Paint type for the bilge

[Celestialsailor]

Originally Posted by DeValency

People, in general, have different cleaning standards...

Man!...ain't that the truth!

[Creedence]

Originally Posted by DeValency

A big +1 on that! When I was buying new boats, I would generally walk away from a boat with a dirty/unclear bilge, same with a dirty engine...

This is why in the Navy the strict command is "You should be able to eat from the bilge, otherwise it isn't clean!"

People, in general, have different cleaning standards...

Must be a military thing- Army Aviation is exactly the same. I also own aircraft and strictly adhere to the same principles with them as well... for what I would hope are obvious reasons.

Here’s a picture I happen to have on my computer of the engine compartment in one. If you can’t eat off of it, you’re setting yourself up for issues. Now granted, boat maintenance doesn’t NEED to be like that, but the further you let it stray, the closer you move to reactive maintenance which I try my best to avoid.

[Cadence]

I'm a believer in a white bilge in the engine room/space. A white engine, neatly dressed and numbered wires on both ends and accessible seacocks. JMO

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by Cadence

I'm a believer in a white bilge in the engine room/space. A white engine, neatly dressed and numbered wires on both ends and accessible seacocks. JMO

That sounds like boat mechanical heaven! So many of the smaller (older) boats, you can barely fit yer fist in there. But a bright white bilge makes it MUCH easier to see what's going on, especially when you trying to work on something at night with a flashlight.

[SVPP]

Originally Posted by lituya1617

After over seven decades of living on and owning boats, I am seldom just completely baffled by a boating issue; however, this issue of painting your bilge and the materials to use managed to do it. Why in the world would anyone want to paint a bilge? What is the upside? Nobody sees the bilge. If there is water in the bilge, you need to fix a leak pronto! Nothing structural is fixed with paint ... so why paint it? On the down side, paint can and will flake off if you have a wet bilge although I am sure some well-prepared bilges can be painted with expensive paints with long-term success, that is an expensive and labor-intense project with no upside. If you realize that solvents and diesel and soap and salt water and marine growth and lube oil and so on will find their way into the bilge and eat most paints, you are going to have paint peeling and flaking in your bilge. These paint particles will eat the seals out of your typical bilge pump and cost you plenty in the long run. Somebody explain to me why anyone would need to paint a bilge?

There are many reasons for clean painted bilges- like most of those listed above. But most importantly, having a clean bilge is like having clean underpants. Mostly the phenomenen goes unnoticed but you will be happy and carefree knowing that your bilges sparkle - when you next need to eat your dinner off them!