Black Mold?

[SV Pretty Lady]

As I am cleaning up the mess of hoses under the sink from PO's, I noticed a lot of black flaky stuff all over the place on fiberglass. It is all under the sink area way back up in there. There are some of the same black flakes resting on the bottom of the bilge, too. They are slimy, and away from water they are like thin black paper. It stinks and irritates my nose when I have my head close to the opening of under the sink. I usually run an exhaust fan in there to get the smell, but I really need to get rid of it.

Is it black mold? If not, what is it? Most importantly, any suggestions on how to get rid of it?

[lazybone]

In the movie they used Bleach to kill it.

[mdidomenico]

As I am cleaning up the mess of hoses under the sink from PO's, I noticed a lot of black flaky stuff all over the place on fiberglass. It is all under the sink area way back up in there. There are some of the same black flakes resting on the bottom of the bilge, too. They are slimy, and away from water they are like thin black paper. It stinks and irritates my nose when I have my head close to the opening of under the sink. I usually run an exhaust fan in there to get the smell, but I really need to get rid of it.

Is it black mold? If not, what is it? Most importantly, any suggestions on how to get rid of it?

i'm refitting an '89 right now and have spent the last 6mos scrubbing that out of every nook and cranny i can find (still not done).  it's all over the place under the floor.  i don't believe it's mold though.  i'm speculating that it's actually aspirated oil mixed with dirt from the crank case vent.  the PO never did the crank cast vent into the air cleaner modification on my boat.

[Ed Shankle]

Whether mold, mildew or algae, the traditional cleaner is bleach and tsp in a water solution. However, Practical Sailor made a case in the past year or so for tsp, borax and baking soda as an all purpose cleaner. Saves having the exposure to bleach fumes. I've started using it and it works. Although you may need the high octane solution! Try it first, if it doesn't work, go to the bleach solution.

Regards,
Ed

[Noah]

I agree with bilge cleaner and bleach. But do not leave bleach-laden standing water in the bilge as it could cause problems with corrosion of your stainless steel keel bolts. I also don't think the oil breather would cause that amount of "crud". Are you sure the boat didn't have a flooding/sinking issue before you owned it?

[KWKloeber]

For mold remediation (houses, apts, etc.) the accepted practice now is Hydrogen Peroxide.  That's as of 2014 -- the owner had to do a mold remediation in a basement that had flooded in a house we wanted to rent.  Held us up 3 months moving in.

You can get a test done if you REALLY want to know if it's "mold" (there are all types, some dangerous some not)  but who cries - just clean it up?

-k

[SV Pretty Lady]

I don't have the crank case vent mod, either. The hose ends below the engine. Stinks like old gritty, dirty garage with no ventilation..pretty much what it is on the boat. Lol

I don't think my boat has sunk in its past. My stanchions leak and I see water running down into the bilge. I suspect the nastiness black stuff is from that over years of neglect in there.

I'll try a different solution. Starbrite mold and mildew works, but it's  hard to get way up in there beyond visual of the bilge. Guess I'll have to get a bigger pump with solution and a hose to wash it out.

I just got back on it after a couple days gone and it is real pungent in cabin like sweet old musty wood. While gone I treated as far as I could up in there from bilge with those starbrite chlorine slow release pouches. Didn't work. Ugh.

[mdidomenico]

the only thing that seemed to work for me, was plain old dawn and a scrub brush.  that seemed to take the majority of the funk off.  i usually followed up with some simple green or west marine bilge cleaner to get the more stubborn stuff up.  i'm trying to not to use too many toxic chemicals cleaning my boat, so damn is my go to cleaner

but your right, the parts under the floor beyond arms reach of the bilge have been tricky to get at, which is why mine is still a work in progress.  i tried a power washer, but i couldn't really get the wand in there.  though the few places i was able to get it, the muck basically laughed at me.

fyi, if your up on the hard like i am, i highly recommend drilling a garboard drain.  after i did that i just run the hose as long as i want cleaning stuff and it just drains onto the grass.