Hull cleaning

Dec 29, 2017
124
Beneteau Oceanis 411 Baltimore
So I was trying to dock alongside a pier at a local marina where I am getting some work done and the spot that they had open was extremely tight and there was a 10knot wind coming across the beam. As I brought it in my bumpers were not low enough so I marked up the hull with their dock bumper that was black on the white hull. What does the group think that I should use to clean up this mess, as it is the first time I am having to deal with this issue? Thanks in advance.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
Muriatic acid. You can get acid and dilute it yourself or get On/Off Hull Cleaner from your local marine store. Look up the directions for On/Off. It will strip your wax and you will need to rewax the hull.
 
Sep 20, 2014
1,320
Rob Legg RL24 Chain O'Lakes
For something that minor, you could probably use McGuiare's swirl and scratch remover. Its a mild rubbing compound, which works well for cleaning scuffs.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,995
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
No pictures, so this is just a guess.
Sometimes a Mister Clean eraser can clean up some small marks.
 
Dec 29, 2017
124
Beneteau Oceanis 411 Baltimore
Thanks for the suggestions - will remember pictures for future. Will try these suggestions in reverse order and let folks know.
 
Mar 26, 2011
3,402
Corsair F-24 MK I Deale, MD
Acid is for black marks associated with metal corrosion or tannin. It won't help this.
Black rubber requires an aromatic petroleum solvent. I think you will find that xylene does a nice job and is harmless to gel coat. Works well for fender marks as well.
 
Nov 18, 2010
2,441
Catalina 310 Hingham, MA
No pictures, so this is just a guess.
Sometimes a Mister Clean eraser can clean up some small marks.
Magic Erasers and other similar product work by micro-sanding the surface. There are people who have thinned out their gelcoat from scrubbing with these too often exposing the epoxy. Be cautious when you use these.
 
Feb 26, 2004
22,760
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
so I marked up the hull with their dock bumper that was black on the white hull.
Acetone or paint brush & roller cleaner. Re wax. Don't need abrasives. I learned that paint brush & roller cleaner works better & easier than acetone to clean fenders, and that is all that happened to you - a dirty fender touched your hull. It was no different than if you had you very own dirty fender and it rubbed against your hull.
 

Joe

.
Jun 1, 2004
7,999
Catalina 27 Mission Bay, San Diego
+ one for Stu. Acetone will take off the rubber/petroleum type smudges. No abrasives or scrubbing needed. It will remove the wax also, but that's unavoidable. Save the acid based cleaners for organic stuff, like algae (pond scum, for instance)
 

Clydo

.
May 28, 2013
338
Catalina C310 SF Bay/Delta
Acetone or paint brush & roller cleaner. Re wax. Don't need abrasives. I learned that paint brush & roller cleaner works better & easier than acetone to clean fenders, and that is all that happened to you - a dirty fender touched your hull. It was no different than if you had you very own dirty fender and it rubbed against your hull.
Acetone is great for this kind of problem. And as Stu indicated need to rewax. When I had a boat trucked up
from Ventura, CA one time and it came in with what looked like creosote from piling on it. Big mark and
acetone cleaned it up pretty good.

Clyde Thorington
C310 # 245
ILEAN TOO
San Jose, CA
 

Dan_Y

.
Oct 13, 2008
514
Hunter 36 Hampton
@thinwater, would you propose xylene versus acetone for cleaning rubrail plastic or shore power cords? Acetone seems to melt/remove the surface finish on those materials, making them hard to keep clean and requiring acetone to clean from that point forward. I have some really stubborn mildew on the white plastic cockpit tables (can’t tell what material Hunter used), and am afraid to hit it with anything too strong, else become wedded to it. Dilute bleach helps some but not sufficiently.
Thx
Dan
 
Dec 29, 2017
124
Beneteau Oceanis 411 Baltimore
Kermit - since they couldn’t perform the fix - getting the line down the mast for B&G wind sensor I was seriously thinking about your suggestion. (They wanted $2500 to step the mast) Plan b is to buy the new wireless wind sensor when it becomes available in 4 weeks for $700.

Tried the magic eraser and it worked like a charm. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
 
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