PS Advisor: 11/01/05

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Non-Skid Alternatives
I have a 1989 Nordic 44 with slightly recessed (1/16″) areas on deck. These originally had glued on non-skid mats. Due to normal wear, now it’s time to replace those and I am at a loss regarding which product to use. I find the Treadmaster type mats too expensive, and if one area needs repair after normal fading has taken place, it’s hard to match the rest of those on board, plus the size sheets they sell aren’t large enough to cover some of the areas in one piece, so two pieces would have to butted against each other, requiring precise cuts that will be difficult. What can you recommend?

Jeff Totman
Via e-mail


We recently wrote about a non-skidmat product called SeaDek (PS Sept., ’05), which compares favorably to Treadmaster. It’s less costly per square foot, and doesn’t need the expensive epoxy adhesive required with Treadmaster. It comes in 6 mm panels and numerous colors. We believe that SeaDek is durable and its peel-and-stick adhesive resilient enough for the marine environment, but, admittedly, we’ve had it under test for less than a year.

We’ve also heard of a couple of other products that we haven’t tested-Ultra-Tuff and Rhino Hide. Both are painted or sprayed on, and each uses recycled, crumbled rubber as the non-skid. We’ll evaluate them soon.

Darrell Nicholson
Practical Sailor has been independently testing and reporting on sailboats and sailing gear for more than 50 years. Supported entirely by subscribers, Practical Sailor accepts no advertising. Its independent tests are carried out by experienced sailors and marine industry professionals dedicated to providing objective evaluation and reporting about boats, gear, and the skills required to cross oceans. Practical Sailor is edited by Darrell Nicholson, a long-time liveaboard sailor and trans-Pacific cruiser who has been director of Belvoir Media Group's marine division since 2005. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license, has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans, and has skippered everything from pilot boats to day charter cats. His weekly blog Inside Practical Sailor offers an inside look at current research and gear tests at Practical Sailor, while his award-winning column,"Rhumb Lines," tracks boating trends and reflects upon the sailing life. He sails a Sparkman & Stephens-designed Yankee 30 out of St. Petersburg, Florida. You can reach him by email at practicalsailor@belvoir.com.