The bilge area of boats is an area that can get quite oily and dirty.  The bilge area of my boat was no different.  In fact, it needed some TLC as many of the wiring clamps had disintegrated over the years. 

I took advantage of having taken the engine out of the boat to refurbish the bilge.  Here is a picture (left) of what the bilge looked like after the engine removal.

I decided to replace the wiring clamps with new stainless steel clamps.  The original clamps were aluminum and did not stand up to the test of time.  Additionally, the bilge area could use a fresh coat of paint.  I used bilge paint, which is a polyurethane paint.

Cleaning and degreasing was a major task.  It took numerous passes with degreasing solutions and then finally, some sanding.

The biggest challenge to painting the bilge was pulling all the wiring away from the transom and bilge surfaces.  I did not want to fully remove the wiring, so I merely pulled it away and held it suspended with some lines.  After 2 coats of paint, everything was ready to be put back into place and secured with new wiring clamps.  Below are some pictures during the painting process and then the final results.

I was wanting to refurbish the bilge for several years and pulling the engine from the boat was the right opportunity to do this.

Go Back to Maintenance Page .