Mold / Mildew issue.

[OklaState19]

I own a 2008 Sea Ray 185 Sport and bought it in 2010. I hired a boat inspector to look it over since I bought it used. There was a significant amount of buildup in the hull but the boat guy said I shouldn't be worried about it.

Since then I have tried to clean it out and it keeps coming back.

Just today, since I have it in storage, I took out the built in cooler and found that the drain doesn't have a tube to direct excess water to the hull to drain. How big of a problem could this be? I don't think I can get in there to clean it all out. How much wood is in the 2008 Sea Ray 185 Sport?

Pictures are attached.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

I have used Simple Green, and spray shower mildew cleaner (with blech). You can duct tape a brush to an handle, and work it in. Then rinse well with water. You may have to repeat it a few times.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

I had some re-curring mold issues, but on a much older boat. I used bleach each spring, but over the winter, it all came back.

Probably has a lot to do with the storage location and methods. I have wondered if boaters could use a preventative spray that would keep the mold from coming back :noidea:

there are a few products that come up on Google search . . . .

 

[BrucieB]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

There is a product offered by Brewer's that I just found. It is a small container that works amazingly. I forget the product name, but will find it and post it when I get it. This stuff really works!

 

[lakegeorge]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

I own a 2008 Sea Ray 185 Sport and bought it in 2010. I hired a boat inspector to look it over since I bought it used. There was a significant amount of buildup in the hull but the boat guy said I shouldn't be worried about it.

Since then I have tried to clean it out and it keeps coming back.

Just today, since I have it in storage, I took out the built in cooler and found that the drain doesn't have a tube to direct excess water to the hull to drain. How big of a problem could this be? I don't think I can get in there to clean it all out. How much wood is in the 2008 Sea Ray 185 Sport?

Pictures are attached.

View attachment 179137View attachment 179138View attachment 179139

If possible leave a lightbulb burning all winter when in storage and this will keep it dry and eliminate mold.

 

[captain zac]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

The first step to remove black mold is to remove the source of moisture
If the drain is above the water line I would put in a through hall fitting and allow the cooler to
drain overboard
If the drain is below the water line then I would run a tube to the lowest point of the boat I would also remove all the ice left in the cooler at the end of the day
The moisture and the heat is your problem
open it up and get some air circulating through there
But the mold will continue until you deal with the moisture problem

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

first, I don't know why you care that there is mold in the bilge of a boat. That's what they are there for.

Since I think the fewer through-hulls, the better, I'd run a tube back to the stern. Unless you use it as a fish box; then you want nasty water to go overboard.

Water draining through a bilge is not an issue (for a quality boat). it's water standing in the bilge that matters. So if you are a day boater/trailer storage, all you have to do is pull the plug and tilt the bow up. If you moor it, you just need a bilge pump. That little but of water that remains in the stern is found in every boat and doesn't matter.

Take care of the mold you can see. If you don't like the idea of mold you can't see, don't go looknig for it, and you will be happier.

 

[Bondo]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

first, I don't know why you care that there is mold in the bilge of a boat. That's what they are there for.

Since I think the fewer through-hulls, the better, I'd run a tube back to the stern. Unless you use it as a fish box; then you want nasty water to go overboard.

Water draining through a bilge is not an issue (for a quality boat). it's water standing in the bilge that matters. So if you are a day boater/trailer storage, all you have to do is pull the plug and tilt the bow up. If you moor it, you just need a bilge pump. That little but of water that remains in the stern is found in every boat and doesn't matter.

Take care of the mold you can see. If you don't like the idea of mold you can't see, don't go looknig for it, and you will be happier.

Ayuh,.... Exactly,.... The Bilge needs to be Well drained, 'n Well ventilated....

 

[chriscraft254]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

I own a 2008 Sea Ray 185 Sport and bought it in 2010. I hired a boat inspector to look it over since I bought it used. There was a significant amount of buildup in the hull but the boat guy said I shouldn't be worried about it.

Since then I have tried to clean it out and it keeps coming back.

Just today, since I have it in storage, I took out the built in cooler and found that the drain doesn't have a tube to direct excess water to the hull to drain. How big of a problem could this be? I don't think I can get in there to clean it all out. How much wood is in the 2008 Sea Ray 185 Sport?

Pictures are attached.

View attachment 179137View attachment 179138View attachment 179139

I'm assuming this is in the bow area correct? hard to tell from the pics. Looks like that side isn't being used as a cooler, is that a fuel or water tank in there? The main problem is the drain that comes out on the deck isn't at the bottom of the locker so if water does get in there, all of it can't get out. Poor planning on the manufacturers part.

Best when stored to leave all your hatches open and well ventilated. Mold likes dark and damp spaces, take away one of the two and you will have no mold. Most boats do have mold somewhere in them just because the lack of light and the moisture in the hull. Even if your boat does not leak from somewhere, the change in seasons can cause condensation which can lead to mold. They do make moisture absorbing materials you can put in areas you can get to. Good luck.

 

[Thalasso]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

If you don't get that mold issue remedied, it will continue to grow. It will spread into your carpets and other fabric and then you have a real mess. Dampness is the main culprit. Go to Home Depot. They sell a product just for mold. It's a lot better then bleach. Put it in a pump sprayer and get down in there and spray everything. Pull the plug and hose it out. let dry and spray again. See if that doesn't work. you need to keep bilge dry if all possible. I have a little 2 gallon vac that i use just for this. When i get water in there just stick the hose in there and suck out.As said above Perma Wash, Jomax Virus and Mold Killer is also good.

 

[etracer68]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

Im suprised to hear some of you old salts, say, mold in a bilge, is ok. I grew up with my dad having larger 32 to 42ft wood boats. We cleaned the bilge at least 2 times a year. Yes, you will have mold in the bilge of boats, but it should be kept in check, and the bilge cleaned, as would the rest of the boat. When I have looked to purchase a boat, and see a dirty, alot of mold in the bilge, I would walk away. Bilges are not there for the reason of growing mold.

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

wood boats are different; some molds eat wood but they don't eat fiberglass.

be careful about bleach. chlorine doesn't play well with aluminum and other metals: fuel tank, pump parts, wiring connections, etc.

 

[captain zac]

Re: Mold / Mildew issue.

Why Chlorine Bleach is NOT Recommended for Mold Remediation.
Clorine bleach is corrosive and that fact is stated on the product label (not to mention the exposure hazards of dioxins). Yet the properties of chlorine bleach prevent it from “soaking into” wood-based building materials to get at the deeply embedded mycelia (roots) of mold. The object to killing mold is to kill its “roots”. Reputable mold remediation contractors use appropriate products that effectively disinfect properly scrubbed and cleaned salvageable mold infected wood products. Beware of any mold inspector, mold remediation contractor or other individual that recommends or uses chlorine bleach for mold clean up on wood-based building materials.
Laundry bleach is not an effective mold killing agent for wood-based building materials and NOT EFFECTIVE in the mold remediation process. OSHA is the first federal agency to announce a departure from the use of chlorine bleach in mold remediation. In time, other federal, state and other public safety agencies are expected to follow OSHA’s lead. The public should be aware, however, that a chlorine bleach solution IS an effective sanitizing product that kills mold on hard non porous surfaces and neutralizes indoor mold allergens that trigger allergies.