painting inside CB trunk

[thomas]

Does anyone have tips on how to paint the inside of the centerboard trunk?

[Bob Hunkins]

Is there a specific reason you want to do this? Did someone somehow scrap out the old gelcoat, and leave bare fiberglass or something?

It seems like a waste of paint for something that will never be seen and doesn't do much for performance or longevity. It's not like the centerboard trunk gets a lot of sun and the gelcoat has faded beyond recovery.

If you must, I'd just get a small diameter roller, or attach a small brush on the end of a dowel. It doesn't need to look good

[thomas]

I guess I thought I should because the original copper paint is spotty, the inside surface exposed to water, gelcoat is probably in fair condition but the boat has been stored upside down for three decades w/ the centerboard tucked in and the case open to the elements in a freeze/thaw zone. I can't easily see these surfaces but assume there's a fair amount of gelcoat cracks. Thats why, I thought I should coat it. Bob, thanks for your reply and what do you think? Oh, and this...when I managed to get the centerboard out it had some meaningful fissures which I ground out and am filling with epoxy, had taken on water, etc.

thomas