bertram31.com

I read tons of documents, checked dozens of projects, watched hundreds of videos about bilge coatings and I came to the conclusion that 3 coatings products seem to be the right ones:

1) Axalta Imron 3.5 Plus High Gloss Polyurethane Top Coat (Pete had this on Eastwind coated by Rybo Marine if I'm not wrong)
2) Diamond Tuff Industrial Coating (Vernese Customs on YouTube just finished a nice project on a 31 FBC)
3) Tile-Clad HS by Sherwin Williams (Vernese Customs used it to coat bilge below the deck)

I link here the above mentioned YT Video and I wish to ask to all wise Faithfuls their experiences on bilge coating

https://youtu.be/aepBcEgcSjk?si=qhlt7qrds6mABDen

If I had to bid on one, I probably would go for Imron, accordingly to pictures posted by Pete; my only concern (as usual) is the huge effort to have such a product shipped overseas.

Guys at Shipyard are suggesting using gelcoat; I'm not sure we may achieve such a gloss touch I saw on Pete and Vernese boats.

Thank you Guys!

Bilge paint is only as good as the primer that you use.

I used Sherwin Williams Seaguard 5000 which is an epoxy primer. For a top coat I used Sherwin Williams Sher-Loxanne 800. Its a wonderful top coat paint. Both are these products are SW commercial line of coatings and are pretty easy to find around a shipyard.

Either way you go, I'd recommend an epoxy based system.

I chose the Invisible Resin. LOL

As I clean every season, flakes of what was my bilge painted with by previous owners fall off and I collect them at the stern…I dont see why a bilge should be painted especially when it is such a difficult project with the engines mounted, UNLESS one starts with an empty bilge without engines.

Just some thoughts…
I’ve had success with Interlux VC Performance epoxy on my little Blackfin 24 – the white color will yellow over time and its very slippery. I’ve been told that Interlux 2000E White will also yellow over time.
If I did it again, I’d go with Rick’s recommendation.

Based on my experience and from what I’ve been told by the AwlGrip rep: anywhere in the bilge that’s constantly submerged in water including gutters for deck hatches, the coating needs to be compatible for “below waterline” which I assume is the same as “submersion service”. Decades ago, I painted a couple of Hatteras bilges – prepped it fine, used 545 Awlgrip primer and Matterhorn White topcoat. Everything held up fine except the few spots which were constantly submerged in water and the topcoat peeled up. Merritt’s painted the cockpit with AwlGrip of a 46 Hatteras that I took care of. Over time, in all the deck hatch gutters, the top coat peeled up because there was always a little water in the gutters. The rest of the deck was fine.

Years ago, John P. from Worton Creek Marina said they use gelcoat for their bilges because of the Awlgrip issue above – they’ve remanufactured several B31s. I don’t know if he still uses gelcoat for bilges.

I’m sure you know this but - West Systems epoxy needs to be painted otherwise it will break down over time from the UV. I assume the same is true for other epoxies and vinyl ester? And safety reminder - need really good respirators, eye protection, explosion proof ventilation fans, no ignition sources anywhere when solvents/paint are being used.

You’re boat looks great! I’m looking forward to seeing future updates.

Hutch

UV is not a problem in the bilge. Topside UV causes epoxy to yellow. There are some UV resistant epoxies out there but the simple solution is to paint them.

As with any epoxy primer, the surface needs to be cleaned properly with Denatured Alcohol. I generally wipe my surfaces twice. Buy the alcohol in the 5 gallon cans and it is relativity inexpensive.

I've always used gelcoat for bilge coatings, and I've always rolled it out as opposed to spraying, that way you do not have to thin it. I've also always used a light gray coating because you can detect oil leaks, trans leaks, and coolant leaks because of the contrasts. Light gray also stays looking nice even years down the road. Granted its not shiny and glossy, and show room quality, but it is a bilge that will have solvents, amongst other things.

Obviously if you use gelcoat, make sure and put your wax additive in it so it will dry tack free.

I'd recommend nothing to slippery in the upper outside portion. I like to get in there to work...well I don't actually like getting in there and having to work...but if I have to, it is real nice to get in do what needs to be done and not sliding down in n under motor.

Bilges have a tendency to accumulate oil and gunk over the years and any fiberglass strands that are completely wet act as a wick and will leach back out when painted over. Careful observation of dry glass and grinding should be considered.
I've seen bilges that were big dollar prepped and painted release sheets of paint and primer that get sucked up into bilge pumps many times over the years.

Bruce wrote: ↑Feb 3rd, '25, 06:41 Bilges have a tendency to accumulate oil and gunk over the years and any fiberglass strands that are completely wet act as a wick and will leach back out when painted over. Careful observation of dry glass and grinding should be considered.
I've seen bilges that were big dollar prepped and painted release sheets of paint and primer that get sucked up into bilge pumps many times over the years.

The closest that I ever came to sinking a boat offshore was a new CC boat that I had just bought. We were offshore fishing in some pretty rough weather and the boat started riding very heavy. I wasn't quite sure what was happening because the bilge was not pumping. I opened the rear hatch and the water was up to the bottom of the deck. Still no bilge working.

We hauled a$$ to the boat ramp and finally got the boat loaded. The bilge hose was completely clogged with fiberglass strands left in the boat from the Grady White factory.

Rick,

I have a cousin who is a naval architect. He has built numerous boats mainly for himself, in his backyard. Every time he was launching a boat he would call me for help during the first few trips, just in case something went wrong.

I remember that during the first trip of one of his boats, the engines wouldn't work as they should, they wouldn't reach their rpms. He opened the hatches to reach the diesel filters only to witness them being FULL of the same fiberglass strands like the ones you described.

He explained to me that he was expecting this to happen, because although he had cleaned his diesel tank very thoroughly, there would always exist some debris that one either cannot see or cannot reach. Because his tank was integral to the boat hull by construction and the deck was its top cover, somewhere in the bonding process some glass strands fell in...

I've also seen 40 foot sailboats with their cockpit filled with water - like a swimming pool - after a big wave came in, because they had the same strands blocking the scupper tube, following some fiberglass work done elsewhere previously.

When I was rebuilding the Fly N Fish, a very experienced boat builder (the same guy that built my buddies $9 M Sailing Cat) told me to take a water hose and was out the boat every week. I followed his advice!

I used POR15 white paint when I rebuilt my port engine to coat the inside and bilge of the engine compartment. It lease a super slick surface that repels oil, etc. very aggressively. It is not supposed to have pores. It was a gloss white single part topcoat. They also have a two part urethane that is even tougher.

I also painted the engine with their engine paint and it has held up well.

I had tried the Bilgecoat gray paint before and that was a failure that peeled off.

https://por15.com/collections/topcoat-p ... 7017570471
https://por15.com/products/2k-urethane

Bruce wrote: ↑Feb 3rd, '25, 06:41 Bilges have a tendency to accumulate oil and gunk over the years and any fiberglass strands that are completely wet act as a wick and will leach back out when painted over. Careful observation of dry glass and grinding should be considered.
I've seen bilges that were big dollar prepped and painted release sheets of paint and primer that get sucked up into bilge pumps many times over the years.

Your analysis is more than accurate Bruce.
Working on this like on previous restorations I've been involved, I learnt that reading up and doing painstakingly homework pays.
I'm in touch now with Sherwin Williams Italian branch and they suggested to coat bilges with their Dura-Plate UHS, a two-component, ultra high-solids epoxy amine, which is used to coat tanks' inside surfaces; it's available in light grey, white or light green.

https://industrial.sherwin-williams.com ... 56244.html

The alternative is Axalta Imron 3.5 High Gloss Polyurethane Topcoat, which was used by Raybo Marine on Peter Palmieri's Eastwind.
I can't wait to keep all You Faithfuls updated!
francesco

Most of Pete’s bilge has Interlux 2000e primer under the imron.
The industrial imron sticks to everything, I’ve taken excess paint outside when it’s 30 degrees and rolled it on yard equipment, we’ve had it on the floor of the shop since as long as I’ve worked there and I’ve used it on hundreds of decks, bilges, engines.
Recently painted an old dodge ram with it.

Raybo Marine NY wrote: ↑Feb 7th, '25, 04:55 Most of Pete’s bilge has Interlux 2000e primer under the imron.

Thank you for the advice:
I'm facing now some lack of Imron distribution, on this side of the Ocean, even though Italian Axalta branch, is few miles far from my hometown.
Anyway...I won't give up!