a dirty bilge...

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s2sailorlis
Posts: 387
Joined: Apr 9th, '14, 18:39
Location: 1984 Cape Dory 22

a dirty bilge...

Post by s2sailorlis »

so on a scale of 1 to 10...how dirty...?

thoughts on best way to clean, i purchased a extending brush, used to clean cars , from HF last fall. was thinking of dumping a few gallons of water and degreaser into bilge, wiping with brush. pump it out (i'm still on the hard so it would dump onto the driveway...;)

then finish off with some Spray Nine and rinse with hose...
m
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Rick
1984 CD22

Excuse auto-correct typos courtesy of iOS...or simply lazy typing
Jim Walsh
Posts: 3356
Joined: Dec 18th, '07, 13:04
Location: CD31 "ORION" Hull #27 Noank, Ct.

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by Jim Walsh »

I’d pump or vacuum the bilge dry. Then try Simple Green...if you don’t attain the desired result with this relatively user friendly formulation try a Marykate product called Big Bully which is a bilge cleaner for serious cleaning.
Your bilge doesn’t look that bad, I’ve seen and smelled much worse.
Jim Walsh

Ex Vice Commodore
Ex Captain-Northeast Fleet

CD31 ORION

The currency of life is not money, it's time
Keith
Posts: 576
Joined: Sep 14th, '12, 20:01
Location: Moon Dance 1979 CD 30C Hull # 134

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by Keith »

I agree with Jim, seen and smelled much worse. Also since you are on the hard a good spraying with a hose nozzle along with the different cleaner mention may help.

Keith
kerrydeare
Posts: 166
Joined: Feb 1st, '18, 16:22
Location: Formerly: s/v "Kerry Deare of Barnegat"

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by kerrydeare »

s2sailorlis wrote:so on a scale of 1 to 10...how dirty...?
3.7
... thoughts on best way to clean ...
Not sure about "best" but for "easiest" try this: (1) launch boat, (2) dump a (large) hit of Dawn in there, (3) filler up with a hose, (4) go sailing (quite a bit), and then (5) pump the bilge.

Anyway that's what fisher people taught me a long time ago, and they didn't sink.
s2sailorlis
Posts: 387
Joined: Apr 9th, '14, 18:39
Location: 1984 Cape Dory 22

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by s2sailorlis »

good news is that it doesn't smell. and it's dry other than when i get a heavy rain or the antifreeze that's currently in there now.

the stains were from when the boats sat on the hard for 8 years. was covered, then shrink wrap tore, water made its way in and sat. when i first me the PO to look at boat, i had to pump it dry....
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Rick
1984 CD22

Excuse auto-correct typos courtesy of iOS...or simply lazy typing
Bill Goldsmith
Posts: 625
Joined: Feb 7th, '05, 08:47
Location: CD 32

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by Bill Goldsmith »

I have a deck brush that has removable brush heads. I have one that I use only for the bilge, another only for the deck. With our deep bilges, that's the only way to reach the bottom!
Bill Goldsmith
Loonsong
Cape Dory 32 Hull #2
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Joe Myerson
Posts: 2216
Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 11:22
Location: s/v Creme Brulee, CD 25D, Hull #80, Squeteague Harbor, MA

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by Joe Myerson »

I agree that it doesn't look that bad.

Before launch, I like to clean it out with some kind of detergent. Then I let it dry and vacuum it out.

During the season, I use vinegar, sometimes supplemented with baking soda. That way, I don't feel guilty pumping it out into the water.

Good luck!

--Joe
Former Commodore, CDSOA
Former Captain, Northeast Fleet
S/V Crème Brûlée, CD 25D, Hull # 80

"What a greate matter it is to saile a shyppe or goe to sea."
--Capt. John Smith, 1627
Pembquist
Posts: 67
Joined: Apr 12th, '16, 01:10
Location: CD 28

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by Pembquist »

When I first got my boat It had a whiff of mildew. I used a concoction that Practical Sailor had made up called something like 10 cent mildew spray. It had things like borax, wash soda, baking soda in it. I am not sure if I used it as a spray or if I just used the wash soda straight but it worked well with a long handle scrub brush and didn't have any bleach.
mkaplan
Posts: 24
Joined: May 20th, '19, 20:50

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by mkaplan »

Clorox cleanup. Instead of the spray bottle buy the refill jug, drill 3 small holes in the lid then shake to pour. Apply to small area, wait a few minutes (important) then wipe clean with sponge before rinsing with hose.

Then fix the deck leaks that allow water into the bilge.
s2sailorlis
Posts: 387
Joined: Apr 9th, '14, 18:39
Location: 1984 Cape Dory 22

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by s2sailorlis »

and now she's clean... likely the first time since the 1990's...

some murphy's oil soap, the bilge cleaner, then stuck hose down to rinse.
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Rick
1984 CD22

Excuse auto-correct typos courtesy of iOS...or simply lazy typing
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Joe Myerson
Posts: 2216
Joined: Feb 6th, '05, 11:22
Location: s/v Creme Brulee, CD 25D, Hull #80, Squeteague Harbor, MA

Re: a dirty bilge...

Post by Joe Myerson »

Beautiful!
You could almost eat a meal off of it ... I've never seen one so clean.

--Joe
Former Commodore, CDSOA
Former Captain, Northeast Fleet
S/V Crème Brûlée, CD 25D, Hull # 80

"What a greate matter it is to saile a shyppe or goe to sea."
--Capt. John Smith, 1627
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