What kind paint?

[Como No Cruising]

We need to repaint our anchor locker and wonder if anyone has a suggestion for paint type that will hold up. We suspect that the original was some type of epoxy paint. Any recommendations would be welcome -

[tartansailor]

Anchor lockers are damp, salty damp.
The most practical salt water resistant polymer is neoprene.
Just think of the jeep tires on barges sunk during WW 11.
They to this day are perfectly functional, though crusted.
Neoprene paint is used on high end trailer under carriages.
You could google for the best price.

Dick

[sfreihofer]

.... The most practical salt water resistant polymer is neoprene.... Neoprene paint is used on high end trailer under carriages....
Dick

I wonder if that's what paint-on truck bed liner is. I know it's pretty tough stuff...

Stan Freihofer
1981 CD25 #794
Ft. Lauderdale, FL

[Troy Scott]

Folks,

I was unable to find a ready-made paint that matched the bilge in my Cape Dory 36, so I went to Sherwin Williams and worked with a guy who was able to match the color exactly (so it disappears) in their Industrial Enamel. I have painted the bilges, the engine compartment and bed, all the cockpit lockers, and the anchor locker using this paint. It's easy to use and it looks great. It does require a month or so before it's really, really hard, but you can sand it the next day. This paint is very much like standard bilge paint. My boat had several shades of beige in these areas, so I chose the color that was predominant in areas that are the most difficult to reach. This way, if I miss a spot it's not noticeable. I suspect that Cape Dory used a variety of "bilge beiges" over the years, so I don't know if my paint formula would help anyone. However, if anyone is interested I will be happy to share.

[Maine Sail]

I would suggest something more hearty than regular old paint. The PO of my boat painted it with Bilge Coat and it is DESTROYED in just five years. He did all the prep, sanding and de-waxing then three coats. Between the high humidity, chain and anchor it looks like it had never even been painted. He had done this only the year before I bought the boat. So in just over five years it looks AWFUL.

I plan to strip all the paint and re-gelcoat it the way it had been from the factory but for now I just deal with flaking & scratched paint.. I have a friend who used Interlux Interprotect 2000E barrier coat and it is doing fairly well..

[Tom Keevil]

I'm just curious about the reason for painting your anchor locker, much less trying to match the original color. Nobody looks at it. Does the paint serve some function? Seems like time better spent sailing.

Tom Keevil

[Como No Cruising]

Reason for painting is ease of cleaning. After 13 years of cruising, and a circumnavigation we have accumulated a few scars in the anchor locker. We usually try to pull out the 200 feet of chain and 100 feet of nylon a few times a year and clean the locker and limber holes. You would not believe some of the mud and crud we have anchored in. Even with a wash down pump you can not remove all the mess and it accumulates in the locker and limber holes.

Yep, better to be sailing, but sometimes some unusual chores need to be done.

Keep sailing.

[Troy Scott]

Thank you Como No.

[Troy Scott]

Well folks, How many of you have had bad luck with regular old Bilgekote and/or other similar paints? And how many find these paints to be fine for their intended purpose? How well do they last in a damp, dirty bilge (or anchor rode storage area)?

I would like to get a general feel from several sailors.

[Ron M.]

Troy, When I initially got my boat it needed much work. One of the first things I did was to paint all the hull interior,engine space, bilge, underside of of companion way hatch/sprayhood etc. with a product by Pittsburg Paint, it was oil based, a modified urethane/epoxy exterior enamel. That was,(wow !) 10 yrs. ago. It has held up wonderfully well...even in the bilge. I hose all that surface yearly with soap and deck brush to get rid of grime and mildew. It looks fresh and clean. Originally the color was that garish swimming pool blue, it is a more pleasing,(to me) tan now. Painted the inside of my dink with it as well. I don't know if they still make it but it was a good choice for me. As with any paint job prep is key.
________
DESIGN HOST

[Troy Scott]

Ron,

As you may have noticed earlier in this thread, I've already matched the original bilge paint in a good Sherwin-Williams industrial enamel. I did this because I wanted to match the original color and I wasn't able to find a standard "bilge paint" in the special Cape Dory Beige. This paint handles well, and seems at least as tough if not tougher than BilgeKote. I had been completely satisfied (and I think I probably still am satisfied) with this choice/solution until another member of this board commented that he wouldn't use "regular old paint" in an anchor locker. I then decided to get a little more input from the balance of the board.

In the meantime, here's what I've learned about the Sherwin-Williams Industrial Enamel: The paint handles well, covers well, levels well, has little tendency to run or sag, and sticks like crazy to well-scrubbed fiberglass, gelcoat and wood. After it's in place, it looks like the original gelcoat (actually it looks a little better...). I chose not to use a primer with it. This kind of paint, in any brand, is not terribly hard at first, so it wouldn't be good to drop an anchor on it, but it will already have good resistance to weather. BUT, after a few weeks, it begins to get really hard. After a few months it becomes very tough. This is working fine for me because I'm doing this refit which is taking a while. I'm trying to get all the bilges, etc., painted in plenty of time to let then get really hard before putting the boat into service. At any rate, I have the formula, so I can easily get more paint from any S-W dealer if/when the paint needs some touch-up in the future.

By the way, I tried to use another Sherwin-Williams product before I settled on their industrial enamel. That was their (forget the exact name) two-part epoxy primer/floor paint. It's great stuff, but it is extremely difficult to handle and the fumes are awful for days. I was never able to get the finish smooth. I probably needed a slower thinner and more of it, but it wasn't available. That expensive paint ended up on my shelf full of paints that disappointed.

Another paint to consider for this use is pool paint, if you can find a good color.

Here's another fact: I tried to get the local paint companies to tint white BilgeKote to the right color. None would cooperate at the time. Since then I've discovered a few that say it wouldn't have been a problem. So, white BilgeKote tinted to your color is still an option, though it's too late for me.....

[Ron M.]

good information Troy, Thanks, you have done your homework. It's amazing how much stuff one learns ' messing about in boats'. Continued success. How long till launch ?
________
Buy herbalaire

[Troy Scott]

I'm really trying for later this year, but there's still a lot to do!

[Duncan]

I have heard the Zinsser highly recommended as a cabin paint, but I don't know how durable it might be in an anchor locker.

I think that the self-priming and mildew-proof qualities would be strong points (as well as cost-effectiveness).

Apparently the Devoe Bar Rust 235 (two part epoxy) is very durable, and suitable for immersion, but I think it might need a primer when applied over fiberglass.

I've heard enough complaints about Bilgekote (fumes, application, poor durability, cost) that I don't think I'd ever consider it.

[Troy Scott]

There is a Zissner paint that is great for repainting the cabin ceiling. It's a one-part waterborne that is highly mildew resistant. I've used it. While it's great for the ceiling, I wouldn't use it in a high-wear area or in a bilge. Zissner makes many other fine paints.

I'd be willing to bet that the two-part epoxy "Devoe Bar Rust 235" would be fine without a primer, considering that most fiberglass primers are two-part epoxys..... While it's doubtless a fine product and it may be available in the right color(s), I hope it's easier to use than the Sherwin-Williams (almost) equivalent, which left me exasperated.

That said, I've learned something interesting about these heavy, two-part industrial epoxys since I permanently shelved the S-W version: If you read the thinning instructions on the AMERICAN version and compare that to the thinning instructions on the MEXICAN version, you may find that far more thinning is "allowed" in Mexico for the same paint. You may also find that the paint handles just fine if you thin it according to the Mexican schedule. This has to do with our VOC regulations..... I love clean air, but I also need my paint to work.