drip channels/gutters below stern deck flooring

[pamaloon]

Hullo one and all. May I ask for some advice please regarding what I call the "channels" which, on my old boat have become quite rusty and gunky (those channels into which we lower the boarding/decking so that they can slot into place... sorry I don't know their real name). I'm sure they're a major contributor to stopping rainwater draining away off the deck as it should...???? Once I clean them thru, gently using fine wire wall, and get rid of any accumulated grime, leaves and "gunk" they still look scruffy. So...

 

Does anyone have a remedy/cure to keep the rusty finish at bay. I know I'll never completely get rid of it but I can at least clean the channels as much as I am able and feel that there must be some anti-rust "stuff"/paint that I can use on the steel to i) protect them, even if I have to do it every year which would not be considered a hardship - and ii) make 'em look clean and tidy!

 

Any suggestions anyone? I could also do the same thinguse the for the gutters at the bow, where the cratch meets and slots into short, currently grimy and slightly rusty channels.

 

Thanks for reading.................

[Guest]

Hullo one and all. May I ask for some advice please regarding what I call the "channels" which, on my old boat have become quite rusty and gunky (those channels into which we lower the boarding/decking so that they can slot into place... sorry I don't know their real name). I'm sure they're a major contributor to stopping rainwater draining away off the deck as it should...???? Once I clean them thru, gently using fine wire wall, and get rid of any accumulated grime, leaves and "gunk" they still look scruffy. So...

 

Does anyone have a remedy/cure to keep the rusty finish at bay. I know I'll never completely get rid of it but I can at least clean the channels as much as I am able and feel that there must be some anti-rust "stuff"/paint that I can use on the steel to i) protect them, even if I have to do it every year which would not be considered a hardship - and ii) make 'em look clean and tidy!

 

Any suggestions anyone? I could also do the same thinguse the for the gutters at the bow, where the cratch meets and slots into short, currently grimy and slightly rusty channels.

 

Thanks for reading.................

Something like this is good for stabilising rust:

 

http://www.fertan.co.uk/

 

I just paint them with red oxide primer, followed by some decent gloss paint.

[Peter R]

In terms of getting the channels under my rear deck to work properly as drains, i've given up on account of the fact that the 'exit holes' at the end of the channels are so small that they don't have a hope of working - my solution was to get a stern cover so that when i'm not on the boat the water stays outside! When i'm on the boat, I accept that rain ends up in the bilge.

 

Getting back to your real question, having got rid of all the loose rust, I treated them with 'fertan', and then followed up with a couple of coats of primer (from memory I think it was what is now badged as 'hammerite no 1') and then a couple of coats of bilge paint. That was about three years ago - there's some rust coming through now but it's managed quite well.

 

Peter

[ChrisPy]

Because I'm away from the boat for months at a time, the deck channels always get clogged with muck. They are 2x1 channel (insufficient depth) connecting to 1" outlet pipes that lead out from the bottom of the channel but there is a little hump at the weld which holds back the water) and the boat trims almost level. All in all there is little/no positive drainage.

 

Added to that the deck boards are a tight fit so muck collects around the edges of the boards, which have now deteriorated around the edges.

 

I am fitting new boards, with a slightly bigger gap, edged with aluminium angle.

I have a semi-enclosed stern wheelhouse/cover which helps to keep the wet out.

The channels just require frequent maintenance.

Edited September 28, 2010 by ChrisPy