Bilges

[CAJ]

I'm assisting a friend restore his 42ft motor yacht called Soleil d'Or.

Have recently made a start and making good progress.

What is the best way to clean bilges - they are nearly dry and cleared of rubbish. What is the best way to prepare them for painting. I have removed all the loose paint - just need to get them clean to take paint. Which de greaser is the best ?

Talking of paint - what is best to use in bilges ? Prime, undercoat then top coat or is there a product you can put straight on ??

Thanks in advance. I'm sure I will come up with many more questions over the coming months !!

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[Peterduck]

There should be gaps between the frames/ribs and the planking each side of the keel. These are called limber holes, and should be free of any obstruction. They are there to allow any water which leaks into the boat anywhere along its length to run to the lowest part of the interior, where the bilge pump is located. It is a good thing to also have a special threaded plug in the planking at this lowest point, so that the boat can be flushed out when it is ashore for annual maintenance. There are degreasing fluids available which are non-volatile, so that users do not asphyxiate themselves on the fumes. These are the ones to go for. It is usual to scrub oily planking if you can reach it with such a degreasing fluid, before flushing the resultant liquid out through the drain hole. I understand that a paint called "Danboline" is the accepted stuff in the UK for bilges. I have not used it as we cannot get it in Australia.
Peter.

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[Blue_Blazes]

Can it be that International Paints are not so international after all? What do they call Danboline down your neck of the woods Peterduck?

Bill.

<hr width=100% size=1>One of these days I'll have a boat that WORKS

 

[ccscott49]

Best thing I've found, that you can buy, is Daz, (washing powder) with hot water, cleans the bilges a treat, remember to keep the limber holes (as mentioned) clear. Any biulge paint from any manufacturer will be fine, prime any bare wood with metallic pink primer, or equivalent first. Danboline is excellent bilge paint and would be my first choice.

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[CAJ]

Hi - thanks for the advice. I'll get around to cleaning them next week.

Next job is to tackle the keel - has a few splits and a little bit of rot in it. Was thinking about putting new wood either side of it as extra support ?



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[ccscott49]

Better to cut the rot out and let new wood into it, bedding into epoxy, then filling the cracks with epoxy sqeezed in with a syringe, then the top coat with thickened epoxy, last for years!! Just keep a weather eye on it each time you slip for antifoul and repair as ness. Some people would say fill with linseed oil putty, as it's flexible, but a keel shouldnt move too much anyway.

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[Peterduck]

They don't call it anything different, Billl, it just ain't there. I don't visit chandlers very often, but when I have, I haven't seen anything specifically marketed as a bilge paint.
Peter.

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[CAJ]

Thanks again for all the advice.

If you'd like to see pictures of the boat then please email me - channelimages@ntlworld.com

CAJ.

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