Need Help-Boat Air Quality/Mold Issues

[Lean Wolf]

I am having mold/air quality issues in my F-44. I have been having significant respiratory issues every time I sleep on the boat, which is every weekend. Originally thought it was from my smoking days but I now know it is the boat. The boat has stayed in the water year over year until last winter when it was on the land for a major refit, am not sure if this may have had anything to do with the problem. I have found some black mold in the bilge under the rear tanks and have gotten rid of it but the breathing problems when I stay on the boat have not gone away. In the last month, I have bleached down the entire bilge, set off 4 Starbrite boat bombs and have two open containers on Kanberra Gel in the boat. Still have issues.

What is the best way to fix this problem? Does anyone have any experience with using an ozone generator in a boat? Was thinking of buying an industrial strength ozone generator and running it on a timer during the week when I am not there. I have done some research on this and I am not sure this will cure the issue. I have gotten most of the mold I can see out of the bilge, I think it is the mold I cannot see that I need to deal with. I am ready to do whatever I need to in order to fix this problem. My wife, 2 boys and I spend significant time on the boat will continue to for many years to come and I need to handle this now.

I am completely frustrated with this problem. Any words of wisdom would be sincerely appreciated!!!!!
Drew

[jimbo36]

First of all, DO NOT sleep on the boat. Second, lots of ventilation when you are on board. Third, call a Disaster relief company like Rainbow International to KILL all mold. They have the equipment to create a vacuum on your boat which kills mold. Finally, find out why you are growing mold. Trust me. DO NOT mess with this any longer.

[P-Dogg]

You need moisture for mold to grow. A couple of things come to mind that you may want to address. In no particular order: air conditioning ducts, A/C evaporator, refrigerator drip pan, hollow keel, run a dehumidifier while ashore, open shower stall sump. Above all, you need to find the source of the water that is growing mold. Look for window leaks, and make sure that your deck hardware is properly bedded. Those items can leak into places that you don't normally access, and could be harboring the mold. Best of luck. Please keep us posted.

[comodave]

Most professionals do not use bleach to kill mold. They use soap and water and scrub it off. The problem is when it gets into fiber type material and it does not want to wash off easily. Then they usually replace the material that has the mold on it. That is not quite as easy on a boat as it is in a house with dry wall. As was suggested already, I would be trying to prevent the mold in the first place or prevent it from getting any worse by dehumidifying and venting. I always open all doors and hatches when the boat is closed up and run a fan to circulate the air. If that does not control the problem, run the A/C or a dehumidifier. Also, you should have the air tested to see what exactly you are dealing with. Mold can be an extremely hazardous problem. I would have a professional test the air quality and suggest a fix. It will be somewhat pricey, but what are your lungs worth?

[Big D]

I agree with all the above. Unfortunately the best way to deal with mold is taking every measure to ensure it never grows in the first place. That can be difficult to do though in some cases but every measure taken to minimize it is better than no measure at all. Once it takes hold, it's nearly impossible to get rid of it all, especially in a boat where it can thrive anywhere from under a tank to behind a liner. All places you can't see or get to without some major disassembly will always keep you wondering if there's more even after a major remediation effort. One spore is enough to get another colony started under the right conditions.

I would recommend consulting a remediation company. It should be free for a rep to come out and talk to you. If they've worked on boats, all the better. Short of that, remove as much as you can see. Make sure you wear proper protection. Take measures that will minimize growth like air circulation, keep areas dry, and use products designed to keep mold at bay. Star Brite has some good products that emit a gas to control mold and mildew growth, and eliminate the odors associated with it. I'm pretty sure they have a product to do a quick shock where you leave the boat locked up for a few days and let it do its thing, and another product that you use as ongoing preventive maintenance to prevent growth. Put them everywhere especially the bilge, closets, cupboards, etc. Each package is designed to cover a certain cubic footage so read the label. It's a gas so it can get into places that you can't, even deep into fabrics.

Don't use ozone generators as I've heard that over an extended period will attack certain types of rubber that will likely be present in your engine bay. There is another type of newer genrator that emits a safer product for our type of application but the name escapes me. A remediation company would be able to tell you.

Good luck and be careful.

[Lean Wolf]

Thank you for all of the advice. Right now I do not see any mold in the material or fabric on the boat. I think it is behind the walls and under stuff in the bilge. I got most of it out but obviously not all of it. I placed a call to a remediation company today, am waiting for a call back. I think there is moisture in the boat for there has been water in the bilge from getting caught in a couple of rain storms, it is coming through the deck somewhere and I cannot find the leak. It is dry now. I have tried the boat bombs and they are not working. I am hoping that the remediation company will be able to help me. Has anyone tried an Ozone Generator for just a short term blast of ozone? Think it will hurt the rubber if I only use it short term?

[Big D]

We needed a generator to do a job in an engine compartment that the rep figured would take about three days and he advised against ozone for the reason stated. Don't know how effective that style of treatment is against mold, it's not what I was using it for.

[todd brinkerhoff]

Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation. I always have multiple fans in the boat, and the boat is always open (hatches, vents, etc.). Air conditioning is a good idea, but some marinas will charge you to run it all the time. Use "Damp Rid" all year. Make sure your bilge is also getting air.

There are a bunch of good mold and mildew sprays. I will usually spray it on fabrics that could hold mold. Use it liberally.

[comodave]

If you can access the mildew, I have found Starbright Mildew Stain Remover good at getting rid of mildew. I do not know if it will work on mold.

[larryeddington]

There is a product called x14. At least on shower mold, which is black, it is death. Spray it on mold disappears over night. True it is a very strong bleach like the liquid stuff you put in swimming pools. I have had mold on wet sheetrock and it made it go away. You sure don't want to spray on surfaces made of cloth. But down in the netherworld of a boat should kill it. Along with hatches open and fans running. Moving air is a good thing.

At least it works well for me.

[rbcool]

Had this problem 2 yrs ago..... discovered it was the actual mattress we were sleeping on. Original foam that had slowly "Changed" over the years and was holding moisture. Bit the bullit and spent the $$$ on a 6" Queen Swedish memory and problem immediately went away. I also every mid-summer run both A/C units on fan and spray short bursts of Lysol spray into the returns, shut off, then repeat several times. I still smoke and have spells of Bronchitis but no probs with the boat!
RB

[Lean Wolf]

I paid a mold remediation expert to come into my boat and he said he saw no evidence of mold however in the engine room he smelled battery acid. I pulled the batteries out and underneath was years of acid in the dirt and wood that must have run out of past batteries over the years and was in the battery box and on the stringers behind them. I sprayed everything thoroughly with baking soda and got rid of the acid everywhere. The mold guy is running an ozone generator in the boat for a few days this week just in case there is anything there. My sense is that the acid certainly was the problem. Scary stuff, I never would have seen this and neither myself or two of my mechanic friends could smell the problem. I would recommend everyone get a sprayer of baking soda and spray around their batteries for the smell was not obvious to me but there area under my batteries was saturated with it.

[lawyerdave71]

Once upon a time, I had this problem and was taken from boat in ambulance once - all due to mold.

That is why I had the interior completely taken apart and put back together. On a 36 year old boat, there is mold behind all the trim work and stuff.

Course, the precursor to all of this is to fix all leaks.

Since all of this work, I have not had a problem - keep bilges clean and everything well ventilated.

[P-Dogg]

he saw no evidence of mold

Thanks for closing the loop. Nothing aggravates me more than people asking questions and then going away without reporting what the solution was. Glad to hear that your problem is solved.