BILGE CLEANING

[Heron]

Anyone got any views on the best way to clean out the bilge area, methods, products etc.?

Thanks

Ken

[mbird]

Hi Ken

Personally I used Bilgex when we first got our boat. It was very smelly having had 30 years of shower tray drainings stright into the bilge, what with soap build up etc. I put a good dose of Bilgex in and then tilled the bilge half full of water (bilge pump turned off obviously). I then left it like that for a couple of weeks whilst using the boat normally to encourage a bit of sloshing about, and then had the bilge pumped out. I did this a couple of times and then finished off with a small dose of Mask industrial deodoriser. Works a treat and my bilges now smell like bubblegum!

[Antares_9]

Yes, don't let it get dirty in the first place there is no need for it. If you have oil or water leaks fix them. Apart from that Bilgex is very good indeed, if it is GRP then a final wipe over with acetone (read the caution on the label) will make a really good job of it. I was looking at a brokers photo's of a boat recently and the engine bay shot clearly showed a large(ish) puddle of oil in the bilge, how can anybody present something for sale with a testimonial to poor maintainance like that.

(with apologies for the rant)

[jimbo]

Tesco's own bio washing powder is my recommendation! Does a lovely job of cleaning the bilge. A cap full of comfort to finish off with

[Guest]

I was looking at a brokers photo's of a boat recently and the engine bay shot clearly showed a large(ish) puddle of oil in the bilge, how can anybody present something for sale with a testimonial to poor maintainance like that.

(with apologies for the rant)

Wasn't that Seamaster by any chance, was it? If so it had not gone unnoticed. Actually I am frequently surprised at the state that broker's allow photographs to be taken in - if you think an oily bilge is a surprise, you ain't seen nothin'! Pictures of cabins where warps and fenders and any other manner of general junk have been simply bunged on the floor or on beds - and they don't move anything, just take a pic of the mess and post it as "marketing".

Silver Dream had a slight sump gasket leak which, if left for weeks, could allow oil to accumulate in the bilge. I generally cleaned it out whenever we used her so it seldom had time to accumulate and it was certainly clean when I showed people over her as prospective purchasers! Fixing the problem is all well and good but lifting a half ton engine out isn' t either a 5 min or £5 job and we really didn't have enough money in the kitty to entertain that sort of thing prior to when we started wondering about selling, whereupon it became (even) less urgent. It was cheaper just to pour it in the top and once every few weeks mop it out the bottom.

[Antares_9]

It was indeed Simon, if it is a small weep and still present after nipping up bolts where accesable then a drip tray can be useful especially if used in conjunction with a hydro carbon absorbing mat.

I suppose if the leak is bad enough then it at least saves doing an oil change.

[Poppy]

I use 'Virasol' , available from Hugh Crane, S.Walsham rd, Acle. Very inexpensive, smells sweet and is biodegradable. I always keep an egg cup full in the bilge, and another in the engine bilge. It's also widely used by the hire yards for this purpose.

[jillR]

hi jimbo

Tesco's own bio washing powder is my recommendation! Does a lovely job of cleaning the bilge. A cap full of comfort to finish off with

what that stuff can do is astounding.

some time ago i was told by a hire fleet man to use any brand of bio washing tablets

to clean fenders, when i tried it i was amazed at what it removed and no longer

use it on my clothes as i consider it to be far too harsh.

jill

[jimbo]

Hi Jill, Obviously the Comfort bit was a joke but I swear by the washing powder! It's got to be the cheapest product for doing the job as well And when not in use the box of powder does an amazing job of keeping the cupboard it is stored in damp free