Avoiding boat rot?

[ricohman]

Since I want to keep my new boat for a long time I would like to avoid rotten wood. I have a new Starcraft Islander 221 i/o. Its a aluminum hull with a wood deck and dash.
I realize keeping it dry and out of the weather is important so I bought a new Aqua Shield (Carver) cover here in iboats. But the cover is far from waterproof so I ended up buying a cheap poly tarp to cover the Carver cover when it rains.
Today I had a look inside the bilge and there is a half inch of water in the bottom of the boat. My drive is steep and the boat was backed in but even then I don't have any tilt to the rear. So I turned the boat around tonight pointing uphill and there is a small trickle of water out the rear.
The drain hole in the transom is not at the bottom of the boat. A small bit of water remains.
Will this cause transom rot over the years? I can't see why it wouldn't.
I had a look at the neighbors boat and his plug is high and off to the side. I think 3-4 inches of water would remain in there.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

the reason for wet wood in my boat was unsealed screws in the bilge for each and every p-clamp and bracket.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

Get inside, look around.

I doubt the wood in the transom extends to the bottom of the hull.
Starcraft has been building these for many years, and in my Nassau, SuperSport, Mariner, and Holiday models, the wood stops 6-8 inches from the bottom of the hull. There is no wood below the floor on a couple of them. And no wood below the port and starboard corners of the transom on the other one.

As far as covering that boat with just a cover.... I would have a carport at a minimum, if it were mine.

Park it under that roof, then cover it to protect from bird droppings and sun.

 

[oops!]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

yep......bow up high.....plug out.......and covered.

a small fan will do wonders

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

It makes you wonder doesn't it?

Does my transom wood go all the way to the bottom of the hull? (most don't)

Is my transom wood sealed?

Did they use CCA pressure treated lumber?

What kind of drainage do I have?

What does my foam look like, is there enough drainage provided so it won't become waterlogged?

What's my stringer layout, do I have stringers or is it ribs?

Is my decking sealed?

Can I access my bilge by removing some decking without having to tear up my nice new carpet?


I don't know how long I could own a new aluminum boat today without trying to take a little bit of it apart to see what was was below deck and if I needed to do something "extra" that the factory didn't do.

 

[ricohman]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

You guys are right. The transom does indeed terminate above the drain hole. No idea if the transom wood is sealed but I would guess it is not as many older Islanders have rotten transoms.
The bilge is very easy to get at on my boat and there are access holes in the deck for the fuel tank so I can see in there as well. Not much water left in there this morning as it all drained away last night in the nose up position.
Another stupid question.
The hull is painted to stop corrosion. What about corrosion on the unpainted inside surfaces? Not that I would ever consider tearing a new boat apart and painting it on the inside. Just curious.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

Since you boat in freshwater and keep your plug pulled when not in use I don't think it'll be an issue.

Galvanic corrosion is only a problem when trapped water sets for a period of time with freshwater.

 

[ezmobee]

Re: Avoiding boat rot?

Keeping it covered will go a LONG way towards protecting the wood. With the exception of a faulty thru-hull or poorly sealed deck penetrations, I'd be pretty surprised if you have any wood rot issues in this boat in decades.