There are places on Ariel #82s deck that have been repaired where there is no deck tread - it has either been sanded smooth, or the replacement fiberglass patch is smooth (around the stanchions that were driven through the deck and on the foreward cabin top near the mast where Git Rot was used, creating a super mess that had to be sanded off).

I want to restore the tread pattern that is standard for the Ariel to these portions (so they don't look they were holes that were repaired or that the restorer screwed up).

So, assume that you have a reasonably flat surface (the curvature of the deck), the base is epoxy or polyeurethane, how can I recreate the deck tread pattern so that the "patch" appearance will be gone?

A related question regards the use of non-skid additives to deck paint. Do they stay on? Do they work? Does wear your knees raw when kneeling down? Upside? Downside?