sealing the bilge

[PW]

Hello,
I've just purchased a wood boat and have finished scraping/bleaching the bilge. What type of sealer should I use? This is a liveaboard so odor after the sealer has dried is a consideration.

Thanks!

[formerlyknownasprince]

I think more detail is needed. What are you trying to achieve by "sealing the bilge"?

As you mention living aboard, I assume we are talking a large boat which presumably has cabin soles?

Ian

[PW]

Yes, this is a large boat with cabin soles. It was recommended to me to seal the bilge with a lindseed oil/pine tar/turp soup and I'm just asking around for other options. Above the water line it's painted, but below, on the bottom of the bilge, it's just bare wood.

[Thorne]

Try searching this forum, as I've seen this topic come up before. As I dimly recall, red lead primer was strongly recommended for bilge primer, can't remember what paint was suggested.

[PW]

I've tried searching w/ Google - my searches always turn up - "no match found" even when I search for a word I know is sure to be their, like "varnish"...

[Thorne]

Try searching on searching....

...just kidding!

for this forum only (the others work), use this link (bookmark it!):

http://www.handforged.net/wbfsearch/

Here's the top link when 'bilge primer' is searched:
http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=003273

[ 10-25-2005, 02:42 PM: Message edited by: Thorne ]

[PW]

Thank you!

[Rick Tyler]

Sealing the bilge doesn't work perfectly. Some of those threads continue to surface here... smile.gif

[paladin]

yeah...I thought you wuz trying to seal OUR bilge....good luck...

[Bob Cleek]

If your bilge is down to bare wood, just seal it with Smith's Clear Penetrating Epoxy Sealer (a sealer, not an epoxy) and then paint with a good oil based paint. Rustoleum is good... high in solids. You could use red lead, but given the application, there's no need to go to the trouble and expense. There are bilge paints marketed with a boat on the can, but you pay a lot extra for those. The CPES and the paint will smell, as paint does. As soon as it is gassed off, you'll have no odor at all. However, if your bilges are unpainted and in good shape, there's really no need to paint them at all. Just use some turpentine and linseed oil. That also will smell, but it isn't long lasting. Longer than paint, but liveable. Unless you want to smell like an old salt, I wouldn't use pine tar on a liveaboard. That smell, though pleasant to many of us, lasts and lasts. I recommend the CPES because it will form a good base for the oil based paint and prevent a lot of peeling and lifting. The wet/dry cycles in a bilge, not to mention the occasional oil spill, are tough on paint adhesion.

[Jay Greer]

My first choice is red lead. Kills fungus.

[Victor]

A flexible epoxy like Gluvit will seal it all right, but it might trap moisture.