Moldy dodger, two years old

[jen1722terry]

Hey CDers!

We had a new dodger made two years ago. Subrella toast, marine grade. The boat lives in mid-coast Maine and we left the dodger in the boat cabin last winter. The boat was shrink-wrapped with lots of vents. We had no other mold in the cabin last spring.

There is some mold on the exterior top and sides of the dodger. It seemed to be getting worse over the summer. Surprising, as we have a bimini we made a few years earlier of the same fabric and zero mold.

Any ideas on the cause? What's the best way to clean the mold and is there some kind of treatment to discourage mold in the future?

All ideas will be greatly appreciated. Enjoy your fall sailing if you're still in, and have a nice, safe winter if you're on the hard.

Jenn and Terry

[John Stone]

Practical Sailor had a great article a few years back on how to remove mildew. I’d start there.

https://www.practical-sailor.com/boat-m ... ew-onboard

I’d google for more PS articles on the topic as they run tests on the topic every few years.

But, the number one things is to prevent it from getting started. I personally don’t think shrink wrap is the best approach though others seem to have figured how how to overcome some of the challenges.

Probably the best thing you can do is leave as little as possible on boat when you put her in storage. For example, I don’t even leave wet lines or foul wx gear on the boat during sailing season much less during the off season. All that stuff comes home and gets dried before it goes back to the boat. During the winter everything comes off the boat to include all the cushions. All my canvas comes off too. Sun awnings, sails, lee clothes, linens, tools, electronics, etc. We also run two box fans 24/7 on the boat if we have access to electrical power. For the last six months I have also been running a small dehumidifier in the boat that seems to be value added.

Again, take a look at the Practical Sailor article on how to remove mildew. Some of those techniques I have used over the years with good results. The most effective typically include diluted bleach but you have to test it and do some homework to make sure it’s safe on the material. There is something else but I can’t remember the name tonight. I’ll check tomorrow and get back to you.

[wikakaru]

Any ideas on the cause? What's the best way to clean the mold and is there some kind of treatment to discourage mold in the future?

What color is the fabric? Many years ago in my ignorance I equipped a boat with white Sunbrella for dodger, bimini, and awnings. I thought white would be a great color for boat canvas because it would reflect more of the sunlight and keep things cooler on deck (we were headed for the tropics). It turns out it was a terrible idea. Any mildew that occurred was obvious and unsightly, the white didn't hold up to the sun very well, and it allowed a surprising amount of light through. It turns out there are good reasons that the majority of boats you see have navy blue canvas--it lasts longer, fades less, blocks more light, and doesn't show stains as much as other colors. If your canvas is so badly stained that the cleaning ideas provided by others on this forum don't work, consider changing the color of your canvas items when you have them re-made.

Smooth sailing,

--Jim

[wikakaru]

Oops, missed the fact that the word "toast" was the color. Yep, that's a light color that will show stains easily, too.

--Jim

[gonesail]

I always admired the toast color canvas. But it gets dirty and moldy so fast. So I stick with the navy blue for now.

[SVFayaway]

Dawn dish soap works well for cleaning mildew. Try cleaning it installed over the frame on the boat first, using a scrub brush (taking care to avoid the glass of course.) Storing canvas off the boat in a climate controlled space is the best thing for longevity, both of the fabric and the glass. If you had it rolled or folded down below then it was probably the glass that caused the mildew since the sunbrella breathes, which is why your bimini hasn't had the same problem. Ideally you would store the whole thing more or less flat which will add years to the life of your glass panels, but I know I struggle to find a place to store mine flat over the winter. Hope this helps!

[Cathy Monaghan]

Storing textiles of any kind on a closed up boat for the winter is never a good idea, but if you have no choice, then you need to do what you can to control dampness below.

Make sure the winter cover has an access ‘door’ so you can get onboard while she’s on the hard. Purchase two or three containers of Damp-Rid, or similar product, and place them in different areas inside the boat. Also purchase two or three packages of Damp-Rid refill. Visit the boat at least once a month (pick a day when it’ll be above freezing) and empty the accumulated water from the bottom of the Damp-Rid containers and add more Damp-Rid.

We use Damp-Rid on our boat year round. You’ll find it at stores like The Home Depot, Lowe’s, WalMart and most chandleries.

[jen1722terry]

Thanks to all for the sage advice.

Yes, it was a mistake to store the dodger on board last winter.

We emailed Sunbrella for their take on the mold, as it was the only mold on the boat in the spring. They promptly responded:

"Thank you for contacting Glen Raven, the manufacturer of the Sunbrella brand of fabric. Sunbrella is mold/mildew resistant because it is made from a synthetic fiber that will not grow mold. Mold/mildew will not grow directly on any synthetic fiber-unlike natural fibers such as cotton, etc where mold will grow on them. Mold will however grow on dirt, soot, pollen, etc.. and anything else that lands on the fabric if it is not removed. Sunbrella is bleach cleanable and that is why these stains should be easily removed. There is not a treatment to discourage mold, but hopefully with a good bleach cleaning it will get rid of the mold and what was causing it."

So, we learned some things. We'll try cleaning the new dodger in our big double shower, and store it flat, covered with a soft old sheet in our well-ventilated attic. Hopefully, the dodger will return to, and stay, good as new.

Thanks to all for the sage advice. Stay healthy as the weather cools and the virus numbers rise. Think about your CD and all the great sailing that awaits you when our world returns to normal.

Jenn and Terry

[Sleepwalker]

I was told to not use anything with bleach in it for the mold as it attacks the stitching by my canvas guy.

[John Stone]

Bleach is a powerful chemical. You are correct that it can damage stitching. Bleach will always be used in a diluted form and never left on the material very long. Again, the PS articles give some very specific guidance on how to use it so you don’t damage the material you are trying to treat.

[mgphl52]

I was told to not use anything with bleach in it for the mold as it attacks the stitching by my canvas guy.

That also depends on what kind of thread was used...

[Joe CD MS 300]

We also use Damp-Rid through out the year. It does a good job of keeping the level of moisture in the boat down.

[jen1722terry]

Turns out the small black stains may be soot from our charcoal stove. We berth the boat in mid-coast Maine and use the stove often spring and fall. We tried Dawn and water, not much improvement, so we'll try bleach and Dawn to see what happens.

We recall that Gemini Canvas in Rockland, ME knows of a place that cleans marine canvas, even really ratty canvas. Maybe next spring, if we launch at all.

Thanks again to all for the advice.

Jenn and Terry