Mildew Under Portlights in Aft Cabin

[steveoh]

I am repeating myself a little since folks may read this post without having read my one from yesterday: "We looked at a 1999 326 Aft Cabin today (the first Carver we've looked at) and liked it very much.". One issue we noticed is that the aft cabin has a musty/mildew smell and it looks like some water has leaked in around the port lights in the aft cabin - especially on the starboard side. There is a narrow shelf under the window/portlight and it has some mildew on it. The vinyl wall covering below the shelf also seems to have some staining. I've read a number of prior posts here about replacing portlights. Is that usually the only solution or can they be removed, and fresh caulk/sealant placed under them and re-installed? Also, any suggestions for products to clean the mildew from the vinyl. Do you think a good cleaning and shampooing the carpet should largely get rid of the musty/mildew smell? I don't think the current owner of this boat is going to clean it up, so if we make an offer on this boat it will be a gamble that we can get rid of the odor.
Thanks.
Steve

[g36]

I answered your other question you might want to view a few boats to get a good feel for what you maybe getting into. Cleaning up stains usually is a gamble but everything can probably be fixed by replacing items that won't clean up smells sometimes are challenging too. The portlight can probably be removed and rebedded knowing the manufacturer which carver can tell you will help looking up the process or someone on here probably has done it. Just hope the water damage isn't too bad which might be hidden till you tear into the project

[steveoh]

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate it.

[Bentone23]

Get a survey before buying the boat. My boat had the same issues and the windows were rebedded. No more leaks, but I still have mildew to get rid of. There are products on the market for removing mildew and mold from fabric items. I have used one with excellent results a longtime ago. It was green in a plastic bottle. Can’t remember the name. I will look for the bottle.