Here are a few pics of my latest project - a carbon/Kevlar Mariner Max.
The original owner was Bob Perry, the yacht designer. It hadn't seen much use as the hull only showed a few very light scratches and buffed up to 'like new' condition.
The boat had been left out in the sun for a good long time - it takes quite a while to fade gelcoat here (WA/BC) where the sun doesn't get very direct.
The first pics show the deck and a spot I rubbed out to show that it's possible to 'renew' sad gelcoat.


I was adding a forward hatch and bulkhead, so the deck got painted anyway.
Lake Placid Blue - same as the Fender guitars and the 50s Eldorado...

On this build I tried something I read in Doug Alderson's book:"Savvy Paddler-More than 500 Tips for Better Kayaking".
The foredeck recesses are made with PVC pipe caps and SS rod. Under the deck they are covered with thickened epoxy and a layer of glass.

I've switched to keeping my spare paddle on the rear deck in a Nigel Foster style DIY paddle bag - more accessible than the long reach on to the foredeck, and out of the way. There's no problem getting over the bag during a cowboy re-entry.

That carbon Max came to me via the second owner, who I met in Port Angeles,WA. A couple of weeks later, a friend pointed me toward a For Sale ad in Vancouver...just "Sea Kayak" and a picture. It was a Mariner Express, carbon Kevlar in the same colours as the Max I'd just bought. When I brought it home (another 'keeper' for me, so I'm selling the Max and Express I had here as 'my' boats..) and contacted Matt Broze with the serial number, it turned out that it was originally owned by Bob Perry's wife - those two kayaks - the Max and Express, were built and sold at the same times. 'All roads lead to Rome' or in my case and Mariners, to my back yard!
:-)
It's in my shop right now, getting hatches and bulkheads.