but it comes down to personal preference. Do you like deck seam stripes that are amber or white, or brown, green, or burgundy for that matter. Make the stripes what ever color you want, but be ready for mild to harsh criticism from the onlookers who have an alternate opinion. Regardless of what color the stripes are, we are going to discuss how to get them on straight and neat.

There are various methods for applying deck striping. They include using white caulking, inlays of lighter colored wood, painting with striping wheels, and hand painting the masked stripe. All of these have their benefits and downfalls, but the method I prefer for the great look of crisp deck striping is masking. With this method, a deck with stripes already there from a previous refinish, or a deck with no previous stripes can be done nearly the same way. If the width of the painted stripe is wrong, do what you can to sand away the stripe paint to allow painting the correct width. What is the correct width? For most runabouts, one-eighth inch looks right. It can be wider for larger boats, but don’t get carried away. Seams that are too large make the deck look awkward and clumsy.

The masking method is done by taping off either side of the seams as you would a boot stripe and paint between the tape edges. All seams, including the covering board seam if there is one, are painted as one by creating a stencil made of masking tape. Painting is done with a pin stripe brush and boot top paint. Done well, it provides seams that have consistent width and clean edges.

As with any thing, proper preparation helps make the final result look even better. Presumably, the 3M 5200 seams are smooth and slightly recessed relative to the deck. Also, the following method assumes that no painted seams exist, as in the case of a complete strip, stain, and varnish job. The caulking should be mahogany color to disguise any areas where the seams are wider due to damage from rot repair or raking out old caulking.

Presuming there are no painted seams existing on the deck, let’s get started. Begin with taping over the covering board seam that intersects the straight deck seams with one-eighth inch wide 3M Fine Line masking tape. This will define where and how wide the painted seam should be. If your seam should be of a different width to match the original, use tape that is of that width according to the need. Pull a short length of tape from the roll and attach the loose end of the tape to one end of the covering board seam. Press the tape down to the seam with your index finger. Press the tape in place by sliding your finger over the tape along the seam while steering the roll end of the tape with the other hand. Pull more tape loose from the roll and repeat. The taped seam should have a fair curve and be directly over the seam, or where the seam should be if the seam caulking is wider than the correct size. Now lay down 3M Fine Line tape or 3M blue painters tape on either side, snug to the edge, of this reference tape. When that is completed, pull off the reference tape. Set the length of reference tape aside to use for the other seams. It makes no sense to waste good tape.

Now tape off the straight deck seams using the same method described above. Extend the tape over the covering board seam tape for a couple of inches for the time being. That will get trimmed off later. When all the seams are taped, use a sharp Exacto blade to cut away tape where the painted deck seam should be. This would be the tape that defines the inner edge of the covering board seam. Where two pieces of tape overlap, trim away the tape on top to keep the painted edge as thin as possible. This can easily be done by lightly cutting through the top tape starting at the intersection point of the two lines to a point away from the edge of the tape. This makes a single layer of tape creating a thinner edge and less paint at the edge which is important later on. One more step in preparation is to be sure the tape has full contact with the deck wherever paint is to be applied. This will prohibit paint from crawling under the tape’s edge. This can be easily done while performing another little task in preparation for painting. Scuff the surface of the seam area with a fine 3M scratch pad to provide better adhesion for the deck seam paint. You don’t want your deck seams blowing off at the speeds you’re are going to be going. Another spot to deal with is where two pieces of tape overlap and the top piece is held slightly above the surface by the lower tape. Paint will creep under here too unless you take the backside of the Exacto blade and gently press the tape to the surface right at that junction.

Backing up just a bit, if there are painted seams on your boat from a previous finish, eliminate use of the one-eighth reference tape over the seams. Simply tape to the edge of the old painted seams. If they are crooked, there may be an opportunity to slightly straighten them by not taping totally to the edge in the crooked spots. Be careful though, as you can end up with a stripe that looks like a boa that swallowed a hog if the painted seams bulges in spots. The paint ready masking job should appear as in the picture below.

You just made a stencil for the deck seams for your boat and are now ready to paint. Get your painting supplies ready. They are boot top paint and a pin striping brush. These are available at art supply or auto paint supply stores. The striping brush carries a good load of paint allowing painting of longer lines with fewer trips to the paint can. It is simple from here. Dip the brush in the paint and paint the seams. When finished painting, it is time to peel away the tape. Doing so now allows the still wet paint to flow very slightly to soften the edge.

Remember when you cut back double layers of tape to create just one layer? That was to keep the paint from being too thick at that point and flowing out in a small puddle that would destroy the crisp look. If the paint were allowed to dry before removing the tape, a hard, sharp edge would remain. This becomes a dirt catcher and feels rough when wiping down the boat with your towel or chamois. If you find any places where the paint did creep under the tape, clean up immediately with a paper towel wetted with naphtha. You may have to rap the towel over a sharp stick to precisely wipe away the unwanted paint. The end result should appear as on the port deck in the picture below.

OK, done! Clean the brush and your hands and go in for coffee. The seams can dry on their own. If you are the one who wants amber stripes, let the paint dry for a day or two and then sand and apply the final coat of varnish. Now don’t those deck seams look great? Get the hardware on the boat, put it in the water where it is supposed to be, and go make the water fly.

Do you have any questions or problems about restoring your wooden boat. Part of BSLOL’s mission is to act as an information and skill resource for its members and anyone else who seeks assistance. You are welcome to contact me by e-mail at Heggensj@Centurytel.net or telephone at 715-294-2415, as a source of information for the concerns in boat restoration that come up. I look forward to communication with you.

Until then, don’t destroy it; restore it!