Very clean looking bilge. Don’t panic, vacuum it out as you said, put some paper towels or TP down and observe. If you can watch it closely during a weekend day, that may tell you a lot.
Clean and nice looking boat.
Greg
Catalina Smile and what bottom paint is the best value?
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Clean and nice looking boat.
Greg
I don't think you're talking about the same type repair. Sounds like you're talking about resealing the keel stub to keel joint
@acudavid I agree with the others that the tool to use would be an oscillating multi tool. IF you have to do that repair.
I agree with @jeepbluetj. It could just be failed fairing material the diver saw. Fairing material is a putty type material used to fill in gaps and make rough areas smooth, "fair". Then it gets sealed with an epoxy sealer and bottom painted along with the rest of the bottom.
I had an area on the front of my keel a few inches below the keel joint that looked real bad but just turned out to be bad fairing material. I was able to grind out the bad fairing, install new, paint over it with some barrier paint, then bottom paint. Relatively easy.
Here is a link to the fairing compound I used. Total Boat Fairing
"The only evidence of any problem is in the bilge compartment of the V-berth. There is evidence of repeated salt water exposure, including salt deposits that would attract wildlife in the mountains. It almost looks like someone sprinkled sea salt there."
The forward end of the bilge ends at the compression post. Are you talking about bilge far forward in the v-berth area? Sea water can enter that area from a leaky anchor locker drain, the drain hose or thru hull. That small bilge does not drain into the main bilge so any water in it just sits there until it evaporates, leaving behind salt crystals.
How do you access the thru hull valves for the head? On mine there is a removable panel on the port side of the v-berth floor that gives access to the thru hulls. My transducers for depth and speed are also mounted there. Check around any transducers and the thru hulls and valves for water seepage. There should be a limber hole, "drain hole" in the aft/center most corner of that compartment to drain water to the bilge.
"How do I confirm that the bilge needs to be ripped up?"
When you confirm that water is entering the bilge from around 1 or more keel bolts. I would dry the bilge, then build a small dam of plumbers putty around the keel bolts to see if water builds up inside the dams or outside. With the amount of water you're finding in the bilge, it shouldn't take long to confirm it is or isn't coming from up around the keel bolts. If it is, then you probably need to do the repair IF YOUR BOAT IS PRE 1988 MODEL YEAR. Starting in 88 and newer boats, they stopped using plywood.
Also if you notice sagging of the bilge floor due to the wood becoming rotted and no longer supporting the bilge floor.
Another sign may be if you fix the smile by grinding out the crack, filling and fairing properly and the smile returns.
I agree with @jeepbluetj. It could just be failed fairing material the diver saw. Fairing material is a putty type material used to fill in gaps and make rough areas smooth, "fair". Then it gets sealed with an epoxy sealer and bottom painted along with the rest of the bottom.
I had an area on the front of my keel a few inches below the keel joint that looked real bad but just turned out to be bad fairing material. I was able to grind out the bad fairing, install new, paint over it with some barrier paint, then bottom paint. Relatively easy.
Here is a link to the fairing compound I used. Total Boat Fairing
"The only evidence of any problem is in the bilge compartment of the V-berth. There is evidence of repeated salt water exposure, including salt deposits that would attract wildlife in the mountains. It almost looks like someone sprinkled sea salt there."
The forward end of the bilge ends at the compression post. Are you talking about bilge far forward in the v-berth area? Sea water can enter that area from a leaky anchor locker drain, the drain hose or thru hull. That small bilge does not drain into the main bilge so any water in it just sits there until it evaporates, leaving behind salt crystals.
How do you access the thru hull valves for the head? On mine there is a removable panel on the port side of the v-berth floor that gives access to the thru hulls. My transducers for depth and speed are also mounted there. Check around any transducers and the thru hulls and valves for water seepage. There should be a limber hole, "drain hole" in the aft/center most corner of that compartment to drain water to the bilge.
"How do I confirm that the bilge needs to be ripped up?"
When you confirm that water is entering the bilge from around 1 or more keel bolts. I would dry the bilge, then build a small dam of plumbers putty around the keel bolts to see if water builds up inside the dams or outside. With the amount of water you're finding in the bilge, it shouldn't take long to confirm it is or isn't coming from up around the keel bolts. If it is, then you probably need to do the repair IF YOUR BOAT IS PRE 1988 MODEL YEAR. Starting in 88 and newer boats, they stopped using plywood.
Also if you notice sagging of the bilge floor due to the wood becoming rotted and no longer supporting the bilge floor.
Another sign may be if you fix the smile by grinding out the crack, filling and fairing properly and the smile returns.
Fiberglass Bottomkote Aqua has a "Catagory II" leach rate which means it leaches out more copper biocide per day than is acceptable by the California Dept. of Pesticide Regulation (at least this was the case when the DPR last regulated leach rates in 2018.) It is likely that Interlux chose not (or was unable) to reformulate this product to come into compliance with the new regulations and that is why it is no longer available in this state.
Just kidding. If I can't buy Interlux Aqua in the state of California, while people in Oregon and Washington can, what is the difference? It must be restricted for environmental reasons... but since it is one ocean, the chemicals will get to California anyway.
I've used Trinidad Pro (~65% Cu) as long as I can remember (a low bar admittedly) but I was informed by yard this week it is no longer available for use in California so I'm getting Trinidad HD (~54%) a low VOC product. I believe it's the low VOC requirement during application that runs afoul of AQMD regulations.
I usually haul in Feb. because it's least busy time here, this year they are so busy with new owners they've run out of space.
I usually haul in Feb. because it's least busy time here, this year they are so busy with new owners they've run out of space.
As I mentioned previously, Fiberglass Bottomkote Aqua leaches more copper than is allowed by the state of California. And since most pleasure craft do not travel far from their home ports, the biocides in anti fouling paints also do not travel far. If it is your contention that metals like copper float around the oceans, polluting places far from where they were introduced into the water column, I can assure you that you are mistaken.
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Pettit Trinidad Pro is still available in California and if your yard told you otherwise, they are misinformed. Trinidad SR on the other hand, has been discontinued and is no longer available anywhere, unless you find somebody with old stock.
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I'm shocked at the cost of bottom paint today. I was planning on Petit Vivid to get a dark blue bottom. They have mixing charts to get the color you want. Anyway, it looks.like about $300/gal and I think I need 2 for an H30.
Not sure Vivid is a good choice for salt water
Not sure Vivid is a good choice for salt water
Vivid is not a good choice for any place where in-water hull cleaning is a necessity, IMHO.
I have no idea! But all oceans are not connected to california. It's not about the ocean anyway..... it's about the bays, harbors, estuaries... same reasoning as restrictions on holding tank discharge. Boat yards are notoriously susceptible to pollution and they are strictly regulated here. But you can still buy the stuff and the online companies will ship it to you in calif.... go figure.
Regarding my case, as I stated previously, when I DIY'd my boat, I just bought the paint from west marine whenever it went on sale (maybe twice a year). The last 2 times I let the boatyard do the job while I worked on other things. The paint I pictured is what I thought they used. I was called Fiberglass Bottom-Kote... so maybe it's this stuff:
Bottom-Kote NT ......... look it up.
But, listen, the point of my post was not to recommend a particular paint. The point was that it doesn't make a lot of difference since you are using a monthly dive service. Get the hard shell so it doesn't get rubbed off by the diver and also works whether the boat is moving or not. I used "bottom shield" from west marine for many years.
I think you should just ask around your marina, boatyard and local chandlery. (probably west marine) Good Luck.
Fstbttms, are you able to offer acudavid a couple of bottom paint recommendations for his C30 in Marina del Rey. Isn't this your area of expertise?