paint fiberglass under vberth?

[Jared1048]

So i ripped out all the sanitation hoses and have been scrubbing all the areas they were covering. Under the vberth it looks like crap due to dirt and or mold. Whatever it is it doesnt look all that great (as is probably expected in this dark area) and I'm considering painting it with some white paint to make it look a little nicer but to also maybe cover any weird smells that might linger in the fiberglass. They way it is now I wouldnt want to store anything in there but maybe old lines. If it was painted I'd feel a little better about using this little area for something.

Any concerns do you guys see? What kind of paint would you use?

Thanks,
-Jared

 

[Merlin Clark]

I use enamel for stuff like that Jared.
It's tough and there is no need for UV protection or a picture of a sailboat on the label.

 

[Steve Dion]

I think you are going to find that it is going to get old and moldy on that new paint too. Unless you ventilate it you are going to have mold and stink on nice white paint, that may not stay very nice and white.

I would also be concerned on how you are going to prep that area prior to painting. It is hard enough to get your arm in there to work with the plumbing. If the surfaces are not prepped well the paint will peel off and then.........

 

[Jared1048]

Yeah, I was concerned about it pealing creating a bigger mess to deal with. I was hoping that a smoother painted surface would be easier to clean

 

[MrUnix]

I painted the fiberglass in the v-berth of an old Venture that I had, and didn't prep it well enough.. so it peeled along with the old paint under it. Wound up having to take it down to bare glass and do it all over again. I believe I used some Pettit enamel deck paint, but that was over 20 years ago so I might be a little fuzzy on the details After sanding it down and cleaning with some TSP then a good wipe down with acetone, the new paint held up pretty good and looked 100% better than it did when I got it. One tip: ventilate well when painting or you will get a heck of a buzz followed by one whopper of a headache!

Cheers,
Brad