I admire you guys taking on a project boat like that. Its gutsy. But I have to warn you that I work as a professional building inspector, & I am in contact with black mold on a regular basis. It can make you REALLY SICK. Especially when working in such a confined space in a tight cabin like that. Bleach is the easiest & cheapest way to kill mold. But when mold gets ingrained into the cabin like that, its really hard to eradicate it. If you don't kill & remove all spores, it will just grow again, at an exponential rate. Remember that its also growing between the cabin sole & the hull, & is impossible to even reach many of these areas, as Catalina makes extensive use of fiberglass hull liners in its design.
Please wear a respirator when working in that cabin. It makes it harder to breathe when you get sweaty, but getting a lung infection & bronchitis from black mold is not fun.
As far as that marina, they are in the business to make money, & they make even more from people like you. That boat needs months, if not years of rehab to get her right again. If you are serious, then get her towed to the back yard of someone you know who lives near the water. But doesn't everyone live near the water in Florida? Good luck.
ps. If you figure the thousands of $$ you will have to spend on towing, hauling, refitting, new cabin bulkheads & cabinetry, wiring & plumbing & likely sail replacement, it may be cheaper to find a decent boat in better shape. Most people find out the hard way that a fixer upper is way more expensive in the long run, then a slightly tired boat that just needs minor repairs. I know a lot of fellas that spend all their time sanding & working on their projects, then sailing & enjoying their lives. Sadly a lot of these boats never even get completed, as the owner gives up in frustration, even before the maiden voyage. Life is short.
