Mold? in the bilge.

V

vernon kleist

Member I
Our 35 Mk II sat unused for about 5 years before we purchased it and began the freshen up process. I noticed brown/rust colored smutch in the underseat and underberth lockers and assumed it was just years of dust and dirt. Yesterday when pulling some tools and boxes from under the hatches I saw that this brown stuff had collected on some of the things I had temporarily stored there. It occured to me that this might be mold, something about which I am totally ignorant.

How do I tell if it is mold and if it is, what is a good way to remove it? It is all over the lower part of the hull in the out-of-sight areas. We have gotten the mildew out of the cabin space but this looks like something else and the roughness of the glass in these areas will make it hard to scrub out.

Thanks for your help.

Vern Kleist
E 35 Mk II #356
 
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D

dcoyle

Member III
I have had very good luck using a garden spray bottle with a mixture of bleach and hot water. I spray the fiberglass down with a mist and the black mold move out. Sometimes I rinse but usually not. The wand on the sprayer is nice to reach under bilge boards and into crevices.
 
Chris Miller

Chris Miller

Sustaining Member
bilge cleaners...

There are also some very effective bio-friendly bilge cleaners on the market, then a good coat of bilge paint might help seal stuff up. Make sure if you use a strongish bleach mixture that you are moving or on the hard when you pump it out.
Best,
Chris
 
Rob Hessenius

Rob Hessenius

Inactive Member
Mold/Mildew

Vern- Pour a couple of gallons of bleach into the bilge and take a hose and fill the bilge up. I would say to do this on the hard and catch the dump overboard. After you emtied open up the hatches and fan dry. Rob Hessenius
 
E

Emerald

Moderator
Thinking of rank bilges, I've toyed with the idea of using part of one of the chlorine tablets you put in swimming pools to kill all the critters. Thinking a whole tablet is too much, but a little cut off the end might work.

Anyone have any ideas on doing something like this? My concern that comes to mind is creating a pool of chlorine gas that wouldn't be good for the humans, but a part of me thinks that with the Nicro day night fan and other good ventilation, this wouldn't be a real problem, as long as you didn't use too much of the chlorine tablet.

In the meantime, I have been putting odorloss in the bilge, which has helped quite a bit, but I think this has just removed the odor versus killing the microbes.


-David
Independence 31
Emerald
 
Randy Rutledge

Randy Rutledge

Sustaining Member
Swimming pool chemicals will do the same job as equal amount of chlorine bleach will do. The tablet will concentrate in one area and leave other areas weak. If you use a tablet be sure to suspend it in one of the chlorinators you hand in the skimmer of your pool and make sure it is not laying on the bottom of the bilge. Don’t inhabit the boat while doing this process.

Has anyone ever used Kilz oil base primer it is made to kill mold and odor. I know I am talking non marine application again. The bilge gets wet but the sump is the only part that stays wet. Just food for thought.
 
E

Emerald

Moderator
Thanks for the insight on chlorine tablets. Sounds like I would be just as well off to add liquid bleach. Emerald has a very deep sump where the surface area of exposed bilge water is relatively small.

Haven't used Kilz on the boat, but have had good luck using Sillithane II from Bruning. It's a very interesting paint, and if I remember correctly, has odd qualities listed on the can like being approved for poultry processing plants and water towers...very durable, cleans easily, almost like a pure plastic


-David
Independence 31
Emerald
 
u079721

u079721

Contributing Partner
One thing that I found very effective at eliminating bilge odors and mold growth is to add a capful of humidifier preservative to the bilge every time I pump it dry. This is a harmless odorless quat chemical that is very effective and preventing critters from growing. Any hardware store sells the stuff during the winter season.
 
Steve

Steve

Member III
In the owners manual....

It occurred to me I read in my original 35-3 owners manual to use 3 gallons or so of a 75/25 mix of water/household bleach poured into the bilge then go sailing (good advice), healing both port/starboard as much as possible then 24 hours later pump dry. Clearly they want the inside grid pathways sanitized since likely is where those hidden mystery smells come from.

2 cents--- Steve
 
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