>It has some black spots in the transoms mahogany. What would you do to remedy? One thing that might work is oxalic acid. The transom planks will have to be taken down to raw wood first and then the oxalic acid can be sponged on. It will lighten the wood--- the longer it's on the lighter the wood will get---- but we've found that it will also remove SOME black spots or streaks from the grain of the wood. It will depend on how deep the black goes. Once the desired lightness is achieved the acid is "stopped" by the application of water. If you try this I would not advise trying to "spot" remove the black areas because even if it works the wood around the spot will be lighter than the rest of the transom. So I'd recommend doing the whole transom at the same time. There are some good publications on dealing with brightwork, the best of which is probably Rebecca Whitman's book "Brightwork." It's been awhile since I've read it so I don't remember if she addresses the problem of black spots and streaks , which I believe are caused by moisture that gets into the wood and stays there for a long time causing mold or mildew that turns the wood black. But if your brother's boat has exterior brightwork on it, I strongly recommend Rebecca's book. ____________________ C. Marin Faure GB36-403 "La Perouse" Bellingham, Washington

Try the stuff that removes the 3M 5200 stuff. It claims it can remove lots of things. Or, for another thought: K2R Removes Oil, Grease, Food Stains & More! Effective on: Bimini Tops Marine Carpeting Drapes Teak. Specifically formulated for your boats bimini top, carpets and drapes, K2r Marine is safe and highly effective in removing some of the toughest and most common marine stains, including oil, grease, food and more. Easy To Use: Simply spray the stain. Allow to dry to a white powder. Brush away using the built-in brush. Repeat on stubborn stains. K2r leaves no ring and the stain is gone! Lee [demime 1.01d removed an attachment of type application/pkcs7-signature which had a name of smime.p7s]