Regular Upkeep Mold/Cleaning

[AceKicker]

Short version of this post. What are your best practices for keeping your PFDs mold-free if you keep the boat out of the water at a marina?

Full version:
I am looking for some daily (more like each-use) cleaning/upkeep tips. I have a 2026 Yamaha 252SD. We keep it stored at a marina that trailers the boat, rinses, runs water through the engines, then stores it on the trailer in a storage barn.

We were able to go out a decent amount during the winter, and it's less humid then than it will be in the summer. Water seeps in through the cup holders to the storage areas where we keep our PFDs. So, every time the boat is rinsed, which is when it's put up and taken out, water gets in where the life jackets are. Despite the low humidity (that's relatively low humidity), we have been getting some mold.

I could seal or have my dealer seal the cup holders, but they say there are times when those need to be accessed for maintenance, which would require undoing the seal. Not a huge deal, but a little more labor-intensive. I am not referring to the tubing that drains the cupholders; I am referring to the outer edge of the cupholders that are not completely water-tight.

To combat this, recently I have been going to the boat a few days after using it, opening up the compartments under the seats and pulling out the PFDs to air dry on deck. Then, a few days later, I go back and put them up. I have been keeping them outside of the storage bags to help reduce moisture getting trapped.

There has to be an easier way. So far I have thought about getting one more PFD storage bag, cleaning all the PFDs well, then taking them home and storing them in the closet between boating days. The con here is having to take them to and from the boat every time I use it.

Another option is getting a plastic bin and storing them in that in the head compartment of the boat. Hopefully, by them being dry in there they would not get any moisture in a plastic tub. Then I can leave them on the boat.

One benefit to the way I currently do it is that I usually need to go to the boat after using it to refill the gas from my two 5-gallon jugs. I don't have a vehicle that can tow it, so that's by far the cheapest way I can get gas. It's less than half the price of using the marina's gas. The marina is about 3 minutes out of the way on my drive from work to my house, so that's not too much of a burden, either.

Does anyone have any better ideas on how to do this? Also, has anyone else had the issue with the water leaking into the carpeted storage areas from their cupholders? I think someone posted on this forum before that the carpet is there to reduce noise. It doesn't seem to be the best material for an area that can get that wet.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

Trying not to sound harsh but you need to seal up your boat. That means no water comes out of the bilge when it comes off the water and no water gets in through places like the cup holders. If the boat is dry in the bilge and compartments that’s a huge step in keeping mold at bay.

On my boat I have cup holders on the storage pods, as well as other places, probably a similar situation that you have, and it looked like a rain shower head when it rained or I washed the boat, water would go into these storage compartments and soak my gear. So first things first, seal ALL of the cup holders to the boat and, obviously, make sure these drain either onto deck or overboard. I recommend Three Bond 1211 silicone sealer, I’m pretty sure it’s the same as Yamabond, it’s expensive but it stays pliable, use liberally and wipe off excess. I also have rod holders that drained directly into the storage compartments=stupid.

Look at all other areas where wash down water or rain could get into the bilge from the deck.

Unless you can verify the deck drain is totally sealed, remove it and reseal it with silicone. I’d use regular clear silicone for this.

If you have not replaced the anchor locker drain that also needs to be addressed to keep water from getting in there. See the link in my signature, and get one of those plugs I have in mine that’s installed from the outside to keep water from coming in, you might have room on the inside to put the plug in. Most of the Yamahas have wet anchor lockers because the bow rides low enough to submerge the drain and water flows in and out.

Next would be sealing the clean out tray to the deck, with tray in place, do not glue it down. Get a Jet Boat Pilot mechanical hatch riser. Make sure the drain is clear and free of obstruction.

Get the O rings for the clean out plug well and put them in the bottom of the clean out plug wells. This will stop any water from coming in that way.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

If your PFD’s or other gear is wet it needs to be left out to dry or take it home as you suggested.

Is it covered in the barn or not ?

 

[Babin Farms]

My recommendation is take them out of the boat.
Due to the humidity in south Alabama we take ours out of the boat if it’s going to sit for more than a day otherwise they never totally dry & will get mildew on them.

 

[Hot2Go]

Any time we have a boating day we always take our jackets home to hang up on our back porch. Obviously anything wet is taken with us home to lay out or hang up to dry, it’s the price of owning and using a boat I suppose.

We then use damp rid and hang those in the boat when it’s parked in a building that isn’t cooled or heated. So we probably go through 6-8 damp rids during the summer at minimum.

Owning a boat is obviously a ton of work, but totally worth it. Ours is stored a few miles from our house off a gravel road that’s a mile to pavement. So I have additional cleaning to keep it nice. Although we only use ours 5ish months of the year up here in Iowa

 

[Neutron]

I keep all my pfds in large black garbage bags. Never got mold build up

 

[AceKicker]

Trying not to sound harsh but you need to seal up your boat. That means no water comes out of the bilge when it comes off the water and no water gets in through places like the cup holders. If the boat is dry in the bilge and compartments that’s a huge step in keeping mold at bay.

On my boat I have cup holders on the storage pods, as well as other places, probably a similar situation that you have, and it looked like a rain shower head when it rained or I washed the boat, water would go into these storage compartments and soak my gear. So first things first, seal ALL of the cup holders to the boat and, obviously, make sure these drain either onto deck or overboard. I recommend Three Bond 1211 silicone sealer, I’m pretty sure it’s the same as Yamabond, it’s expensive but it stays pliable, use liberally and wipe off excess. I also have rod holders that drained directly into the storage compartments=stupid.

Look at all other areas where wash down water or rain could get into the bilge from the deck.

Unless you can verify the deck drain is totally sealed, remove it and reseal it with silicone. I’d use regular clear silicone for this.

If you have not replaced the anchor locker drain that also needs to be addressed to keep water from getting in there. See the link in my signature, and get one of those plugs I have in mine that’s installed from the outside to keep water from coming in, you might have room on the inside to put the plug in. Most of the Yamahas have wet anchor lockers because the bow rides low enough to submerge the drain and water flows in and out.

Next would be sealing the clean out tray to the deck, with tray in place, do not glue it down. Get a Jet Boat Pilot mechanical hatch riser. Make sure the drain is clear and free of obstruction.

Get the O rings for the clean out plug well and put them in the bottom of the clean out plug wells. This will stop any water from coming in that way.

That doesn't sound too harsh. When I saw your first sentence, I expected the but that follows to say "but that is a dumb question." Ha ha. That would have been a little harsh.
Thanks for all the info. I'll look into that.

 

[FSH 210 Sport]

That doesn't sound too harsh. When I saw your first sentence, I expected the but that follows to say "but that is a dumb question." Ha ha. That would have been a little harsh.
Thanks for all the info. I'll look into that.

Only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked.