Princess bathing platform has sticky black infill

[Jiminmahon]

I have had a Princess P56 now for nearly three years. (Bought second one out of the factory). Really great boat and have now moved it to the Med. Problem now is that the hydraulic bathing platform black infill between the teak strips has become sticky. So when we walk on the platform or sit on it we get dirty feet or bathing costumes and the black can so easily be transferred onto the carpet or seats inside the boat. You don't realise you have dirty feet and they remain dirty even if you wash them off with the shower. Has anyone experienced this and is there an easy solution maybe involving cleaning the platform with some special fluid to seal the black infill. We have tried heavy scrubbing with ordinary soap and water but this doesn't seem to help.

 

[volvopaul]

I'd say someone has cleaned the real with the wrong solution as it sounds like the cleaning material has some kind of solvent in it that's reacted with the black caulking causing it to go soft. The only answer is to have it removed and re caulked . Not an easy job and not cheap .

 

[Princess52]

I know that at pre delivery they do not use Wessex teak cleaner any more. Apparently it melts the caulking. Have you used that?


QUOTE=Jiminmahon;5404287]I have had a Princess P56 now for nearly three years. (Bought second one out of the factory). Really great boat and have now moved it to the Med. Problem now is that the hydraulic bathing platform black infill between the teak strips has become sticky. So when we walk on the platform or sit on it we get dirty feet or bathing costumes and the black can so easily be transferred onto the carpet or seats inside the boat. You don't realise you have dirty feet and they remain dirty even if you wash them off with the shower. Has anyone experienced this and is there an easy solution maybe involving cleaning the platform with some special fluid to seal the black infill. We have tried heavy scrubbing with ordinary soap and water but this doesn't seem to help.[/QUOTE]

 

[julians]

Had the same on my windy, the only solution I know if is to have the old sticky caulking removed and new stuff put in, then sand the deck.

Quite a pricey job, think it cost £1500 for the bathing platform and cockpit decking on my boat.

 

[Medskipper]

I have had a Princess P56 now for nearly three years. (Bought second one out of the factory). Really great boat and have now moved it to the Med. Problem now is that the hydraulic bathing platform black infill between the teak strips has become sticky. So when we walk on the platform or sit on it we get dirty feet or bathing costumes and the black can so easily be transferred onto the carpet or seats inside the boat. You don't realise you have dirty feet and they remain dirty even if you wash them off with the shower. Has anyone experienced this and is there an easy solution maybe involving cleaning the platform with some special fluid to seal the black infill. We have tried heavy scrubbing with ordinary soap and water but this doesn't seem to help.

Is it possible that it is the sun? I know it makes fenders go sticky.

 

[Jiminmahon]

Thanks for your reply but we've owned the boat from new and only ever used washing up liquid and elbow grease. Interestingly, it only appears to be a problem on the part of the platform that submerses into the water to launch and recover the dinghy. The rest of the teak in the cockpit seems OK.

 

[Jiminmahon]

I wondered that myself as the platform can get very hot here in the Med - almost too hot to stand on at times -. However, there are many boats including Princesses here which don't seem to have the same problem.

 

[jrudge]

So if not Wessex what do we use ? Single part teak cleaner is basically soap and in my experience does little.

 

[Jiminmahon]

Thanks, I'm pretty sure that is what I'll have to have done. Will talk to Princess first though as it seems to have happened a bit soon, after only 2.5 years.

 

[Jiminmahon]

No, only ever used washing up liquid. Also, I would have expected all the teak and caulking to have the same problem. It only seems to be the up/down part of bathing platform. It only goes in the water briefly though to launch and recover the tender. Dries very quickly as well.

 

[Asm]

Unfortunately the OP has raised the same topic on two threads, I replied on the other thread. On my previous Princess, I used Wessex for 10 years without a problem (the last 7 years in Spain) My current Princess is one year old, has only been washed with soap and water, it has the same problem. Allegedly, it's something to do with a 'batch' of caulking, possibly brought about by a change in formulation.

 

[emibel98]

I have had a Princess P56 now for nearly three years. (Bought second one out of the factory). Really great boat and have now moved it to the Med. Problem now is that the hydraulic bathing platform black infill between the teak strips has become sticky. So when we walk on the platform or sit on it we get dirty feet or bathing costumes and the black can so easily be transferred onto the carpet or seats inside the boat. You don't realise you have dirty feet and they remain dirty even if you wash them off with the shower. Has anyone experienced this and is there an easy solution maybe involving cleaning the platform with some special fluid to seal the black infill. We have tried heavy scrubbing with ordinary soap and water but this doesn't seem to help.

Why don't you ask Princess?

 

[gjgm]

For small areas, or a temporary fix, dust with talcum powder (might not work well on a swim platform though). Other than that, the caulking needs to come out and redone. JFM had some caulking he thought superior to Sika, though I haven't tried it myself. Doubtless he can inform.

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

Hi I have same problem on my boat its a Cranchi 12 years old and I have used a teak cleaner and sounds like this is the problem!
I am in Spain and managed to get it all off the teak but don't want to take it all out.
Its only a problem in mid day sun when it melts, any ideas on how to seal it for this year so we can get it sorted in winter?

 

[Truro Ex Pat]

Also heard another Princess had same problem in Andratix and was just over a year old and they have done it under warranty!

 

[KevB]

I had the same issue on my boat with the caulking on cockpit teak leaving black marks everywhere. I tried to DIY replacing the caulking but gave up and replaced the lot with "fake" teak. The caulking on the bathing platform never gave a problem but replaced it anyway

 

[Firefly625]

you could try wiping the caulking with thinners, its certainly been effected by UV, and in the Med you get quite a lot with that, but as a temporary measure thinners will get off all the sticky UV effected caulking and underneath will be fine. Obviously in time it will get worse again, the best result would be to get Princess to effect a repair on such a relatively new boat with a fault, but short term fix I am confident that will work.

 

[Marine Reflections]

Thanks for your reply but we've owned the boat from new and only ever used washing up liquid and elbow grease. Interestingly, it only appears to be a problem on the part of the platform that submerses into the water to launch and recover the dinghy. The rest of the teak in the cockpit seems OK.

Washing up liquid could be the problem. I would certainly avoid it.

The problem may well be perhaps a 'powersoak effect'?

Stick some water and oil in a jar, they separate, add some super hydrophilic substance such as washing up liquid and hey presto they are no longer separate, the water will mix with the oil.

Perhaps the washing up liquid has broken down the oil in the sealant in much the same way over time?

 

[Whopper]

Washing up liquid could be the problem. I would certainly avoid it.

The problem may well be perhaps a 'powersoak effect'?

Stick some water and oil in a jar, they separate, add some super hydrophilic substance such as washing up liquid and hey presto they are no longer separate, the water will mix with the oil.

Perhaps the washing up liquid has broken down the oil in the sealant in much the same way over time?

While not teak caulking a lot of people use washing up liquid as a lube on wakeboard and waterski bindings which degrades the materials (neoprene and rubber) very quickly..you may well be right here!

 

[Marine Reflections]

While not teak caulking a lot of people use washing up liquid as a lube on wakeboard and waterski bindings which degrades the materials (neoprene and rubber) very quickly..you may well be right here!

Possibly.

Washing up detergent would appear soft and gentle, we use it on our skin.

I'm out of my depth on the chemistry compared to Vics, but I would have thought given the described scenario it is at least a suspect detail in the flaw of the caulking. It could of course be something as simple as not enough curing agent in the batch of sealant tubes, who knows?

However, as another example, my partner uses rubber gloves to do the washing up and gets through them at a ridiculous rate, a rate that it would be fair to say is at least at the same rate that I do.
Given that I'm a marine professional, it did make me think how is she burning as much rubber as me?

It's simple, she only uses hers for washing up. Mine I use for acetone, gel coat catalyst etc you see.

Now you'd have thought I'd be the one getting through the rubber gloves.

It sounds bizarre to say it, but cleaning agents break things down, some much more than others and some for longer than intended.