TotalBoat TdotalBilge Bilge Paint

Follow the instructions on the can, allow proper time between coats and apply it when the humidity is at the right levels (this is a key part) and this product works amazing. I redid the stringers in my boat, sealed it all up with a epoxy resin. Scuffed the dry resin to give the bilge paint something to grab and a nice clean surface (new epoxy meant no oil or grease that cause fisheyes or poor adhesion). This stuff covered in one coat, but I had so much left, I went ahead and did a 2nd coat just because I had no other use for this (a quart goes a LONG way if done right) and it left a beautiful finish to the entire engine compartment of my boat. Once it set up, you can wipe any dirt or oil/grease that drips down from your inboard engine with ease. This product is wonderful and easy to maintain. Just make sure you don't put it on in really high humidity because it will make it so it'll never want to dry. Follow that simple piece of advice and this product will seal up your transom, bilge area with no problem at all. Nice thick product that lays down and flows out so you see no brush/roller strokes. It comes in many colors to fit your personal preference. We love this stuff and even found that we liked it enough to do the floor in the shed under the go karts, race cars and lawn mowers because it repels oil and grease, which allows super easy clean up. If you are going to use multiple coats though, make sure you allow proper time to "flash/dry" between coats or it will seal off/over and never want to feel fully dry. Remember, this isn't normal house paint, it is a coating that is meant to repel water, oil, grease, or other mechanical fluids like antifreeze or transmission fluid. For that purpose, it works wonders

First of all, this paint is excellent!!!, the best bilge paint I use in my career. Preparation is the most important part!! I was kind of mean.. first, I use gunk for degreasing and deep clean; then, denaturalized alcohol, dewaxed and again more alcohol. After all that, I realize the surface was very irregular and sanded down a little with 80 grips... yes, you can imagine.. more deep cleaning. Finally, the surface was ready for paint. This paint is heavy!! you can down to 10% with a thinner but I prefer a heavy first coat. I use a brush, not roller and cover really well. After 3 hours was ready for the second coat.. light clean and sand with 150 grip and second coat. The finish is very good!! Be ready to use a very good mask!! Paint has a very high VOC so it really smells a lot!! So first recommendation: control your dust and tried to work clean and without any clutter; it very easy makes a mess with this paint, have a lot of rags around you. Second, use a good fan or secure good ventilation!! and use a professional paint mask. the common ones do not make the cut. Overall, I'm really happy with this paint but need to be used with precaution.

1 year later - I’m prepping my boat for the spring, 1 season later and still extremely pleased. Bought another gallon to touch up the bilge in one spot where I didn’t degrease enough. Every other area looks like a week after I first painted it. Unlike others, I find application with a small foam roller is much easier than brushing. You just need to replace the roller covers frequently. Highly recommended! Awesome bilge paint. Bought a gallon and used every drop. My 40 year old Catalina 30 was a grimy, smelly bilge and interior disaster. I degreased as best I could using simple green, cordless drill, drill brushes and a mountain of rags. Then I painted with two coats of this stuff. Mixed really thoroughly with drill and paddle prior to application. Used a 4 inch foam roller to apply. Sanded between coats a bit, but not particularly diligently. Dried rock hard, like epoxy. Shiny, white and gorgeous. Water, diesel and oil just bead up on the finished coat. Super easy to wipe clean. I can’t recommend highly enough!

I used this bilge paint to coat a below deck storage compartment in my boat. The compartment had no previous paint or sealer. It was just rough fiberglass resin . This paint went on easily with excellent coverage. Make sure you have good ventilation. The fumes are strong. I used a small roller on the first coat, with a brush to hit areas that the roller could not get to. The second coat, 24 hours later, went on smooth and covered well. The finished surface is a tough durable finish that can take boating equipment bouncing around . Would definitely recommend this product.

I bought this based on recommendation of several Tolman Skiff boat builders on Fishyfish. Both said it’s durable and one guy suggested using it for deck paint. Well the instructions say it has no UV inhibitors so it’s best to use for the bilge. I did use for my exposed anchor well as a test and we will see how durable it is for both bilge (wet dark environment) and anchor well (wet and daylight). As usual I underestimated the quantity needed and a quart is not enough. I’ll buy another. This paint smells of industrial marine paint, meaning it has a lot of super smelly solvents. The paint starts drying fast, too fast and I wish I’d thinned it to slow things down or at least make it easier and faster to apply. A single coat will not be enough if you want perfectly even coverage. Since it’s the bilge / fish hold and covered most of the time, I think I’ll skip a second coat. Cleanup is old school messy and you’ll need a thinner/solvent that is epoxy compatible. I ended up using disposable rollers and brushes. It’s just not worth the effort. Did I mention the fumes are strong? For a half hour of application I wonder how many chromosomes I damaged. I do recommend this paint as the anchor well has had a week to cure and it is already hard. This was applied over two part System Three Epoxy Primer.