Mold normal inside console? 2021 GW Freedom 235.

[billbass]

Is it normal for the metal diamond pattern deck inside the starboard console to become black with mold? I don’t see this black mold in the battery compartment in the stern. It’s just in this console area. I’m wondering if I don’t have some trapped water somewhere, causing water to condense over and over on this metal surface and thereby grow mold just here. Maybe it’s just water in the air condensing on a cold metal plate which may be normal? The interior of my former boat was all fiberglass so that wouldn’t cause water condensation like a metal plate would. See the attached photograph. What do you think?

 

[seasick]

Mold needs two things to grow; moisture and temperature above a certain level. In addition poor air flow can contribute to the growth. I think the question is more of "where is the moisture coming from: than "where did the mold come from"
If you store things like wet lines, fenders, cushions etc, and there is poor ventilation, mold will generally grow. A lot also has to do with your location. Growth is more likely in warm humid areas. I suggest to scrub the area with a mold cleaner made for marine applications, dry the area after rinsing, leave remove any wet equipment and see how things go. You may have an issue with water getting into that area from somewhere else.
Oh, just had a thought; Does that locker have a drain?
If so, it is possible thet under certain conditions, sea water backs up into the locker. I have that situation on one of my boats. The locker is always wet and will grow mold. One possible solution to keep it dry is to use a rubber stopper to close off the drain

 

[SkunkBoat]

Every boat I've ever owned got some amount of mold over a season. Especially in the bilge and hidden areas.

 

[Ky Grady]

Agree with the others. No ventilation and temps coupled with moisture and you have a petri dish for mold growth. Need to clean and air out enclosed areas from time to time.

 

[Fishtales]

Unfortunately where there is no sun there is the opportunity for mold. You have to stay on top of areas like this. Best product to clean mold I've found is Nautical One Extreme Mold Remover.]
There are a lot of products out there that will work from bleach and water to commercial mold cleaners sold at HD and Lowes.
To prevent mold you can use an electric dryer, a light fixture with and incandescent bulb if you have electricity or damp rid or the strips.
I like strips and Nautical One if you have no shore power. I use the drier, Nauti One when at the dock and the strips for layup.

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[DennisG01]

Under the right conditions, sure, mold is "normal". The trick is preventing the "right conditions" And this is not always easy on a thing that spends it's life near the variables that lead to mold. As others said, clean it really well (even just plain bleach and water can work) - try to keep it dry - and ventilate the area (can you leave a door/hatch open when you're away?). Some of the products noted above might be a good idea, as well, like a damp-rid bucket.

But some type of passive ventilation might be the easiest, long-term solution to keep it away. Installing some vents might be something to think about.

Once you get it under control, take preventative measure to KEEP it under control (regular cleaning, etc).

Side note... is that really metal diamond plate? Seems odd when a vinyl sheet would do the trick.

 

[billbass]

Mold needs two things to grow; moisture and temperature above a certain level. In addition poor air flow can contribute to the growth. I think the question is more of "where is the moisture coming from: than "where did the mold come from"
If you store things like wet lines, fenders, cushions etc, and there is poor ventilation, mold will generally grow. A lot also has to do with your location. Growth is more likely in warm humid areas. I suggest to scrub the area with a mold cleaner made for marine applications, dry the area after rinsing, leave remove any wet equipment and see how things go. You may have an issue with water getting into that area from somewhere else.
Oh, just had a thought; Does that locker have a drain?
If so, it is possible thet under certain conditions, sea water backs up into the locker. I have that situation on one of my boats. The locker is always wet and will grow mold. One possible solution to keep it dry is to use a rubber stopper to close off the drain

Its a new boat to me so I don't know the history. I understand about conditions needed to grow mold. I've cleaned the surface and I' planning to do some snooping around as best as I can below decks to look for trapped water. There is no drain hole for this region. There should be no salt water entering under this floor. This is a false bottom style boat. If salt water were under this floor that would be big problem. If sea water was at this point the boat had taken on an abundance of water at some time. I've looked into the stern area below deck (where the batteries are stored) and see no mold or moisture back there.

I'm wondering if there are connected passageways under the floor so that I could use a fan to draw air from the bow anchor locker all the way to the stern of this boat?

 

[glacierbaze]

Gradys are notorious for trapping water midships, even when the trailer jack is as high as it will go. Mine stays jacked up, with the plug out, but the bilge pump almost always comes on when I back down the ramp to launch.
First metal decking that I have seen in a Grady, or any fiberglass boat in a similar class.

 

[billbass]

Gradys are notorious for trapping water midships, even when the trailer jack is as high as it will go. Mine stays jacked up, with the plug out, but the bilge pump almost always comes on when I back down the ramp to launch.
First metal decking that I have seen in a Grady, or any fiberglass boat in a similar class.

 

[DennisG01]

Metal or vinyl? If metal, doesn't sound like original - gotta wonder why someone put it there... which also means it can be removed.

So since the boat is new to you (that info helps because it may change answers), you don't know how the boat was kept or what was stored in there. I wouldn't go chasing ghosts just yet. Clean it out and monitor - making sure not to keep wet things in there.

It will likely drain through the cracks between the floor and vertical surfaces.

 

[Fishtales]

I use a mold and mildew cleaner in the spring when I have the deck(s) up and I'm on the hard. I spray liberally wait a couple of minutes and then wash it all out the garboard plug hole. Does a nice job keeping mold in the bilge area under control and everything is nice and clean. Don't leave too long as some attack hoses and the like.

 

[billbass]

Under the right conditions, sure, mold is "normal". The trick is preventing the "right conditions" And this is not always easy on a thing that spends it's life near the variables that lead to mold. As others said, clean it really well (even just plain bleach and water can work) - try to keep it dry - and ventilate the area (can you leave a door/hatch open when you're away?). Some of the products noted above might be a good idea, as well, like a damp-rid bucket.

But some type of passive ventilation might be the easiest, long-term solution to keep it away. Installing some vents might be something to think about.

Once you get it under control, take preventative measure to KEEP it under control (regular cleaning, etc).

Side note... is that really metal diamond plate? Seems odd when a vinyl sheet would do the trick.

I thought it was steel diamond plate but its actually a very thick gray plastic with that pattern. See new pics added. I cleaned the larger section. The dirty section is what was behind the carpet covered panel. It's still dirty and or molded. Hoping to get to that soon.

 

[billbass]

MOLD. Found out one of my major sources of water in the console. Pics attached. The horn was not sealed to the fiberglass so anytime it rained we had a beautiful waterfall scene into the console. I guess they were in a hurry that day at the factory. Fixed that one but now I see I've still got some other source of water coming into the console, but not as much of a flow. The previous owner/service provider also installed a VHF antenna on the roof and didn't use a drop of sealant. That's whats filling up my roof with water which drowned my light fixtures. These'll my next projects