[Public-List] Bilge below engine

[elyse.pastor at sympatico.ca]

Hello Albergers,

I was cleaning out the bilge with a vacuum cleaner and noted that there were some cracks in the bottom layer of the bilge.

I used a rod to poke at the bottom and some of the pieces came loose. 

I found that the the bottom of the bilge was made-up of a layer of resin that was poured into the bilge (between 1 - 2" thick) and is cracking appart.

I started removing some pieces and found that below the resin was a layer of sand, about 4" thick, completely saturated with diesel fuel (I wrote a few weeks back that I had a diesel leak on the engine and that the diesel in the bilge was leaking through the bilge and out from the rudder shoe).

I removed about 25 lbs of saturated sand from the curvature from the back to the front end of the engine (I cannot get access under the battery as I would have to remove the floor for that and I am really not prepared to do that).

Below the sand I found a piece of wood (about 2" wide and 20" long) and besides the wood, the sand would go deeper (how deep I have no idea).

Question:

Does anybody have a suggestion on what I should do with that?

Dig-out more sand?

Dig arraound the wood?

What can I expect to find if I dig further down?

I thought of buying some fine gravel (like aquarium grade and re-fill the space (where the sand was) with resin and gravel to the level as was.

Thanks

Bruno & Elyse

Lady Heron 297

 1240784470.0