Painting Bilges
- Thread starter Mick143
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No experience here either. Just don't paint the stainless steel.
I would also use an epoxy paint. Who knows what is going to end up in your bilges.
If you decide that paint is the way to get, prep is everything (as you know). I would use a pressure washer and if hot water is available I would use that too. A good cleaning may make them look good enough that you don't need to paint 'um.
I would also use an epoxy paint. Who knows what is going to end up in your bilges.
If you decide that paint is the way to get, prep is everything (as you know). I would use a pressure washer and if hot water is available I would use that too. A good cleaning may make them look good enough that you don't need to paint 'um.
Paint the insides of lockers, if you like...
The "paint chips in the bilge pump" issue is real. I had 2 boats where sweeping the bilge to prevent clogging was a regular task. And those boats had very dry bilges.
... since a light color can really help visibility. But skip the parts that can get wet.
The "paint chips in the bilge pump" issue is real. I had 2 boats where sweeping the bilge to prevent clogging was a regular task. And those boats had very dry bilges.
Why are we painting the bilge? My plan once the water warmed back up was to clean everything out and scrub it down then roll on a coat or three of white pigmented West System Epoxy :dance:
Gotta stick better and surely more durable than any paint. . .just my 2 cents
Gotta stick better and surely more durable than any paint. . .just my 2 cents
It will probably still delaminate and chip off over time.Why are we painting the bilge? My plan once the water warmed back up was to clean everything out and scrub it down then roll on a coat or three of white pigmented West System Epoxy :dance:
Gotta stick better and surely more durable than any paint. . .just my 2 cents
Mick, I have painted my bilge twice in 16 years. I used Interlux BilgeKote after properly preparing the surface before painting. I touch up some minor spots every couple years and have had no problems with paint flakes in my bilge pump. My Rule pump has a screen which I check on a regular basis and keep my bilges dry since my boat has very shallow bilges. A painted bilge is easy to clean, is a sign of good maintenance and looks shipshape. However, this is my personal opinion and I'm certain you and your boat will survive if you opt for the look of unfinished fiberglass. A well found boat is a different thing to different people. I like a painted bilge. Good luck and good sailing, Ron
One of the very first things I did when I bought my brand new MacGregor 26M was to paint the bilges with white Gelcoat, that was 8 years ago and still no flaking. The bilges were raw fiberglass with sharp shards sticking out waiting to impale the first unsuspecting hands. I sanded all the areas to be painted with a very rough sandpaper then vacuumed out all the dust, cleaned and then painted. I can now store things in those ares and see that they are clean and when they do get dirty I simply wipe all the white gelcoat surface clean with Fantastic spray. IMHO it shows pride of ownership and if I ever sell a potential buyer will see that the boat has had TLC's.
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