Bilge cleaning a 1984 Ericson...

[jmcelwee]

Hi Peggy (et al),

I just bought a 1984 Ericson 28+, and am having a devil of a time trying to get the bilge as clean as I can. I know the best advice is to powerwash the bilge to clean it, but for this particular boat it's impossible. Ericson built the boat with a laid-in fiberglass grid under the sole, which is notorious for trapping bilge water (almost all boats built with this "tri-force axial grid" always have some standing water in the bilge, which gradually leaks out or is released after sailing). Even worse, there are only a few small access holes cut into the sole, which contain shallow fiberglass pans with a few limber holes in them (which is the only access the boat has to the bilge water....there isn't any direct access to the actual bilge at all). So, there's no way to actually get into the bilge to clean/vacuum/dry it.

Given that, my question is what is the next best approach? I've got some hardcore anaerobic bacterial growth in there right now stinking up the boat, so I want to try adding some kind of cleaner (borax? starbrite? liquid tide?) to kill what's in there and clean it as best as possible (lots of sailing to swish it around), then vacuum out as much of it as i can from the access pans. Is there any particular additive/cleaner that would be best to act as a long-term bacteriostat?

Thanks for any help!

 

[Peggie Hall HeadMistress]

Only one GOOD solution:

Add hatches in the cabin sole that'll provide access to the whole bilge. I had to do that on my own boat...added four new hatches. There's nothing sacrosanct about the builder's failure to put 'em in...builders focus on cost, not on future owners' maintenance headaches...and hatches require a couple more man hours to fit the "lids" and install the pulls in 'em. Adding hatches isn't expensive--at least it shouldn't be...and there are various ways to do it...but all of 'em do require a little skill, so you may want to get some help...or at least some advice from a fiberglass or woodworking pro.

It won't add a dime to the value of your boat, but what it will add to your enjoyment and reduced maintenance headaches is a 1000 per cent return on the investment in doing it.