Black soot and cleaning

[melp64]

My boat is in a cradle and has been since 2019 The motor a M25 was winterized by the marina. This weekend I was able to remove the panels in the aft cabin. It doesn't look to bad as far as the soot. I think it is mostly concentrated in the motor area where it can be accessed from the head.

[girmann]

Our C28 (Also an M25XPB) had black soot in the engine compartment in line with the alternator. Turns out it was he graphite from the brushes.YMMV

[melp64]

Working on the boat this weekend I took some pics of what I am guessing is the aqua muffler? I also took photos of the shear amount of soot that is in the aft cabin alone. I looked at what Ron told me to and I am thinking that the PO must have had a bad hose from the aqua muffler to the transom. It must have been replaced because it looks brand new. I am hoping that this problem is solved and all i have to do is clean the mess up. When I put the panels back I am thinking of putting a foam seal in those openings so if there is a leak maybe it will seal it????? Is this the aqua filter???

[melp64]

just starting to clean

[Noah]

I believe you called it correctly that the old muffler failed and was replaced with an aftermarket muffler of a type I have never seen before. Assuming that was your issue and the new muffler is designed and installed correctly, and all your hoses and exhaust riser are sound—then cleaning the gelcoat and perhaps using some white Bilgecoat Interlux paint elswhere, will make things sparkle again. This was definitely exhaust soot, not belt dust!

[melp64]

do you even think it is possible to get the inside clean enough to paint, some of the insides are pitch black and almost seems like it was baked on. Inside the cabin its like black grease, It took me 4 hours to get it to look like the picture. And Im calling that a rough clean and the bottom side of the cockpit still has to be done. Im thinking power washer but not sure how to get rid of all the water

[pbyrne]

Working on the boat this weekend I took some pics of what I am guessing is the aqua muffler? I also took photos of the shear amount of soot that is in the aft cabin alone. I looked at what Ron told me to and I am thinking that the PO must have had a bad hose from the aqua muffler to the transom. It must have been replaced because it looks brand new. I am hoping that this problem is solved and all i have to do is clean the mess up. When I put the panels back I am thinking of putting a foam seal in those openings so if there is a leak maybe it will seal it????? Is this the aqua filter???

Looks like one of these. https://webshop.vetus.com/en/product/nlp50-waterlock-type-nlp50

The issue isn't the soot per se (which as you definitely know is a problem) it is the carbon monoxide, that will kill you.  Put a seal if you wish, but get the CO detector as well! 

[pbyrne]

just starting to clean

Some encouraging words... you did  great job. That's a very discouraging mess to have to deal with and it looks great after your work.

[pbyrne]

do you even think it is possible to get the inside clean enough to paint, some of the insides are pitch black and almost seems like it was baked on. Inside the cabin its like black grease, It took me 4 hours to get it to look like the picture. And Im calling that a rough clean and the bottom side of the cockpit still has to be done. Im thinking power washer but not sure how to get rid of all the water

I don't personally know of a good cleaning solution, but I'm sure someone will chime in with one.  I would caution the use of a power washer as the spray will create floating particulates in the air, that you definitely don't want to breate.  Diesel exhaust is very very bad stuff. 

If you do go that route you will want googles and a respirator.  The water will flow into the bilge.  You could pump it out from there, but consider disposal of the water which will be contaminated.  If you're on the hard probaly not a big deal to contain it. I'd personally consider a small sump pump instead of your bilge pump.  In fact I'd remove the bilge pump before using the power washer.

One final note on pressure washers, they can force water into areas that you may not want (ie. electrical connections, or into the nook and cranies of the panels etc) that will either give you problems later, or you will never be able to clean.

Sometimes it best to do it the 'hard' way because you can prevent further issues.  I've done it the 'fast' way and paid for it later.

That being said, you could probably use a garden hose on lower pressure to a least let you do a controlled wash down.

[Jon W]

Looks like the original Aqualift brand muffler was replaced with a Vetus Waterlock brand muffler. Vetus makes very good products so I'd consider that an upgrade.

For cleaning, at different times I've had success using Barkeepers Friend, Simple Green, TSP, FSR, and distilled white vinegar mixed with dish soap (1 teaspoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon dish soap per cup of water).

[KWKloeber]

do you even think it is possible to get the inside clean enough to paint, some of the insides are pitch black and almost seems like it was baked on. Inside the cabin its like black grease, It took me 4 hours to get it to look like the picture. And Im calling that a rough clean and the bottom side of the cockpit still has to be done. Im thinking power washer but not sure how to get rid of all the water

What did you use on it that took 4 hrs?  Did you try Roll Off?  Also try Dawn and Murphy's and LA Totally Awsone.  It needs a multi solvent.

I've used white Rusteolum brushed over many things that I'd expect it to not adhere well and it's worked better than expected and is rich hard.  The downside is the fumes but that's manageable.

[melp64]

I know its hard to see in the picture but that soot is about 1/8 of an inch thick in some spots. The picture of the rag is only one swipe. And it really a awkward space to clean you are either laying on your stomach or your back. There is so much to do on the boat I kind of break things up so I don't get over whelmed, today I cleaned I sanded and put 1st coat of varnish on some of the teak parts I took apart. I also was able to get multiple coats of varnish on the bulkhead.I also started to make a mast boot I wasn't able to finish that. I now know that when you think it should take you a couple of hours its probably going to take a couple of days.

[waughoo]

I had a smaller version of this mess when I bought my boat.  I used a solution of simple green, oxcillic acid, and a steam cleaner.  It was a messy job but did work.

[scgunner]

melp64,

No matter how you cut it it's going to be a big job in which you'll end up employing a lot of different cleaners and techniques before you're finished. Like the old saying goes, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

What I'm now most curious about is what did the surveyor say about this? Any surveyor worth his salt should at the very least be able to tell you whether or not the boat is safe. I think we're all in agreement that a boat with a massive CO leak would not fall into that category. Also I'm assuming you must have gotten a swinging deal on this boat because if I saw this while inspecting a prospective new boat I'd say thank you for your time and move on, there are a lot of C34s out there.

[Ron Hill]

Melp : You're doing a GREAT job. Look for a cleaner called "Spray a Way"  It's the best cleaner that I've ever found.  I got mine from Defender.

keep at it     A thought