ugh, mildew

V

VTSeaRay

Active Member
Feb 19, 2008
1,905
Northern Vermont / SW FL
Boat Info
2007 210 Select w/5.0L 260HP MPI Mercruiser Alpha 1
Engines
8 cyl 5.0 Merc mpi, w/alpha 1 with 19" prop, with the speedo hole on the leading edge just above it
I took off the winter cover off my boat today, and found Mildew all over the place.. apparently it was damp when I covered it... argh. I've been cleaning it up with Orange general purpose cleaner. Looks like I've got most of it, and I've got it all open now. I'll have to replace my throwable I guess, it's got a lot of black marks on it that I can't get rid of.

Lesson learned. Next year I'll make double-sure it's perfectly dry. Anyone have any desiccants they'd recommend?

She started up on the very first hit of the switch with muffs on.

-VtSeaRay
 
Try using some Tilex to remove the mildew from anything that you think it's safe to use it on. I've even used it on my canvass which is Navy Blue, with no problems. A canvass guy is the one that actually recommended it.
I wintered in a boatyard before this past winter. He had a system where he did one boat at a time. This often meant that my boat was taken out of the water, power washed, winterized, and shrink wrapped, all within just a couple of hours.
I always seemed to have some mildew issues when I uncovered it in the spring.

This past winter I stored it on a piece of property I own. Once it was on the hard, I cleaned it up, winterized it, aired it out, and then had it shrink wrapped. I wasn't in a rush to get it shrinkwrapped because there was a few things I wanted to do to it. I guess it was up on the hard for about 2 or 3 weeks before it was wrapped.
I used calcium chloride (ice melt) in plastic chinese food containers that I modified, put some plain charcoal (BBQ type, but NOT the kind that lights without the fluid) in some plastic containers around the boat, and made sure that the bilge areas were completely dry.
When I took the cover off in March the boat was dry as a bone with no mildew or odors.
This was a big difference from the last few winters. In all fairness, the guys in the boatyards are running a business and need to have an efficient system in place. But, I think that if you can take the time to really clean and dry the boat out before you cover it, you'll be happy with the results.
 
luckily, it's not on any of the canvas, just the fiberglass and some of the vinyl. It came off of that fine. It is on the throwable, so I'll try that. Good info on the fall process. I'll give some of that a shot.

Thanks!
-VtSeaRay
 
I went through the same thing on my 300 WE several years ago,
the yard did not put any vent slits in the shrink wrap and we had mildew and black mold on all of the exterior and cockpit surfaces. Used Chlorox cleaner with bleach, sprayed it on let it sit a few minutes and then washed the boat as normal, worked great.
 
When I had it winterized, it was raining on my way home with it. I let it sit for a week or so uncovered in the garage to dry out before I put the cover on, but I guess it didn't completely dry out. The travel cover has vents built into it.
 
The good news is that it's uncovered and getting ready to get wet again!

:thumbsup:
 
re: Tilex - wow, worked great on my throwable, it's back to completely white! Same on my canvas bag - it had a little on it as well, and is now completely black spot free!

I'll have to get some Spray Nine... I grabbed the Tilex since I had it already and figured with my throwable, it was going to be tossed if it didn't come clean. I don't have to toss it now! :grin::lol::smt038 I also found mildew on a couple life-jackets that I've hit with it.

-VtSeaRay
 
I've used this product for the 3 of the 4 years I've covered my boat over winter Damp Check

I didn't know how well it would work since the cover is breathable, etc and I figured I'd just be dehumidifying the open air, but it has worked surprisingly well. After a couple of months the chemical is gone, lots of water in the bowl and I refill it.

The one year I ran out and didn't use it was the year I opened up the cover and had mildew everywhere...and this was on top of a nice wax job I gave her before putting her away...

26666_L1.jpg
 
Note to all.... (and I should have known this... but my DOH meter was running high at the time I was doing this apparently)

Don't wear clothes you want to wear elsewhere again in public... Sodium Hydrochloride is basically another form of bleach. With that in mind, you need to be careful where you use it too I would imagine. My throwable looks brand new now!

After I'd sprayed it and let it sit about 5 minutes I rinsed everything off well with water, and let it dry in the sun and light breeze, hanging on my deck railings.

-VtSeaRay
 
RE: MADE IN VT -- :grin:

38 Merchants Row • P.O. Box 340 • Rutland. VT 05702-0340 • PH: 802-775-5519 • Fax: 802-775-5262
© 2010 Rutland Fire Clay Company. All rights reserved.

now that's funny! Just down the road a couple hrs!
 
Last edited:
Gunn said:
I've used this product for the 3 of the 4 years I've covered my boat over winter Damp Check

I didn't know how well it would work since the cover is breathable, etc and I figured I'd just be dehumidifying the open air, but it has worked surprisingly well. After a couple of months the chemical is gone, lots of water in the bowl and I refill it.

The one year I ran out and didn't use it was the year I opened up the cover and had mildew everywhere...and this was on top of a nice wax job I gave her before putting her away...

26666_L1.jpg
Click to expand...


I wonder if that stuff contains calcium chloride. If so, you can buy a big bag of it for what that container costs. If not, calcium chloride, or ice melt, will do the same thing.
There are several things that ice melt is made of, so I always read the label on the bag to make sure what I buy is clacium chloride.
Plus, it's the only thing I'll use on my walkway in the winter.
I use plastic chinese food containers. I punch holes in the smaller one, and sit it inside the larger, or deeper, one. I fill the top (smaller) one with calcium chloride. It costs pennies to do several of them that I place in the cabin and cockpit.
 
I'd love to see a picture of your home made remedy. I had an awful problem with mildew this year and would like to put about 10 of your home made charcoal Chinese food containers around my boat next winter.

thanks

JVM225 said:
I wonder if that stuff contains calcium chloride. If so, you can buy a big bag of it for what that container costs. If not, calcium chloride, or ice melt, will do the same thing.
There are several things that ice melt is made of, so I always read the label on the bag to make sure what I buy is clacium chloride.
Plus, it's the only thing I'll use on my walkway in the winter.
I use plastic chinese food containers. I punch holes in the smaller one, and sit it inside the larger, or deeper, one. I fill the top (smaller) one with calcium chloride. It costs pennies to do several of them that I place in the cabin and cockpit.
Click to expand...
 
The Rutland Damp gone is calcium Chloride and Diatomaceous earth according to the MSDS.

-VtSeaRay
 
Wal-Mart and Lowes carry damp rid designed to go in closets. Has the material in the top with a water catch bag on bottom part with a coat hanger hook. When boat goes into storage I put four in the cockpit and four in the cabin. I use them during the season as well, I just hang them from the bimini when I pack up for the night and leave one or two hanging from the hatch latches. I find that they absorb the natural condensation from the natural warming and cooling of day night.

http://www.damprid.com/index2701.html
 
dblvanos said:
Wal-Mart and Lowes carry damp rid designed to go in closets. Has the material in the top with a water catch bag on bottom part with a coat hanger hook. When boat goes into storage I put four in the cockpit and four in the cabin. I use them during the season as well, I just hang them from the bimini when I pack up for the night and leave one or two hanging from the hatch latches. I find that they absorb the natural condensation from the natural warming and cooling of day night.

http://www.damprid.com/index2701.html
Click to expand...

Even though I have a smaller boat, I do the same. When I know rain is coming, I hang one under the mooring cover and it does a great job.
 
I have the Damp Rid baskets that fit into those plastic quart measuring cups you can get at Lowes. You fill the basket with damp rid (calcium chloride) and put it in the palstic cup. The water/calcium collects in the cup and the CaCl2 disappears over time. I put about 7 of these in the cabin and lockers for the winter and had no mildew problems. I got almost two full gallons of water in those cups over the winter.
We leave a few of these on the boat all summer as it gets humid in the cabin during the week when nobody is there. The stuff works well.
 
Great ideas from all. Thanks for sharing them. I learned the hard way that my nice rubberized canvas cover does a great job of keeping rain out but it holds any moisture from use in. I now crack open all the hatches including the engine cover and put a spacer between the cover and gunwale. Also pull the cover back a bit on sunny days, even in the winter.
 
I was reading this thread kinda half hearted because I haven't had a mildew problem in 3 years. But then it dawned on me that one of the guys at the marina mentioned having the problem last week, and asked me if I had it as well. He used the same shrink wrap guy as I did. His boat is bigger, so they put more dessicant hangers and vents in the wrap on his boat than they did on mine. The only real difference is when the boats were wrapped. His was wrapped in late October, and mine was wrapped in late November. The air was much colder and drier when they wrapped mine.

Maybe its best to wait until the air is cold before wrapping her up?
 
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