Liveaboards and painting

Poignard

Poignard

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How do you liveaboards cope with storing paints, varnishes, thinners and other painting materials on your boats [assuming you have boats that need painting]? Also what about paint straining, brush cleaning, disposal of old thinners etc?
 
istore full unopened cans in a locker in the aft cabin,thinners ,opened cans sealed upand bagged in the transom locker,for some reason anti foul in the heads(,i think it was a space problem) tend to use semi disposable brushs,but i store them in abilge with paint rollers,trays etc.
thinners etc i dispose of in the waste oil points,
i usually buy thinners locally and tend to use up most that i buy,not too keen on having it aboard
 
For paint straining, use an old pair of SWMBO's stockings (or even a new pair if you are really, really brave).
Tins of paint should be stored up-side-down.
 
[ QUOTE ]
For paint straining, use an old pair of SWMBO's stockings (or even a new pair if you are really, really brave).
Tins of paint should be stored up-side-down.



[/ QUOTE ]

Will paint strain through the elastic support variety? /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Although I realise it's the best way to avoid skinning, I think it would need someone really, really braver than me to store a paint tin upside down on a boat! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

By the way, talking of paint tin lids, I notice how very thin and easily distorted the modern ones are when you prize them open with a screwdriver; difficult to reseal reliably; they don't make 'em like they used to!
 
I decant paint into screw top jamjars + store upside down. Lid comes off easily with a gripper thingy designed for the old and infirm. But that's in my cellar. Same thing in bilges, with bubblewrap?
 
We keep all paints etc in various lockers about the boat. No special storage considerations other than keep away from lockers close to possible fire points i.e. cooker and engine room. We use disposable brushes whenever possible.
 
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It is good practice not to carry paint on the boat accept enough for light maintenance between refits. Storing paint ashore is better for safety and only buy what you will use at the time you need it.


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/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif we're not made of money 'ya know...

I keep paint on some shelves, down the end of one of the ex-quarterberths. I don't consider sealed cans a flame risk.

Thinners etc, I keep in the gas locker which is on deck. (Logic - put all flammable stuff together. Always amusing when it comes to CORGI inspections...)
 
[ QUOTE ]
It is good practice not to carry paint on the boat accept enough for light maintenance between refits. Storing paint ashore is better for safety and only buy what you will use at the time you need it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nice in theory but I'd need to sail 6,000+ miles to get 'home' and return with my paint (can't fly with it).

We have a steel boat so paint is important to us. We carry lots of it, three types - bilges, deck, hull, also epoxy, fillers etc etc. It is remarkably difficult to get quality paint in many places, even Awlgrip doesn't have wide distribution. Basically if you are going long distances you have to carry paint although I'd love to empty a few lockers.

Paint being set alight wouldn't even come in my top thirty list of things that can ruin your day. If the fire is so fierce that it sets your paint tins alight you'll probably be watching the fire from your liferaft anyway. Don't worry about it.
 
Re: Liveaboards, paint, thinners, spirits and fire

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It is good practice not to carry paint on the boat accept enough for light maintenance between refits. Storing paint ashore is better for safety and only buy what you will use at the time you need it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Paint being set alight wouldn't even come in my top thirty list of things that can ruin your day. If the fire is so fierce that it sets your paint tins alight you'll probably be watching the fire from your liferaft anyway. Don't worry about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Obviously there's no one answer as to what to do, well illustrated by your 'geographic and supply challenges'. But as to risk, it is fair to say that the risk is real and can be immediate. Paint, thinners and spirit based cleaners in the UK are often supplied in thin walled plastic containers that can burst, split or even melt quickly in a fire. I have three quick illustrations.

At an inland waterways boatshow 3 or 4 years ago an liveaboard boater was walking round with bandaged arms and scorched face. His story was that he was painting out his engine room when the fumes suddenly ignited. I think it was in the same year that a a young lady liveaboard died in a fire on her wooden boat on the Thames. Paints and spirits may have contributed to the fire. Finally, last year a girl narrowly escaped from a fire on her mother's narrowboat home. It was caused by a solid fuel stove, but hairsprays and grooming products on a 'mantle' above the stove exploded and contributed to the flashover as she was struggling to escape (which she did with hardly any burns).

These incidents suggest to me that if paints etc need to be stored on a boat, it could be wise to choose a place that if fire breaks out, there will be long enough protection to give anyone time to reach the liferaft, dory, pontoon or bank.

We have more advice on www.boatsafetyscheme.com/fire, a fire information portal for boaters in the UK.
Kind regards
Rob
 
Re: Liveaboards, paint, thinners, spirits and fire

[ QUOTE ]
Paint, thinners and spirit based cleaners in the UK are often supplied in thin walled plastic containers that can burst, split or even melt quickly in a fire.

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Never seen paint supplied in 'thin walled containers'. Agree that thinners and cleaners often are, hence I store these in the gas locker on deck.
--> Paint comes in metal containers. No risk when sealed.

[ QUOTE ]
At an inland waterways boatshow 3 or 4 years ago an liveaboard boater was walking round with bandaged arms and scorched face. His story was that he was painting out his engine room when the fumes suddenly ignited.

[/ QUOTE ]
This is to do with the paint fumes, when in use. Agree that paint fumes can ignite.
--> Keep the place well ventilated when painting.
--> Paint is dangerous in use. Not when stored

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I think it was in the same year that a a young lady liveaboard died in a fire on her wooden boat on the Thames. Paints and spirits may have contributed to the fire.

[/ QUOTE ]
?

[ QUOTE ]
Finally, last year a girl narrowly escaped from a fire on her mother's narrowboat home. It was caused by a solid fuel stove, but hairsprays and grooming products on a 'mantle' above the stove exploded and contributed to the flashover as she was struggling to escape (which she did with hardly any burns).

[/ QUOTE ]
Off subject. Does this really surprise you? Nothing to do with paint storage
--> Don't store pressurised flammable substances above your wood stove!


[ QUOTE ]
These incidents suggest to me that if paints etc need to be stored on a boat, it could be wise to choose a place that if fire breaks out, there will be long enough protection to give anyone time to reach the liferaft, dory, pontoon or bank.

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Since paints don't pose much risk (as above), then paints can be stored anywhere.
Since thinners and cleaners often come in thin plastic containers, these should be treated as highly flammable and stored in a similar manner to gas cylinders.
--> Paint is fairly safe, stored in sealed tins anywhere on the boat.
--> Thinners etc should be treated the same way as Gas Cylinders or Petrol containers.


[ QUOTE ]
We have more advice on www.boatsafetyscheme.com/fire, a fire information portal for boaters in the UK.
Kind regards
Rob

[/ QUOTE ]


So since there is no evidence that the storage of paint onboard a vessel is a fire hazard, the conclusion is to store paint wherever you like, provided that the tins aren't going to get damaged/punctured etc.

Store thinners etc as you would Petrol.


All IMHO, of course /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
 
>Thinners etc, I keep in the gas locker which is on deck. (Logic - put all flammable stuff together...

And for a really big bomb you could store the petrol container there too ;-) Being serious though I don't think that's a good idea.

One issue is that of the boats we know who have had fires the majority of fires have been caused by elctrical shorting (rather than the oft quoted engine and cooker). Electrical fires can start anywhere and I remember a German cruising boat in Antigua where the fire started in the cockpit locker, guess what was in there. The boat sank very quickly and the crew got off with only the clothes they were wearing.

Even allowing for that I'd spread the risk around in different lockers, and if you have some away from wiring...
 
Re: Liveaboards, paint, thinners, spirits and fire

Its good to read peoples thoughts and reactions here. Not wishing to sound pompous:the fact still remains it is not good practice to carry paint surplus on board. The fire risk is real and flash ignition is too much of a risk. Agreed a boat on long distance needs maintenance. Most sensible people do painting repairs in dry clean conditions. That should be in port. Surplus to touching up the boat YSBI reccomends the smallest quantity of paint should be carried and even then ask yourself what paint you need when your at sea....the answer should be none. Happy sailing

"brush the paint on the boat dont leave it in tins on board" YSBI Quote to our apprentices
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www.yachtsmartbrokerage.com
 
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