TotalBilge Paint

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.

This stuff is THE BEST!!’ I used with this paint over their primer on my aluminum pool rails. I have painted the rails almost every year and they start peeling in a month and are totally lifted by the Michigan spring. It has been only 2 months but the stuff is hard and amazing!! Looks nice and shiny too. I was surprised that the paint could not be spread as it is so thick. I brushed painted and thinned with xylene thinner as required. I bought thinner at ACE hardware as I didn’t want to wait to start the project. Used a brush and leveling is good, no strokes. I scraped and sanded. My sanding job was not the best and it still stuck and looks good. Would have been easier if the rails were off the pool but I did while on and was just careful. I will report back this spring on how it held up over winter.

Easy to use and super durable. Keep a wet edge and move quickly if temps are on the higher end. I have in my bilge & anchor locker and after 2 years it still looks great. Also very easy to clean. It does take longer than I expected to dry so give it time. Don’t apply too thick or allow it to puddle. Very happy with the product. I’ve used on several boats

I cleaned our bilges and applied per the label directions. It works rather well. If you want a thick coat, there is no need for thinner/reducer unless you get it on your skin. Then the thinner takes it off well. It applies to your project straight out of the can, no hardner to mix in. It is extremely fuming to the area applied to, so be prepared to have ventilation of some sort. I left the door and windows open, put the cover on & went home 8 hours later after applying to the cabin bilges. I used a cheap brush in difficult areas, and a foam 4 inch mini roller in the wide open spots. Overall, I'm happy with the outcome. It is a bit pricey in my opinion, but again, it works well. Good Luck!

I’m actually shocked out how well this paint holds up to abuse, our latest boat is fiberglass, and the manufacturer did NOTHING to coat the bilges. It’s now 40 years old, and had become a stained mess, so we’ve painted it with Total Bilge and my gosh, it’s a night-and-day difference. I’ll be buying more in grey now to do our other little sailboat’s open cockpit.