‘Marine Growth’

[7cz]

Hello everybody,

First post. Had this boat fall into my hands and after hauling it out I found what to me looks like some steel putty near the prop. Have a look at the photos and tell me what you think? I asked the guys at the boatyard to look at it when they washed the bottom and they told me it was ‘marine growth’. Proceeded to paint over it. Should I be concerned?

Sorry for the sideways photos. Cheers everybody

[fstbttms]

I'd want to know what that epoxy was hiding.

[tkeithlu]

Welcome to the forum, 7cz.

I think that the technical name for that is a "hole." Below that is difficult for me to figure out from the photo, but it looks like someone has done a pretty bad job of repairing impact damage around the shaft. This is due a very careful examination from the inside as well as the outside. In particular look for damage to structural members near the prop shaft. Be sure that the shaft is still straight and the prop undamaged.

In accord with fsbttms' concern, I would be tempted to remove the entire "repair" as being an inadequate patch job, cutting back to good material, and building it up again with layers of cloth and resin.

[S/V Illusion]

That’s why most people don’t rely on “guys at the boatyard” for advice.

[MicHughV]

See if you can pry that yellow looking stuff of with a sharp blade. Might just be marine growth. That's what it looks like to me.
I see a lot of growth on the prop too. Taken all together, my 2c is that it is marine growth.

It would be an unusual place to see putty. It appears that the one yellow piece overlaps the other, which is what makes me think it's marine growth. Putty would have been applied in one schmear.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

See if you can pry that yellow looking stuff of with a sharp blade. Might just be marine growth. That's what it looks like to me.
I see a lot of growth on the prop too. Taken all together, my 2c is that it is marine growth.

It would be an unusual place to see putty. It appears that the one yellow piece overlaps the other, which is what makes me think it's marine growth. Putty would have been applied in one schmear.

It's a 2-part epoxy. "Marine growth"?

[MicHughV]

It's a 2-part epoxy. "Marine growth"?

I'm not 100% sure that it is. Marine putty would have been applied in one pop. It doesn't show any signs of ever being painted either.

[fstbttms]

Originally Posted by MicHughV

It's a 2-part epoxy. "Marine growth"?

I'm not 100% sure that it is. Marine putty would have been applied in one pop. It doesn't show any signs of ever being painted either.

This may be a repair done underwater and hence was never painted. Further, having performed many such repairs underwater, I can think of multiple reasons why there are several layers of epoxy. For instance, maybe the first pass didn't stop the inflow of water. In addition, shelled animals do not colonize soft growth, which is what you are inferring this is.

It's epoxy.

[gs41escapade]

I certainly looks like an emergency repair done while the boat was in the water. IMHO, the only prudent course of action is to cut all of this out and have a proper repair done.

[MicHughV]

Yep, looking at those pics again, I think you guys are right about it being epoxy.

Also seems to be an usually large hole on that stern tube just above the epoxy, seems like something was ripped out of there ?

[mabowers]

Originally Posted by fstbttms

It's a 2-part epoxy. "Marine growth"?

Well.... it could be old bubblegum? just to keep the stern tube / shaft log from falling off ?

[7cz]

Thanks everybody for the replies. Here’s the after photo.
Mahalo

[MicHughV]

that's interesting.....

[skipperpete]

Welcome to the forum 7cz.
Wow, that’s a new record for a before and after resolution, 12 hours from first post to ready to splash ......and zero info regarding an explanation of the first photo.

[gs41escapade]

Well, that looks really good!