Weird Black Dots on Deck

[Brett I. Miller]

I am the owner of a 1978 CD25 (#669) that is for the most part in excellent condition. After a three week absence from the boat, I returned one weekend to discover the presence of tiny black dots on the deck surface. At first I thought it might have been paint overspray from an inconsiderate neighbor, but upon further examination I didn't find any "dots" on the sail cover, topsides, or brightwork. The distribution of the "dots" was also strange, and not consistent with overspray unless the wind was swirling in a quite unusual manner. A good bit of it came off with an agressive scrubbing, but I am at loss to explain what caused it. Could it be some form of mildew? The boat is located on the upper Chesapeake Bay in Md., and I'd be suprized if that was the cause. Does anyone know what this might be, and how I can clean it up and/or stop it?



mill7846@MLB.com

[Bill]

I have the same problem on my boat in Oklahoma. Everyone at the marina informs me that iit is spider shit. It is difficult to remove.

Bill



willie@clnk.com

[Paul Janson]

I have the same problem on my boat in Oklahoma. Everyone at the marina informs me that iit is spider shit. It is difficult to remove.

Bill

Brett:
It MIGHT be what Bill suggested in his reply, but I doubt it. I had a similar situation with my sailboat, especially after it sat for a long time without being washed. I'm also on the Chesapeake. I believe it to be mildew and I've had success with Woolsey Fiberglass Cleaner (no longer made), but Bon Ami or something similar will do the trick. Use a brush and 3M scrubber with blue handle. Good luck. Let me know how you make out.

P.J.



cs@friend.ly.net

[Paul Janson]

I am the owner of a 1978 CD25 (#669) that is for the most part in excellent condition. After a three week absence from the boat, I returned one weekend to discover the presence of tiny black dots on the deck surface. At first I thought it might have been paint overspray from an inconsiderate neighbor, but upon further examination I didn't find any "dots" on the sail cover, topsides, or brightwork. The distribution of the "dots" was also strange, and not consistent with overspray unless the wind was swirling in a quite unusual manner. A good bit of it came off with an agressive scrubbing, but I am at loss to explain what caused it. Could it be some form of mildew? The boat is located on the upper Chesapeake Bay in Md., and I'd be suprized if that was the cause. Does anyone know what this might be, and how I can clean it up and/or stop it?

Brett,
Post Script to my first message: If the specks ARE as bill suggests, try Spray Nine. I've found it effective.

P.J.



cs@friend.ly.net

[jim jamieson]

The best cleaner by far for almost any type of stain or excreta has been a white sidewall cleaner called, I think, Blech White. NAPA has it here in CT. It is a strong base (Na metacsilicate I recall) and acts very fast. Spray on, let sit for 30 sec, scrub and hose off. No spider dung or mildew (yes, it takes black mildew off very well) will remain. It is especially helpful for cleaning the non-skid deck surfaces. Beats boat cleaning soaps. Probably shouldn't let it sit on paint or varnish for any length of time. Appears not to harm Cetol.
jim
CD25D #99



james.jamieson@yale.edu

[Bob Ohler CD25D #2]

Brett, Just an idea here, but you may be getting fall out from commercial airlines dumping fuel going into BWI. I get a gray haze that forms on my deck if i don't scrub at least weekly, and I'm informed by other boat owners on my dock that BWI changed their flight pattern this year. (Thye do fly directly over Herring Bay on their approach from the south.) Sincerely, Bob Ohler CD25D #2 "Aloha Spirit"



bobohler@chesapeake.net

[Catherine Monaghan]

Brett,

The only black spots I've found on my boat have been either bird droppings, which are usually huge, and mildew, which are tiny specks. Both kinds of spots come off with fiberglass cleaner and elbow grease. You may also want to try somthing stronger, like mildew remover, if it is mildew.

catherine_monaghan@merck.com
CD32, Realization
Raritan Bay

I am the owner of a 1978 CD25 (#669) that is for the most part in excellent condition. After a three week absence from the boat, I returned one weekend to discover the presence of tiny black dots on the deck surface. At first I thought it might have been paint overspray from an inconsiderate neighbor, but upon further examination I didn't find any "dots" on the sail cover, topsides, or brightwork. The distribution of the "dots" was also strange, and not consistent with overspray unless the wind was swirling in a quite unusual manner. A good bit of it came off with an agressive scrubbing, but I am at loss to explain what caused it. Could it be some form of mildew? The boat is located on the upper Chesapeake Bay in Md., and I'd be suprized if that was the cause. Does anyone know what this might be, and how I can clean it up and/or stop it?

catherine_monaghan@merck.com

[David Brownlee]

I agree with several others; the dots may well be spider excreta. We get them all the time, and after a while we figured out that they are concentrated under the places where the spiders nest (in the main gooseneck, in the rear corners of the cockpit coaming, etc.)

David Brownlee
"Windrush" CD27
Havre de Grace, MD, wintering in Washington, DC



dbrownle@mail.sas.upenn.edu

[Robert]

If it is spider dung, try windex (window cleaner). I find it works well with spider dung.

Robert

I have the same problem on my boat in Oklahoma. Everyone at the marina informs me that iit is spider shit. It is difficult to remove.

Bill

Brett:
It MIGHT be what Bill suggested in his reply, but I doubt it. I had a similar situation with my sailboat, especially after it sat for a long time without being washed. I'm also on the Chesapeake. I believe it to be mildew and I've had success with Woolsey Fiberglass Cleaner (no longer made), but Bon Ami or something similar will do the trick. Use a brush and 3M scrubber with blue handle. Good luck. Let me know how you make out.

P.J.

sailor3@ibm.net