The Epic Finale: Peter Sripol’s Lobster Boat Adventure

Peter Sripol’s lobster boat project has been a wild ride, and the finale is everything we hoped for—and more! Over a year of hard work, questionable choices, and a whole lot of creativity, Peter transformed a tired old lobster boat into a fully functional vessel. In this video, he wraps up the project in his trademark style: with humor, ingenuity, and plenty of practical tips.

This lobster boat project began as a labor of love—and maybe a bit of madness. Through many trials and errors, he turned what he calls a "dumpster fire" into a functional boat. The video is a whirlwind tour of welding, woodworking, fiberglassing, and engineering solutions, all culminating in a maiden voyage down the East Coast.

Peter doesn’t shy away from showing the messier parts of the process, making his story both inspiring and relatable. If something went wrong, he figured out how to fix it, sharing valuable lessons for anyone embarking on their own DIY journey.

Here’s a breakdown of how Peter brought his boat to life and the TotalBoat products that played a key role in the process!

From Dumpster Fire to Dreamboat

Peter’s lobster boat journey was anything but straightforward. Welding exhaust stacks, installing a dry stack chimney, building a new deck with new hatches, and fabricating a wild hoist are just a few of the challenges he tackled. Peter worked through rain storms, summer heat waves, and hurricane warnings. When we went home at night Peter buckled down and tackled massive projects, often completing them overnight.   

One of the standout moments was when he fiberglassed his deck in crazy heat, battling exotherm-ing High Performance Epoxy - and he was able to make it work! The epoxy cured and after lots of sweating and worrying - the boat deck cured and looks great. 

Hull Repairs with TotalFair and Thixo

When it came to patching old exhaust holes and reinforcing the hull, Peter turned to TotalFair Epoxy Fairing Compound. This lightweight, easy-to-sand compound helped him achieve a smooth, watertight finish. For gluing in structural components like G10 backing plates, Thixo 2:1 Epoxy Adhesive provided unmatched strength and a quick, clean application.

Fiberglass Work with High-Performance Epoxy Resin

Peter used TotalBoat High Performance Epoxy Resin to layer fiberglass cloth during extensive hull repairs. Grinding out damaged fiberglass revealed delaminated areas, but by applying successive layers of fiberglass wetted out with High Performance Epoxy, Peter restored the hull’s integrity. The resin's low viscosity made it easy to achieve full saturation, and its high strength ensured the repairs would last. Hop in the comments and let us know if you agree about the hole patching - do you go biggest patch first and successively smaller or small to big patch. They both work - one will likely last longer - and Peter’s repair should be just fine for many years to come. Let us know what you think! 

Waterproofing with TotalBoat Seal

To ensure no leaks in the hatches and fittings, Peter used Seal Elastomeric Marine Sealant. This flexible adhesive provided a perfect seal for keeping water out, especially in high-stress areas like the transom and engine compartment hatches.

Painting and Fairing with Spartan Bottom Paint

Once the hull repairs were complete, and the bottom was sandblasted to a clean surface, Peter finished the job with multiple coats of TotalBoat TotalProtect Barrier Coat on the bare hull. He then applied several coats of Spartan Bottom Paint, a durable antifouling paint. By applying multiple layers of barrier and topcoat, he ensured the boat would resist marine growth during its long adventures at sea.

Trial and Error: Lessons Learned

Peter is the first to admit when things go wrong, like applying epoxy in direct sunlight or grounding his boat in shallow water. Through it all, he shared lessons on fiberglass repair and the importance of air gaps in exhaust installations to prevent overheating.

Setting Sail: The First Test Run

After countless hours of preparation, Peter launched his boat, affectionately nicknamed the Musty Crab. With his new propeller and a polished exterior, the boat successfully made its maiden voyage from Rhode Island to Florida. Along the way, Peter faced unexpected repairs, weathered rough seas, and even dealt with a bird’s nest that appeared onboard.

A Platform for Future Adventures

Peter’s lobster boat isn’t just a functional vessel—it’s a mobile workshop and research platform for his upcoming experiments, including homemade submarines and other aquatic creations. Thanks to its sturdy design and the extensive use of TotalBoat products, the boat is ready for anything.

Behind the Scenes with TotalBoat

We enjoyed having Peter and his canine sidekick Toby in our backyard while he worked on this project. Being within earshot, Peter was able to rely on our extensive product line and expert support at any given time (during working hours!). Whether it was epoxy for fiberglass work, barrier coats for durability, or fairing compounds for seamless repairs, we were ready to assist!

If you’re inspired by Peter’s work and looking to tackle your own DIY project—big or small— our team is ready to help with expert advice and high-quality materials that make any project possible!

What’s Next?

Now that the boat is seaworthy, Peter’s ready to take his experiments to the next level. Stay tuned for underwater escapades, floating contraptions, and plenty more inventive chaos.

Check out Peter’s video for the full adventure and subscribe to his channel to see where it takes him!