Down to the basics

Terrance Phillips

It’s getting cold, foggy, damp and the ocean is beginning to have

more humps than Quasimodo.

This means that jolly St. Nick is headed for the millennium and mildew

is seeking a place to take a long winter’s nap. The bilge, cupboards,

cabinets and hanging lockers are always a superior place to hide, but

there are ways to cut its visit to a minimum.

“Mildew is always a problem on a boat, especially during the winter

months, but by taking a few minor precautions and exercising preventative

maintenance, mildew on a boat can be kept to a minimum,” said Jay Carson,

equipment seminar director and electronic specialist at West Marine on

Pacific Coast Highway.

“I could write an entire book on nautical mildew,” Carson continued.

Carson is also a contributing writer for Santana Magazine.

One issue that adds to the problem is boaters fail to visit their

vessel as frequently during the winter as they do during the summer

months. The boat is closed up tight with limited ventilation, lights are

turned off, hatches closed and air circulation is almost non-existent.

The perfect place for Mr. Mildew to hibernate.

Mildew loves a damp dark environment; especially where there is no air

circulation. Under the base of a door, beneath cushions, under drawers

are places often overlooked. So how can you stop this monster from

growing, smelling and causing damage to your interior?

West Marine suggests you remove all foul weather gear, towels,

clothing and other materials off the boat when the boat is not being

used. Open all cabinets, lockers, doors, and even bilge hatch openings.

Air circulation is paramount. Seating cushions, especially those that

have vinyl on the bottom side, should be placed up on edge and crack open

several hatch covers and porthole windows and eliminate the water in your

bilge.

There are several products offered through West Marine that can help.

“The Golden Rod wand works well in hanging lockers and under seating

compartments,” said Carson. “A ceramic heater with a regulator helps dry

up the dampness, but you have to be careful that they won’t knock over.

You have to secure them.

Dehumidifiers like Calcium Silicate crystals absorb dampness and they

workd fairly well, hoever, it must be disposed of with caution and is

environmentally sensitive.

Dampness condenses into water droplets, especially at night when it

gets colder and then during the day it rises. If it doesn’t have a place

to escape, it sticks to whatever it can” Carson continued.

One thing that every boater should do is visit your vessel at least

once a week. Start the engine, check the bilge, air out the cabin and

open and close each through hull fitting to make sure they have not

corroded, becomding stuck in an open position. Don’t assume everything

will work like it did two months ago when the weather was sunny, because

it probably won’t.

In addition to mildew on your boat, West Marine strongly suggests that

every boat be equipped with an E.P.I.R.B. unit (Emergency Positioning

International Radio Beacon).

E.P.I.R.B. units start for around $250 for a device that will send out

an emergency beacon locally. However, it does not identify the vessel.

More advance units range from $800-$1,200, which can reach satellites all

over the globe, as well as identify the vessel.

Another tip for winter is to top off your fuel tanks. Half-filled

tanks collect condensation and helps promote the growth of bacteria. Use

additives to stabilize the fuel.

TERRANCE PHILLIPS’ boating column appears each Friday. He can be

reached at (949) 574-4223.