[Rhodes22-list] Bilge Water

[David Craft]

Well Friends,

We took our first significant trip in our Rhodes from Southport, NC up the
Cape Fear to Wilmington.

On the way back down I had to make a call between fighting tide all day or
riding the tide and dealing with some headwinds the last 5 miles into
Southport.

The Cape Fear runs due south from Wilmington making a turn to the SW at
Snow's Cut in the ICW.  At this junction the wind really picked up, dead
ahead, and we motored to Southport.   The last few miles the falling tide
and head winds were at odds created serious chop.  We were taking quite a
few shots over the bow.

After cleaning up and over nighting at Southport Marina, we took the boat
out and over to the storage lot to clean up.  The carpet was wet, so I
removed and looked in the bilge, which I had only checked once before in
the 10 months we owned the boat.  It had about 4 inches of water, which
after pumping and dumping equaled 10-12 gallons.  We removed most
everything from the boat and left her open with the front scoop taking in a
nice NE dry wind.    The lot owner will close her up later this week, no
chance of rain, but we are both watching the forecast.

I plan on going back in a week, cleaning up a bit more, and putting most
things back.

Questions-  any thing else I missed doing to protect the boat from mold,
ect.?  Clean up with some bleach and water?  Where did the water come from?
 A friend says from gaps in the deck and hull toward the bow.  I can see
some spaced behind the white trim moulding.  Is this a winter project?

I do not plan on sailing in such conditions again.  The Cape Fear is
notorious this type of roiling chop.  Besides we are headed up toward
Oriental in the fall to test those waters......

Thanks for any advice.

By the way,  it was a great trip otherwise...

-- 
Regards,

David B. Craft
Greensboro, NC