Bilge and Battery Trays

We had to make sure that we fit the proper transom dimensions and dry fit the inner transom plate with the gimbal ring. After that we were comfortable taking the plunge on painting the transom and bilge area. We first wanted to encapsulate the new transom wood with a light coat of fiberglass. For this we used 4oz E Glass woven fiberglass for a lightweight coverage. We also used this for coating the topside of the sole. Anyway, here is a shot of the transom after it was coated in fiberglass:

Then we coated it twice with Bilgekote primer:

And finally put two coats of Bilgekote on top of the primer after following the directions on the can labels.

Then we built the battery trays and poured the expanding foam in. Here are some shots of those being built.

Next we had to prep the surface surrounding the area covered by the Bilgekote by abrading. To do this we used a 36 grit sanding disc and the grinder set at the lowest RPM (slowest setting possible), as well as very light pressure. It is crucial to just rough the surface up, but not remove the epoxy coating. Here we can see what the result looked like.

After masking off the Bilgelote, primer was applied following the instructions on the label and then two coats of rubberized paint was applied with the roller method. We considered applying it with a hopper-type sprayer like the kind used to apply texture to sheetrock walls but decided in the end we would use the roller. I'm sure you'll want to know more about this paint after you see these photos, so I put links of where you can learn more under the photos below.

Tuff Coat Rubberized Paint

Tuff Coat Fiberglass Primer

You may have noticed these images show the engine mounted back in the boat. The mounting of the engine will be covered in the Engine Back In page.

You also may have noticed some bolts slightly sticking out of the top of the battery trays. We used t-nuts which will be shown later (see Bilge Pump Bracket for a shot of a t-nut). These nuts were placed on the top of the battery tray to securely hold the battery tray mounting hardware. We also used this type of fastener for the blower motor mount on the port side "battery tray". One last note on these photos, the pink foam was placed there to prevent us from fouling up the paint job when we had to step on it or otherwise put weight on it. The foam basically displaced the weight and prevented wrinkling or marring of the Bilgekote paint.

Once we removed the masking tape, we were very happy with the appearance of the engine compartment. We have since noticed that the Bilgekote paint makes wiping of oils and other fluids very easy. The rubberized paint feels very sturdy and is also easy to wipe fluids from. We just could not put carpet back in the engine compartment after seeing the condition of the previous stuff we ripped out.

I want to add another photo (yet to be taken) here to show the result of the engine compartment in its totality. For now though, let's move on to Repairing Stress Cracks.