TERMITES on Savage Oceanic42’ 1981

[iaorana2012]

We recently acquired a 1981 Savage 42. We like the boat very much and want to restore her. Unfortunately she has had a termite infestation for a couple of years now. We have had her treated professionally with fipronil bait and continue to make treatments. We are worried about the structural implications as there is damage to a cross member just under the two longitudinal keel members supporting the mast. We plan to drill out the rot and fill with structural epoxy. Also will Sister a new glassed in cross member.
Has anyone been through termites damage and could add input, and/or by any chance, has structural drawings of this boat ?

Thanks in advance for your help

[roverhi]

Not on my boat but have seen a boat whose interior was literally ruined by termites. Boat was teak faced plywood and termites everything between the two outer skins on more than 50% of the interior.

From experience with our home, get the boat tented at the first opportunity. Tried spot treatment and orange oil which only slowed the buggers down. You don't know how long and where their tunnels are till you begin poking holes in the plywood with your fingers. Tenting is the only thing that gets the buggers no matter where they are munching.

[UFO]

Living in Australia I know all about termites and have seen the damage first hand they can do if left to their own devices - I left a whole load of untreated timber beams (20+) covered with a tarp outside for a year and when I came to use it there was literally only the husk of the timber left!


I would very carefully check everything that is timber for its structural integrity, as they can eat massive amounts in very short periods!

[sailormed]

I think the only way to get definitely rid of them is by closing the boat and gassing. What gas I don’t know.

[gabilo]

There is a gas called “Vicane” can only be used by certified professionals. Apparently this gas is one of the few no corroding electrical terminals...

[LEOCAT66]

If you have two or three weeks in which you can totally seal the boat up tight, you can try what I have successfully done on two older boats in the last five years. Use a large dehumidifier, or maybe two, set it on high, drain it with a garden hose over the side or into the cockpit.

We came back in two weeks, opened her up and found thousands of dead termites, on all flat surfaces. Looked like rice. Both of these boats are still free of them. I too am in the N.O. area, they are bad here.

[DefinitelyMe]

Commenting here to follow this thread, as this is a topic of considerable interest to me at the moment......

Google says the product mentioned above is spelled with a ‘k’ - Vikane

Sounds like good stuff. Lethal dose in rabbits is only 5,000 ppm. I can see why it’s not available to people like......... us! So......... where can I get some? :-)

Any viable alternatives that can be bought by Joe Bloggs?

I like the dehumidifier option, but alas, the boat is in the water and hauling it is not viable at the moment. No access to that amount of power while afloat.

The boat has been sealed up and left to itself for the last 4 years while I was cruising. Reports are that there is half an inch of termite poop covering all surfaces and floors in the cabin. When I left they had not yet made it into the stringers. I’ll see it for myself in about a month. Wish me luck!

[Daniel Grant]

I have a Columbia 28 that came from New Orleans. It had termites when purchased. I had experts look at it and I tented it. No more problem. There are several types of termites. Formosan are very voracious eaters and very difficult to kill. That is why I tented. If you do not eradicate them they will eat any repairs you make. Gas and tenting is the best way to kill because it will permeate to where they are. Some of what was infected would be glass cloth encapsulated and depending on where it is and what it is supplying structure to the glass cloth may be sufficient, I added a lot of new supports but mainly because of a lot of interior changes I made. I also replaced some bulkheads and parts of bulkheads.

[Locquatious]

Fipronil comes in various brand names, even Frontline for dogs and cats. We have used Termidor SC obtained through Do It Yourself Pest Control. We diliute it in water and put it in a chemical garden sprayer container. The spray tip is modified to accept a WD40 type plastic tube which can be inserted in small holed drilled into the wood and panelling. We drilled holes every 4-6 inches in the infested region and beyond a certain distance. Most of the termites will be killed quickly, but because the boat is moving and rolling, termite dust may still fall out of their holes.
Many times when you see evidence of termites (such as: piles of wood/waste sand size material, wings, flying and crawling ants, etc.) the termites have moved on to another location. In other words you are always uninformed and too late. Often you will see evidence in a new place 3 years after your last treatment. Recently we found an infestation after 5 years.
We tried heat >135°F for at least 1/2 hour in a back cabin. It seemed to help but also led to varnish damage and melting of plastic drain pipes.
We tried various gasses without success. It takes time for the gas to penetrate into the wood. Tenting/sealing, replenishment of gas, and long treatment times would probably have improved our efforts. It is difficult to find someone handling Vikane gas. Training is required and fairly large quantities of gas needs to be ordered.
Use care when handling Fipronil. Keep in mind that only one drop of Frontline was applied to a dog's neck. While Fipronil itself may have low toxicity for animals there is some online evidence that the photo-products of Fipronil, after exposure to sunlight, may be 10X more toxic. It may be coincidental but I had one episode of heart palpitations and ediginess after touching an exterior door that had been treated by fipronil.

[dennismenace111]

Originally Posted by iaorana2012

We recently acquired a 1981 Savage 42. We like the boat very much and want to restore her. Unfortunately she has had a termite infestation for a couple of years now. We have had her treated professionally with fipronil bait and continue to make treatments. We are worried about the structural implications as there is damage to a cross member just under the two longitudinal keel members supporting the mast. We plan to drill out the rot and fill with structural epoxy. Also will Sister a new glassed in cross member.
Has anyone been through termites damage and could add input, and/or by any chance, has structural drawings of this boat ?

Thanks in advance for your help

Im in South Florida, just north of Miami. Had my house tented for termites last year. They covered the entire house with tent canvas... and seal it off air tight....they put fans inside the home and turn them on while they pump vikane into the house and let it circulate for 24 hours.... they then come back remove the tents and open all the windows to air out the house for a few hours. They test with a sensor to see if any gas remains before giving you back the keys to the house.



Id have the boat hauled and have it tented ASAP... every minute you wait they are eating it up.

[Mike Banks]

If it has termite damage, all affected timbers and timbers adjacent to it should be removed, and consideration be given to replacing them with GRP. This may not sound elegant, but I have used it many times on plywood vessels, and because it can be done without dismantling large parts of the vessel to get access, it is often a quick solution, with certain provisos. It has to be used with great care, so as not to concentrate stress in any area, and because the GRP is stronger per unit volume than timber, the repairs are unsightly being smaller in dimensions than the original in most cases, and often replacing the original entirely. I used PVC ducting as formers for the GRP. It works fine, and if one leaves a draw string inside it, it makes a useful waterproof and insulated electrical conduit for later use should it be necessary, something builders of new vessels might bear in mind when taking electric wiring through watertight bulkheads and engine room firewalls..

If you wish to use timber for timber. you will often need to laminate a new beam or strake, stringer or frame scantling in place, and this in itself is a lot of messing about using epoxy glues.

Do not use anything else but first quality epoxy glues if laminating in situ. Other glues such as Resorcinol or other phenol formaldehyde adhesives need to be clamped firmly, epoxy does not need to be so clamped, it can be put together using screws where a clamp can not be used..

Lots of luck with your project--it should be a fine vessel on completion.


Getting rid of termites is a number one task. If you venture offshore and they are discovered, you could be in all sorts of bother.

[Baba Buoy]

Tent and fumigate. I also recommend to stay away from spot treatment, orange oil et al. This is a skeme created by for pest control businesses to ensure repeat business . If someone recommends an eco-friendly treatment, run away!

[jmschmidt]

Tenting you boat for termites, like tenting you house, is very common in Hawaii. I believe they use Vikane gas.

[iaorana2012]

Thanks for the advice. By grp do you mean sheets of fiberglass? Does this come in different thicknesses? We are in Vanuatu, I will search for some here.

As a short term reinforcement should I consider drilling out the rotten and termites damaged areas and filling with resin with structural filler added?