MacGregorSailors.com

Hello everyone! Hope we're all getting our Macs in the water. I'm working on my baby here in Nashville, TN now.

My question is this, every since I purchased my Mac (back in 2001), the underside of the companionway hatch (that slides) and the underside of the front hatch grows mildew. I understand why for the most part, but am wondering if anyone's found an easy way to get it off these rough fiberglass surfaces? The standard scrubbing with soapy water just doesn't cut it!

Yep spray it with any bathroom mildew remover & tile cleaner then let it sit a while then scrub with a stiff bristle brush, then clean off with some bleach & water mixed once a month that will keep the mold & mildew at bay

J
PS watch that you keep it off & away from any cushions & clothing

Yep. Then when you have it all cleaned off, paint it with epoxy paint to fill in all the pores. It will be *much* easier to clean in future, and the lack of pores and crannies will greatly decrease the amount of mold and mildew.

So many good ideas. So little time. Now how does one paint the underside of a hatch with epoxy and not make a mess of the cabin? Cover everything I guess. Then you need to crawl out with the hatch closed so the epoxy can dry, and perhaps not put the door in place so the smell doesn't take over the boat.

You undo the hatch holder and fold it flat on the deck......

Yep, you can just fold the front one back, or as I did, just take it off... it's only a couple of bolts. And the main hatch is also easy to get off - it can usually be 'sprung' out of its slots.

Does anyone have a good brand epoxy paint they can recommend? Im giving this project to the kiddies...

GREAT QUESTION ...

The West Marine reply is Interlux Epoxy barrier, but there is a local paint company ( Warren Paint Co., Nashville TN ) that makes up a 2-part epoxy paint for gelcoated fiberglass, and I am considering that, at less than half the price of the Interlux brand.

I guess it is not nearly as critical above the waterline, and not a critical out of the elements, cf. bottom barrier paint.

This was explored in a thread on this board over a year ago, with lots of comments, most of them warnings and caveats against using "no-name" paint brands. The question was never able to be answered exactly, since the paint formulas' chemistry is not readily identifiable, nor do any of us seem to be knowledgable enough to figure out the difference, if any.

Kelly Hanson East wrote:Does anyone have a good brand epoxy paint they can recommend? Im giving this project to the kiddies...

You don't have to go crazy for this... it's only an interior surface. I'd use Krylon Epoxy Appliance Paint... and, as you might expect, it even comes in bright white...

http://www.krylon.com/products/appliance_epoxy_paints/

... or Krylon Epoxy Enamel...

http://www.krylon.com/products/epoxy_enamel_paint/

I too have this on my list for when I return. I was also thinking of sanding the undersides down some...do you think that is necessary?

Thanks,
Jim

As far as the cleaning is concerned (the PO had painted it) Mean Green works wonders. Use eye protection!


Allan

c130king wrote:I was also thinking of sanding the undersides down some...do you think that is necessary?

Yes. Use a dust mask and goggles, and pat your skin down with talcum powder first to prevent itching.

Sounds like an unpleasant job. I'll start with clorox, which worked well the only other time I cleaned it, but didn't last too long. Maybe a project for when I repaint the bottom come winter time. Too much sailing to do for now

Thanks everyone! So bathroom mold and mildew remover. Do you use the type with bleach? That stuff is pretty strong, so I could see how it would do the trick.

The Krylon sounds pretty easy, any prep work needed?

Steve wrote:The Krylon sounds pretty easy, any prep work needed?

After you've treated it to kill the mildew, let it dry thoroughly in the sun... then just sand it down, as I noted in my previous post, and paint it. Simple!