[Public-list] Saturated Hull, Bilge Damage

[Matthew Hay]

Thank you George for all of the work!  It sure is nice to have the list 
back!  How does this work?  Do you need donations to pay for the web sight 
host?
Bill their is a lot of debris under your engine.  The sand is most likely 
from the cockpit drains.  The piece of wood is in the bottom of your bilge 
was to act as an anchor to screw bilge pumps too etc.  My hypothesis is that 
so much sand ends up in the bottom of your bilge from the cockpit drains, 
that over the years that wood piece is covered, and new anchoring devices 
are used to mount pumps on top all of the sand.  I recommend removing your 
engine in order to remove the sand, clean, and degrease, and paint, your 
bilge.  I did the same thing to my bilge last month.  I had the engine out 
and went down to the boat to paint the bilge.  After taking a closer 
examination I realized that what I thought was the bottom of the bilge was 
in fact about a foot of sand/grease/oil/water in the bottom of the bilge.  I 
used a large spoon and slowly scooped out all of the sand mixture as well as 
a few 1960's style tools, numerous washers, some strange home made device 
made out of copper tubing.  It is not easy to see the bottom of your bilge.  
If I did not have the engine out I would not have been able to see the 
bottom.  I essentially had to crawl down into the bilge with my spoon acting 
as an auger to see the bottom.  I felt like Clint Eastwood in escape from 
Alcatraz.  How would you be able to notice a crack in your bilge with the 
engine in place and sand filling the bottom of it?
  Furthermore, all of that sand mixture holds a lot of moisture.  That could 
effect your moisture readings.  I have a drain hole in the bottom of my keel 
that made this project much easier.  After I had  scooped out the bulk of 
the the sand and engine parts etc. I used a hose with nozzle to flush the 
remaining sand out the drain.  It also makes it easier to get the water out 
in the fall and I just leave the plug out all winter.  I would really be 
more concerned with water in my deck core.  Which you said is not very bad.
Good Lock,
Matthew #314

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