Looking for a filler for widespread areas of failed deck coatings. On an old vessel with years of epoxy deck coatings and No time to strip completely and do it properly. I figured I could bring the trouble spots to machine tight and fair out the edges of the existing coatings, then fill with an epoxy to level off the deck. Bondo came to mind but mixing up a shit ton of small cans is out.
Suggestions would be appreciated.
bondo is polyester based it wont stick to epoxy
Google epoxy covering for concrete floors. We used it successfully to cover interior floors on a re-flag. Don’t know how it would work on steel or outside. Might be worth a look.
Just call a paving company and have them pave over the rusted out steel with 1.5” of asphalt.
That was actually done on a small yard tug back in the 70’s. The “Dan” at Allied Towing.
I’m sure it been done on quite a few tugs. I’ve seen it several times over the last 40 years.
That was the first time I saw that. Wasn’t the last. Usually the repairs like that the boat was on it’s last legs anyway.
Paint and non-skid can do wonders to fill-in.
Whatever gets past the Class surveyor. . . . .
Class surveyor and the Coast Guard. I had an assignment on one ship that had so much epoxy red paint on the deck the Coast Guard suspected “Red Hand” epoxy was being used as a filler. They required gaugings of the deck to be taken.
I always paid special attention for that kind of thing, especially on the main deck of bulkers between the hatches. . . . I remember on one, they had installed doublers, a huge no-no. The captain then told me that they had to put them on because they were getting water in the cargo hold. . . yeah, again, my popularity took a drop. . . .
We usually just let the deck be uneven if we have to patch spots. But if you must, there is a product called “Tuflex” that we’ve used in the past. Even though it’s water based, we have an old letter from the manufacturer that verifies it’ll bond to 2 part epoxy primer (we used to use a Sherwin Williams marine product, now we use International 300v). It goes on super thick, ~20-25mils, and you can trowel it with one of those notched tiling trowels and it’ll self level after that. Then you can non skid right onto it, or on top with more coats of your regular coating system.
No class for 95% of tugs.
Most of the kids the USCG sends out for inspections don’t know much. I have not been present for a Subchapter M inspection, but I am shocked by some of the boats that pass, rather than get condemned
I am very much in favor of tough inspections and upgrading the tugboat fleet.
That seasoned USGG inspectors are in short supply is no secret. I read over the years they are desperately trying to remedy that, with limited succcess. Their budget does not do them any favors.
Or is facilitated by Class, a la the El Faro economizer hydro tests.
That came to mind, among a myriad of other things and vessels.
The problem is that the USCG has lost interest in vessel inspection and Mariner licensing.
The USCG has plenty of funding, probably too much, but they over allocate to big fancy toys dedicated to “national security”, terrorism, drug interdiction, and trying to be “the military.”
Too many overpaid and over staffed Admirals looking for their next job as AWO lobbyists, or TOTE executives.
The USCG still does a good job with helicopter search and rescue, and aids to navigation.
They have all but abandoned inspection to third parties, pseudo-inspections like Subchapter M.
They have all but abandoned licensing to the civilian coalminer’s daughters at NMC.
You make a lot of points that could transfer over to other branches of the services as well… I still believe they are the most underfunded service group for all the tasks they are handed. I guess we can agree to disagree, regarding funding. Much of marine inspection (For all classes) has taken some lumps recently as the El Faro and Bouchard rig come under recent scrutiny. There are some decent inspectors out there believe it or not. Hopefully, someone took steps to attempt to remedy the shortfall. . Not holding my breath…
SeaEagle, I hate to say it, but Tugsailor is probably right. USCG isn’t underfunded compared to any other Navy in the world. You can’t compare them to other coast guards, because their offshore fleet (where their priorities are) is only second to one or two other navies beyond USN. While other coast guards concentrate on “coasts,” USCG is spending $30B on a fleet of white hulls that is the envy of all other ocean fairing governments. Meanwhile, inspection and black hulls take a back seat.