Boat Snot!

[bigd14]

I visited the boat last night after a month away and found the most disgusting slime in the bilge that I have never seen before in 20 winters and three boats. It had some of the yellow green algae I normally get but the entire bilge contents had the consistency of mucus or snot! It’s normally straight up water with some algae bits. I have had a heater going this winter so maybe that’s the difference. No diesel or oil or solvent smell.

Anyone else experience this? Wondering what it could be. Maybe the Alien mother has found a new nesting place?

 

[bgary]

Well, the conventional wisdom for figuring out what's in the bilge is to taste it.... <lol>

 

[Bolo]

Well, the conventional wisdom for figuring out what's in the bilge is to taste it.... <lol>

!!! It does look like chicken soup….but it’s probably not.

 

[AdventurousAnton]

Chicken Soup for the Sailboat!

ALSO: Clean motor oil mixed with water and then shaken (not stirred) can quickly create a yellow-looking "snot." Your problem may be an oil leak, but where is it coming from?

 

[Drewm3i]

Clean your bilge!

 

[Prairie Schooner]

Is it being stored in the water or up on stands?
Did you make any changes to the domestic water or waste systems?

 

[bgary]

Chicken Soup for the Sailboat!

ALSO: Clean motor oil mixed with water and then shaken (not stirred) can quickly create a yellow-looking "snot." Your problem may be an oil leak, but where is it coming from?

Yeah... but I've never seen "clean" motor oil come out of a diesel.

The gooeyness of it makes me think it's something biological. any chance a bit of food (or soda, or something) got into the bilge and has become a buffet for some sort of algae?

 

[bigd14]

I think it has to be biological. The entire fuel and coolant system was gone through and replaced in 2016 and I check regularly for leaks. I suppose some food item might have dropped into the bilge somewhere. The slime is completely odorless (no way I am taste testing it) and I’m in freshwater. The head is a bucket so it’s not that. I plan to do a few rinse flush cycles by removing the speed transducer and maybe I’ll add some bleach solution to kill any alien life forms. Hope I don’t piss them off instead!

 

[AdventurousAnton]

I think it has to be biological. The entire fuel and coolant system was gone through and replaced in 2016 and I check regularly for leaks. I suppose some food item might have dropped into the bilge somewhere. The slime is completely odorless (no way I am taste testing it) and I’m in freshwater.

Ah...good to know. And yeah, it would have a bit of a smell if it were from the fuel/coolant system.

So, alien life form it is! But how do you communicate with alien slime?



Too bad you don't know anyone with a Spectrum Analyzer...you could have them run a sample and suss it out.