Quote:
Originally Posted by redbopeep
"Paint thinners and such..." ah, we have a small tin of acetone for prepping surfaces in case of using 2 part epoxy (we do have a small 2 part epoxy kit aboard, too, with the thinners) and since we have numerous varnished surfaces we carry a tin of varnish as well as thinner.Â*Â*When I describe our little bin of "thinners and such" I should mention that it includes small tins of paint for topsides as well as the varnish.Â*Â*We carry a tin of tung oil in with the thinners and it is used for oiling the handrails on cabin-top as well as pin-racks and fife-rails.Â*Â*On most boats, these items are stainless or gelcoat and one doesn't have to bother with keeping up with the finishing work. But, on our boat we couldn't possibly go without a goodly supply of volatiles.Â*Â*
At present all of that resides very far forward in the forecastle in the location that was originally the boat's "paint locker" way back when it was built in 1931.Â*Â*One thing the boat had back then which it does not have right now is it's original CO2 engine-room fire suppression system. We retain a halon engine-room fire suppression system aboard (can no longer be serviced in the USA, unfortunately) so we'll shortly have to figure out what to replace it with.Â*Â*Any ideas on that one?
You jog my mind that my "list" of projects for this winter should include the proper paint/thinner locker.
Always somethin'
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... after I read the atricle in the yachting magazine I initially thought, such
small amounts of thinners, acetone etc shouldn't be a big risk. But as I inspected the tins, bottles and spray bottles more thoroughly I realized that an awful lot of these gathered in the locker over the years (and we only have a plastic boat!) and even worse, the tin bottles showed signs of corrosion and one spray bottle was even leaking and the aerosole was gone... Â*And adding upÂ* many
small amounts stored in a
small locker can create Â*big problems in
small scale.. for our 32 ft yacht even a
small explosion can create a
big problem... So, there even is a need for a "paint locker" or a similar safe place on "mainenance free"Â* and
small fibreglass boat.
And the other whorry: As we exchanged our diesel engine by an electric motor and therefor use a Honda gasoline electric Â*generator as a back up we carry more gasoline jerry cans on board. And the first season with this new arrangement showed that it is not a good idea to store 4 to 5 gasoline jerry cans (1 Gal /5 litres each) in a locker. We use a stern locker that is fully closed up against the rest of the hull and ventilated by two vents on the deck (Dorade -box) and cockpit coaming, but even though the jerry cans are tested for their purpose (CE-signs etc.) the smell of gasoline is evident. So, we have to find another space with better ventilation, my task for the winter, but not an easy one on a 32ft boat though... Â* Too bad that "paint lockers" are out of fashion.Â*
And regarding your halon engine-room fire suppression system: At least in the EU they are banned since the end of 2003 due to the vast negative impact of halon to the atmosphere (
sourceÂ*: little off topic but interesting to read about the reactions on the EU regulations mandating the decommissioning of all halon systems...and after reading the whole 54 pages you are an expert in fire extinguishing systems...).Â*
Uwe
SY Aquaria