Paint interior of strip planked boat?

[jalmberg]

My strip-planked boat is unpainted on the inside. It looks okay, being mainly wood, but every once in awhile (like right now) I get the urge to paint the interior white, just to brighten things up, and to make it easier to clean. I'd probably use Kirbey oil paint, since I like their products a lot.

Question: what are the downsides to painting? One thing that worries me... if I'm driving hard to weather for a few hours, I get some seepage of sea water in a few spots near the bow. No drips or anything, but the wood gets damp. I worry that the paint would peel in these spots. But I'm sure traditionally planked boats have the same problem, and worse in many cases.

I guess there will be opinions on both sides, so I'd like to hear them.

[skipper68]

We have bare boards inside the hull. Thru winter and summer. I have seen ice on the inside, as we are always in the water, but we are fresh water. If you are pulling it for winter and splashing it in spring, I wouldn't do it. The boards swell and shrink, sometimes a few times a day on our girl, depending on temp. and such. We can tell by when the pump comes on. Sometimes not for 2 weeks, then once a day for a few days.. Then you add the natural twisting of a wood boat underway. They used to use oil, from the engines, and drain it into the waterways at change time, to moisturize the wood and preserve it. Now we know not to. It is really hard on a woodie to be pulled, and set till spring. Then go thru the swelling. The addition of paint wont be a good idea. Your bilge pump might get plugged with it. It's the nature of wood. If it were a day dink, I would say yes, to avoid the swelling possess. Otherwise, a light washing inside and leave her to do what she does best.Hope this helped.

[Rich Jones]

I've no expertise on whether to paint or not, just some advice on color. Don't paint the interior white! The glare on a sunny day will kill you. Tan, light grey, anything but white. Don't ask me how I know this...

[gstanfield]

I agree. My first boat build I painted white inside and it was terrible on bright days!

[Jayhawk]

A good paint, properly applied, will stand up to getting wet without peeling.

Do you know what sort of finish is on the bilge currently? Do you know where the water is coming from?

[jalmberg]

No water in the bilge, just some seepage coming through the hull. I would say 'when the hull works', but strip plank boats aren't supposed to work.

[jalmberg]

No water in the bilge, just some seepage coming through the hull. I would say 'when the hull works', but strip plank boats aren't supposed to work.

[wizbang 13]

Not all strip planked boats are the same.
Yours' is not" encapsulated ", (epoxy) ,right?
If it is painted only, on the outside, then she will "waterlog" just like a carvel boat.
But, I agree, a well painted inside will withstand the planking getting wet.
Isn't your boat made of cool wood? I might paint , white, the insides of lockers , red lead the bilges , and varnish the visable parts, forvisual warmth.
I only have 4 small portlites in my boat, when the tropical sun leaks in, I block the window.
having white paint around saves energy lighting her up at night!

[jalmberg]

I don't think the individual strips were encapsulated.

Shes painted on the outside and bare wood inside. Of course, we're talking epoxy, so some ended up on the inside and outside surfaces.

The strips are Douglas Fir. Nice, but unfinished. Varnishing is an interesting idea, but I've never seen it done, except for gold plated dinks. That makes me a bit dubious.

Not much tropical sun in NY, unfortunately.

[wizbang 13]

fir planking, poly var over epoxy, the epoxy turns fir almost orange.she's no gold plater!

[Don Kurylko]

Daly's Seafin Teak Oil or Ship n' Shore for a clear finish. Easy to apply and maintain. Everything but the thwarts and oars, which are varnished, is finished with Seafin TO on this 35 year old skiff. Leaks don't matter much, but it needs to be re-applied more frequently than varnish. This usually amounts to a wash down with fresh water and wipe down with the oil. The initial application of several build up coats takes a bit more time and effort though.