Suggestions for painting aft compartments

[dmksails]

I'm thinking of cleaning up and painting the rear compartments on my Tashiba-31 - the engine compartment, aft lazarettes, etc. Question is, how to go about it. These spaces are VERY small and getting into them will be a pain. I want to paint as the space is currently a dirty grey and smells.

Is it a smart idea to use a pressure washer to clean the space? I would need to collect the resulting water for disposal outside the marina. And I don't think hitting the engine itself with the pressure washer would be a good idea.

Or does this need to wait for a when a major project - like pulling the engine - comes around.

[Oeanda]

I think it’s fine to pressure wash the engine. Just avoid any obvious vulnerable electronics and the air filter. We p-washed ours several times after the purchase, and cleaned with this before painting.



Before and after





It would have been better with the engine out obviously, and we couldn’t reach the bottom. But still worth it for the interim.

[JPA Cate]

Hi, dmk sails, you wrote that your engine box smells. If it is a diesel smell, then using a degreaser according to the instructions, will clean it up and should get rid of the smell. We have always used hot water to wash off the degreaser, but never used a pressure washer below decks. However, we do use a garden sprayer that you pump up for pressure, for said hot water. Yes, to do it properly, you'd need to get the engine out of the box, and then it'll be in your way. I would not paint it without addressing any diesel or oil leaks first. Sometimes people get a lot of rubber dust from alternator and water pump drive belts. It doesn't smell bad, but adds to the filth, and is hard to clean. Most likely, using a spray on degreaser and a garden sprayer with hot water will help you get everything adequately clean, and get rid of the smell, too. The less water you use, the less dirty water you will have to carry around and dispose of.

If you approach the grottiest locker first, you'll learn by doing. When we painted our lockers on our first Insatiable, we first washed them with the same detergent we use to wash our dishes on board, and water, and then rinsed them carefully, using a sponge. After it had dried, we painted. I just used latex based semi-gloss, white--bathroom paint, with water cleanup. It dried fairly quickly, and looks nice and fresh. If you're living on the boat (as we were), keep the jobs small, so you still have somewhere to sleep, and have meals, and don't have so much stuff in your way.

Ann