Ground Termites Entering Through the Cutlass ?

[endoftheroad]

I just bought a Westsail 32 that's been on the hard for 2.5 years.
The bugs entered the boat in 3 locations, 2 were cockpit drains and the third appears to be throught the cutless.
When I wipe away the sawdust feces on the caulk there is a hole where the critters run in.
Are they entering the boat here?
The boat needs to be splashed in 1 month.
Is my new boat going to sink?

Thanks

[endoftheroad]

Is caulk supposed to be there?

[s/v Jedi]

It's surprising how long it takes other W32 owners to jump in and offer their help here! They are much faster reacting when there are comments against their boat so here it goes:

Westsail 32 is soooo slow... Westsnails !

Okay, now that I got your attention, do not reply to me but to the OP

Sorry that I cant help you myself. All I can think off is to kill the termites before trying to block their path.

ciao!
Nick.

[Mr B]

Once termites get in, They eat the wood from the inside out and you wont even know their there.

Termite inspectors here in OZ have a little box about the size of a large ciggy packet that can hear them moving inside the wood, I just paid for it for my Gemini to pass Quarantine,

You can walk around with a very sharp pointer (large needle) that you stick into the wood, If the needle goes in, you have termites,

Fine Sawdust on the deck, where it shouldnt be, Another sign,

We have whole houses eaten away with the mongrels here,

A house I worked on here, had termites, the nest was 5 houses away, But all five houses between were eaten,

You can cover your complete boat with a huge air tite plastic bag and gas them, Called Some thing Bromide, Kills every thing, including humans,

Basically the wood turns to dust, in a very short time,

My house is concrete, steel and glass, As Australia is riddled with Termites,

Takes two years for a red gum railway sleeper to be dust, nothing left.

Sorry, but thats the hard truth,

Brian.

[endoftheroad]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

It's surprising how long it takes other W32 owners to jump in and offer their help here! They are much faster reacting when there are comments against their boat so here it goes:

Westsail 32 is soooo slow... Westsnails !

Okay, now that I got your attention, do not reply to me but to the OP

Sorry that I cant help you myself. All I can think off is to kill the termites before trying to block their path.

ciao!
Nick.

I'm having the boat tented very soon.
I need to block their path so water doesn't get in and sink my new boat.

[sailorboy1]

I would think you should disassemble and inspect all the areas you believe they were getting into the boat from and reseal them. That is is the "will I sink" part of the questions (that's a fiberglass boat right?).

After the boat is splashed dealing with the related damage is a different issue.

[Hud3]

Originally Posted by endoftheroad

I just bought a Westsail 32 that's been on the hard for 2.5 years.
The bugs entered the boat in 3 locations, 2 were cockpit drains and the third appears to be throught the cutless.
When I wipe away the sawdust feces on the caulk there is a hole where the critters run in.
Are they entering the boat here?
The boat needs to be splashed in 1 month.
Is my new boat going to sink?

Thanks

The sawdust "trail" in your photo is made from the wood or other cellulose that they chewed up inside your boat. They generally establish a track covered with the cellulose material so they can traverse back and forth from the outside to their inside locations under cover. Once they establish the food sources, they will begin laying eggs.

I doubt they were eating any of the caulking around your shaft, but there must have been a tiny crack or hole that let them gain access. Maybe it shrank a bit while on the hard. I suggest you replace the shaft seal packing before splashing the boat.

The tenting treatment should do the job. The damage inside will depend on how long they were able to work undetected. They're remarkably fast, so you need to get the tenting done ASAP.

[endoftheroad]

Yes, the tenting is coming very soon.
But, "shaft seal packing" is the help I'm looking for.
Thanks.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Mr B

... You can cover your complete boat with a huge air tite plastic bag and gas them, Called Some thing Bromide, Kills every thing, including humans ...

Methyl Bromide (Bromomethane) has been phased out*, and is no longer used by most of the pest control industry.

Sulphuryl Fluoride (Vikane gas) has generally replaced Methyl Bromide for termite fumigation.

Both Sulfuryl Fluoride and Methyl Bromide are odourless and colourless and leave no residue. Therefore, prior to the fumigation, applicators often introduce trace amounts of Chloropicrin. Chloropicrin (Tear gas) has a strong odour, and will cause respiratory and eye irritation, discouraging people from entering a tented/fumigated structure.

*In September 2000, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation initiated new procedural regulations that have made the use of Methyl Bromide fumigant extremely impractical and costly. The result, of these new regulations, was to essentially stop the use of Methyl Bromide as a structural fumigant in the State of California.

[endoftheroad]

Can anyone tell me why this caulk may be there?
Any Westsailors?

Thanks

[colemj]

The caulk is normal for mounting a shaft log mounted in the deadwood. Is there something about it that seems overly alarming to you? Hard to tell in the picture.

The cutlass bearing surface has grooves in it that they can easily get further into the boat through, but they would probably be stopped by the packing gland. However, if the deadwood portion of the keel is actually made with timber core, then you may have a bit of a problem there. It shouldn't be structural or cause your boat to sink - but you should fix it if it is compromised.

Mark

Mark

[endoftheroad]

Originally Posted by colemj

The caulk is normal for mounting a shaft log mounted in the deadwood. Is there something about it that seems overly alarming to you? Hard to tell in the picture.

The cutlass bearing surface has grooves in it that they can easily get further into the boat through, but they would probably be stopped by the packing gland. However, if the deadwood portion of the keel is actually made with timber core, then you may have a bit of a problem there. It shouldn't be structural or cause your boat to sink - but you should fix it if it is compromised.

Mark

Mark

Okay, Thanks....I wasn't sure about the caulk as I Have never worked on this end of a boat.
I'd like to know if a Westsail 32 is made with timber core.

Thanks