Black rubber stuff in bilge?

[CaptnPorter]

Hi all, I recently bought a balboa 26 and I was assessing how much work it would be to clean up some of the gunk in the bilge. What I though was some black gunk that had settled near the pump turned out to be rubbery and loosely attached to the hull. I was able to peel some off, but then I got worried is this some kind of sealant or something to holding the bilge pump onto the hull?? It almost looks like seaweed or something but it peels right off…

anyone know what this is?

 

[Tally Ho]

Hmmm, if it seems to pull out without damaging the fiberglass, I would get a scraper and start cleaning it out. Looks nasty and will mask real problems in there.


Greg

 

[rgranger]

Probably a spill that settled there and dried up. I used to own a Balboa. They are very heavy and stiff and do very well in a blow.

 

[CaptnPorter]

Thanks for the input guys! I’ll peel some more of it up then! Won’t even need to scrape, comes off pretty easy.

Yea I’ve heard the balboas are solid, can’t wait to get it out in the San Juan’s this summer!

 

[DArcy]

anyone know what this is?

Sludge

 

[mikeracca]

Looks like bilge sludge to me. But I would wonder not only does it smell bad but is the water in the bilge salty or fresh? If salty it could be some marine growth.

 

[jssailem]

Welcome to the SBO forum. Congrats on finding your cruising boat. The waters are great fun for sailing.

You indicate Anacortes as your home port. Where are you located Cap Sante, Anacortes or Skyline Marina?

The San Juan D’Fuca can be a lot of fun. I always give her the respect all the large open bodies of water deserve. When storms arise she can get down right nasty.

Hope to see you in your Balboa 26 out on the water with her sails flying.

Sludge, dried algae, oil, shower fungi etc. the bilge on most boats is the collection point for a lot of mystery stuff. Scrap it out and discard. There is a reason the calf some sailors “bilge rats”.

 

[rgranger]

Thanks for the input guys! I’ll peel some more of it up then! Won’t even need to scrape, comes off pretty easy.

Yea I’ve heard the balboas are solid, can’t wait to get it out in the San Juan’s this summer!

Here are a few pics of the one that used to be mine....

 

[CaptnPorter]

Welcome to the SBO forum. Congrats on finding your cruising boat. The waters are great fun for sailing.

You indicate Anacortes as your home port. Where are you located Cap Sante, Anacortes or Skyline Marina?

Right now just in the lovely marina known as “my driveway” - scenery isn’t great but the rates can’t be beat and the facilities are downright homey!

Im going to try and find a spot in one of those marinas this year, but I may just be launching from Washington state park this year, Marina spots are scarce here! May also end up in La Conner marina, no ideal but close enough. I need to do a little bit of work before I get in the water still, so unsure the exact plans for the summer.

 

[CaptnPorter]

Here are a few pics of the one that used to be mine....

Gorgeous thanks for sharing! I really like the dark blue hull haven’t seen that before on the balboas, mine is white with a blue strip.

 

[jssailem]

Hey. If you can trailer the boat and it looks like the Balboa 26 is manageable, then there are a lot of advantages to no marina costs.

I did that for 20 years with my Montgomery 15. We enjoyed all sorts of sailing waters together. I'll say that the Juan D'Fuca was not her favorite waters as at 15ft the waves sometimes were bigger than she was. It felt like I was but a cork. Flotsam on the water, at the whim of nature. The worse part was the occasional log or deadhead.

Even on my boat today, I dislike deadheads lying at the water surface. Be alert this spring.

Your location is ideal to sneak across Rosario Strait and into the Islands.

Hope your refitting of the boat goes smoothly. Post some pictures when you get her splashed.

Here is one of my favorites of my current vessel SV Hadley.

 

[rgranger]

Hey. If you can trailer the boat and it looks like the Balboa 26 is manageable, then there are a lot of advantages to no marina costs.

Manageable was the issue with mine. It is a really beefy boat. There is 2500 pounds of lead in a bulb at the base of the keel... (see pics of my keel restoration attached).

The winch to pull that up is HEAVY and it takes about 15 min if you are calm and about 8 min. in a panic situation.

Stepping the mast and having her ready to sail took a few hours so... is she trailerable, YES! Is she a trailer sailboat? I guess that depends on your tolerances and time commitments. I never had any trouble stepping the mast and it went up rather easily but I always was fearful something would snap about half way up. The mast is very heavy and stepping the mast put a lot of strain on the blocks. The Balboa is a boat that would really benefit from a carbon fiber mast. With a lighter mast and the keel locked down.... and maybe an upgrade to the ports.... I'd feel safe taking that boat across an ocean.

Another beefy trailer sailboat that I would love to own (but keep in a slip) is the nor'sea 27 aft cabin. They also came in a single cabin layout. These are double enders with a full length keel. Looks like they would track like a dream.

If I could find one of these for sale nearby, I might consider renting out my condo and living on board one of these.

 

[jssailem]

Nice boat. You might like the Pacific Seacraft boats. Like the
DANA 24 (PACIFIC SEACRAFT)

PACIFIC SEACRAFT 31

And one of my favorites.
CREALOCK 44 (PACIFIC SEACRAFT)