Gary Warner wrote:
That boat, as some may be tired of reading, is a 1958
Chris Craft. It's a plywood lapstrake hull. Mostly we
trailer it. When running there is a small leak and the
bilge gets an inch or so of water.

What?!? You haven't fixed that leak yet??


... But that wood
remains damp for some time. ~ As I understand it
rot is really micro-organisims that eat away the wood
and they thrive when there is dampness but also
oxygen.

Yes. But IMHO rain and humidity is a bigger threat. Are you keeping the
boat inside? If yes, and the ventialtion is pretty good, then you have
little to worry about.


So my question: Is there anything, salt maybe?, that
I can put in the bilge water while running that will
curtail these criters & their rot while not harming
the wood or making a mess?

Yes, a mild boric acid solution. Salt plugs were the traditional
anti-rot treatment and they had limited success. Actually I just checked
the link to Dave Carnell's web site and (as usual) there is a lot of
good useful info.
http://www.angelfire.com/nc3/davecarnell/rot.html
He says glycol is better, and I believe him... it's also more of a
health & enviro hazard. Your call...

Fair Skies
Doug