[c350ia] Bilge Cleaner
Andy Sumberg
andy@sumberg.com
Sat, 21 Jun 2008 08:08:39 -0400
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C8D376.04170BC0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
John,
I too install and remove the transducer every time I take the boat out.
I change out the transducer while at my mooring which introduces less
water than while underway. Regardless, my bilge also always has some
water in it. I periodically use commercial bilge cleaner (which smells
like pine-sol cleaner) and on occasion have been known to throw in some
bleach. Most of the time there is no real smell from the water in the
bilge. One thing I do that has not been mentioned, is that when I put my
boat away after a sail, I slide the bilge cover board open allowing more
air to circulate around the bilge while I'm off the boat. I always run
my bilge pump before each sail as additional water has accumulated since
I was last on the boat.
Andy Sumberg
"Portland" #231
-----Original Message-----
From: c350ia-admin@catalina350.net [mailto:c350ia-admin@catalina350.net]
On Behalf Of jjoc2005@comcast.net
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 4:20 PM
To: C350 List
Subject: [c350ia] Bilge Cleaner
Let me start off by saying that my bilge has not been, is not now, nor
will it ever be completely dry. If I vacuum it out and there is no
rain, it's close to being dry, but that is the rare exception. Dryness
is really not my issue; cleanliness and elimination or significant
reduction of foul smell are the issues I would like to tackle.
I don't know what your dealer told you about the speed transducer, but
during my shakedown back in 2003, the dealer recommended that I pull the
transducer and replace it with the blank when the boat was not going to
be used. The reason for this was to prevent growth on the impeller.
Thus for most of the hundreds of times I've used the boat in the past
five and current season, I have done this. No matter how fast you do
this, seawater gets into the bilge. As we all know, sea water contains
many more microorganisms than fresh water. I try to stay on top of
this, purging the bilge manually, and even using a shop vac but the
problem persists.
I have tried a number of commercial products, but all seem to provide
only very temporary benefits. I am looking for your collective
experience regarding what commerical product works well for you, or what
home brew (diluted bleach solution?) you might use that is successful.
Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.
John O'Connell
"Second Wind" - Hull 84
Annapolis
------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C8D376.04170BC0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="us-ascii"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META HTTP-EQUIV=3D"Content-Type" CONTENT=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dus-ascii">
<TITLE>Message</TITLE>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.6000.16674" name=3DGENERATOR></HEAD>
<BODY>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D593215911-21062008><FONT face=3D"@Arial Unicode MS"=20
size=3D2>John,</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D593215911-21062008><FONT face=3D"@Arial Unicode MS" =
size=3D2>I too=20
install and remove the transducer every time I take the boat out. I =
change=20
out the transducer while at my mooring which introduces less water than =
while=20
underway. Regardless, my bilge also always has some water in it. I =
periodically=20
use commercial bilge cleaner (which smells like pine-sol cleaner) and on =
occasion have been known to throw in some bleach. Most of the time there =
is no=20
real smell from the water in the bilge. One thing I do that has not been =
mentioned, is that when I put my boat away after a sail, I slide the =
bilge cover=20
board open allowing more air to circulate around the bilge while I'm off =
the=20
boat. I always run my bilge pump before each sail as additional water =
has=20
accumulated since I was last on the boat.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D593215911-21062008><FONT face=3D"@Arial Unicode MS"=20
size=3D2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D593215911-21062008><FONT face=3D"@Arial Unicode MS" =
size=3D2>Andy=20
Sumberg</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=3D593215911-21062008><FONT face=3D"@Arial Unicode MS"=20
size=3D2>"Portland" #231</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=3Dltr style=3D"MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV class=3DOutlookMessageHeader lang=3Den-us dir=3Dltr =
align=3Dleft><FONT=20
face=3DTahoma size=3D2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>=20
c350ia-admin@catalina350.net [mailto:c350ia-admin@catalina350.net] =
<B>On=20
Behalf Of </B>jjoc2005@comcast.net<BR><B>Sent:</B> Friday, June 20, =
2008 4:20=20
PM<BR><B>To:</B> C350 List<BR><B>Subject:</B> [c350ia] Bilge=20
Cleaner<BR><BR></FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Let me start off by saying that my bilge has not been, is not =
now, nor=20
will it ever be completely dry. If I vacuum it out and there is =
no rain,=20
it's close to being dry, but that is the rare exception. Dryness =
is=20
really not my issue; cleanliness and elimination or significant=20
reduction of foul smell are the issues I would like to =
tackle.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I don't know what your dealer told you about the speed =
transducer, but=20
during my shakedown back in 2003, the dealer recommended that I =
pull the=20
transducer and replace it with the blank when the boat was not going =
to be=20
used. The reason for this was to prevent growth on the=20
impeller. Thus for most of the hundreds of times I've used =
the=20
boat in the past five and current season, I have done this. No =
matter=20
how fast you do this, seawater gets into the bilge. As we all =
know, sea=20
water contains many more microorganisms than fresh water. I try =
to stay=20
on top of this, purging the bilge manually, and even using a shop vac =
but the=20
problem persists.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I have tried a number of commercial products, but all seem to =
provide=20
only very temporary benefits. I am looking for your collective=20
experience regarding what commerical product works well for you, or =
what home=20
brew (diluted bleach solution?) you might use that is =
successful. Thanks=20
in advance for any help you can provide.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>John O'Connell</DIV>
<DIV>"Second Wind" - Hull 84</DIV>
<DIV>Annapolis</DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_000A_01C8D376.04170BC0--