Need some advice

[steve brown]

Well it is early fall here in the Northeast and Nunki is out of the water and home. Due to rain, floods, and other interuptions, the sailing season was very poor. A few concerns:
I am planning to finish the wood work in the cabin this fall. Much to my surprise I found some mold growth on the ash plywood starboard hull panel behind the cushion. Apparently water got through the port and I detected it too late. I have tried Moldex and a bleach solution but they don't seem to work. Can anyone offer some advice on how to get the stains out?

On the subject of sail storage; is it wise to take the sail off the mast and booms for the winter? I plan on covering the boat with its dedicated cover plus a tarp. I also thought of placing a few mothball containers under the sail cover to discourage mice and chipmunks.

Water in the Port bunk locker: I found about a quart or better of water in the locker. Everything was dry outside the locker. The forward end of the locker appears to extend up to battery compartment. There is also foam formations in there also. Any thoughts on where the water source might be?

I added lazy jacks and a gaff down haul to the boat this summer. My next upgrade will be the kick-up Ida foil rudder. Thank you for any advice you can share with me. Best wishes to all. Steve

[Tim Gardner]

Okay, Steve, You're right up my alley with this one.

questions:
1. was the mold black and comprised of round spots? shadows of said spots still there?
2. Did you use bleach to kill the mold?

The stains left by mold are comprised of the Hyphae ( roots) of the plant.  Bleach will not kill this part of the plant - they go too deep.  Bleach will temporarily remove the stain, but in a few weeks the mold will be back, feeding on any dead mold left behind.

So now is the time to start your process over.  Kill the mold with hydrogen peroxide pool shock (available at most pool supply stores) diluted to 1 part shock and three parts water (about a 9% solution).  Wear rubber gloves, respirator breathing protection and goggles WITHOUT FAIL.  Scrub the affected area with a stiff brush but keep the area wetted for a least 10 full minutes then clean off with new clean rags or towels.   Re-wet the area with the same solution and let it dry without wiping it off.

Your mold is now dead, and most of the stains should be gone.  If any stains remain, repeat or use oxalic acid to remove them, and refinish the wood.

When you have refinished, send me a PM for the next step - preventing Mold in your boat. 

BTW mildew grows on plants - out doors and is still mold.  The black crud we grow on the surface of the wood in our boats is most likely Cladosporium, but don't take chances, clean up any visible mold.

Deep checking and crumbling is another fungus that causes dry -rot, and a different plant altogether.

TG

[Tim22]

Can't help with the mold.

As to winter storage, block up the top of the mast stub and the mast or you may find your chipmunks take up residence within.  Two years ago I had to evict a family of chipmunks from the mast of my previous boat!.

Also, I always remove the sail as I'm afraid of the mice or other wildlife getting at it.

Cheers
Tim

[skip1930]

Mold destruct? = Clorox and water + scrubbing and towel drying.

The Clorox works by lowering the pH to around 4~4.2. About the same as pickle brine and Coca-Cola. Have any pH paper from the Pharmacy?

Afterword move air. Solar powered vent? Don't need a lot of cfm, just some.

Scented Bounce dryer sheets between everything that mice have to cross to mount your boat.

skip.

OK  suit yourself. The Door County City, County and State Parks use Clorox. Our girls who cover all 300 miles of shoreline dotted with 28 parks and who clean the 4000 gallon pit toilets, bleachers, the cabins, and anything else that folks come in contact with are generally washed and scrubbed down with the stuff. Maybe it's not mold they are trying to kill off.

Maybe CLR would work?

This reminds me...And when I had my initiation job at BayShip Building during winter lay-up, my boss Spike Birmingham puts his arm around me and says, " Hate to do this to you skip but since it's your first day as a union 'piper', your going down into the digester tank on the Buffalo."

My partner who was a 'plank owner' just started laughing. They put skippy in a one piece zoot suit and lowered me down into the digester tank on a cable. The tank was one full deck in height. And about 4 foot square. Here I scrapped the poop off the walls and top and bottom. They pulled me out at lunch time...nobody would sit by me...and back down after lunch. The only saving grace was BSB pumped the oily smelling and taconite dust impregnated ship's air down and into my suit where it exited at my cuffs, wrists, and helmet.

I love my job was the chant for the day. Then washed the walls down with Clorox and water and pumped the crud out of the tank with an Wildon air operated diaphragm pump right over the side on to the ice below. It's the same kind of pump used to move low level radioactive mud out of a pit at Kerr-McGee into rail road cars for long term storage in Colorado. About 4 miles of track a day are layed and used for this storage. Also included LL waste from medical and research. With only about 3% to 4% of America paved their is an awful lot of fly over country for long term storage. Anyway, 'I guess WE hate the EPA.'


The 1000 footer on left is in the graving dry dock. Only dock long enough for these guys who are land locked into the Great Lakes. Snapped this pic while walking across the ice to the other side.



The Buffalo is the black hull in the middle of the picture.


BURRRRRRRR_ZINNNNNNNN_SKIIIIIII!! Had an Bombay type Indaian partner at Palmer Johnson Yachts, LLC, who asked me if this was fresh water...and did not believe it froze over...Yep. He was sure it was salt water because the "Lake is so big". He saw the ice in the winter.

[Tim Gardner]

Skip

According to the EPA, Sodium Hypochlorite ( Clorox) does not kill mold - it just bleaches out the color.

In addition, in a confined space such as a boat cabin, it is extremely dangerous to your health.

tg

[steve brown]

Thank you all for your advice. Yes TG, the spots are as you describe. I have been using bleach 1:1 and have seen some fading. I tried to get some oxalic acid but have'nt found a source. Any suggestions? Will try the pool shock and give you an update.  Thanks, Steve

[cavie]

As for the water, you have 3 coulprits. 2 port windows and the forward hatch. The forward hatch can leak and the water can go between the liner and the deck. From there it can run to the bildge. You won't see it. You will think the cockpit drains are leaking. Been there done that.  pull it and rebead. Port gaskets are $2o.oo ea. (ouch) but they work.

[steve brown]

Hi TG, Well I followed your recommendations and ended up with just some very faint staining from the mold. I think I can live with that. I have a full Compac cover for the boat and will also use a tarp cover supported on a frame above the dedicated cover. I usually leave the lazerettes, ports and front hatch cracked open for venting. I have one of those West Marine pancake heater fans to run inside the cabin for the winter plus two or three desiccant containers to absorb dampness. I usually check the boat once a month during the winter. Your advice is most welcome on mold control, etc. as I am always open to new ideas. Thanks again. Steve

[capt_nemo]

Reading about all the effort involved and trials/tribulations of winter storage, I thank my lucky stars that I live in SW Florida where we can sail ALL YEAR LONG!
(I do keep a WHITE Tarp cover on my trailerable boat to protect it from UV Rays and torrential downpours.)

capt_nemo