Post Maine Sail Great Buff & Wax problem - Grey streaks in wax - advice please

[tmjb]

Last Spring I used Maine Sail's procedure to restore the gelcoat on my '81 Hunter 36 with what I thought were great results.

Following advice I read somewhere on SBO, in the interests of preserving the results of all my hard work and in the hopes that it would make cleaning the boat in The Spring easier, I washed and waxed the hull before covering the boat for winter with tarps.

Yesterday I finally removed the covers (I have been replacing ports and deck fills for which I needed to keep the rain off until now) and washed the hull (using Meguiars boat wash) in preparation for waxing.

At various locations on the hulls there were light grey/black streaks (see photo attached) in the path of where water had presumably drained off the cover. To my dismay these resisted my efforts to wash them off even with some scrubbing.

I then figured that I would try a little waxing to see what the result would be. In some cases this lessened the streaks - and possibly removed some - but overall was not a solution.

Does anyone have any experience with this and/or any advice?

Any chance Maine Sail is reading this?

I would much appreciate any/all input.

 

[DougM]

I just used some Collinite cleaner/wax to take the black streaks off the hull of my boat. The boat shrinkwrapped through 2 winters because it was not launched last year. I applied the Collinite, wiped it partially off with a microfiber cloth, and buffed with an orbital buffer. The hull looks like new.

 

[Gunni]

Atmospheric contaminates (pollution), mildew, and tarp residue. Wax is not a cleaner (unless it has an additive for cleaning). The Maine Sail Shine method is not a panacea for hull cleaning every year. It just makes it easier to get the stain and dirt off and the shine back. Once you get it clean, do 2 coats of wax, seals the gelcoat.

 

[tmjb]

Thank you Doug and Gunni. I much appreciate your input.

Doug, was that the Collinite 870 cleaner/wax you were referring to?

Gunni, good to know re the regular wax (I used Collinite 885). Just to be clear, i was not suggesting that i expected not to have to clean the hull having done The Maine Sail Shine method - just how to effectively clean it since my efforts so far with boat soap have not worked. I was disappointment that my extra effort of cleaning and applying additional wax in The Fall did not assist the cleaning now. By the way, other than the streaks the hull looks great (to me at least, where I have cleaned and applied new wax).

 

[Apex]

likely it is those contaminants IN the wax now. Remove the wax, and re-wax as others suggested.

 

[BigEasy]

"Aye, there's the rub."
So we wax to get the topsides looking nice. In a few months, I also get the black streak where water & contaminates drain off the deck. So I have to use a strong cleaner to get rid of the streak and remove the wax in the process. Now I need to go back and rewax again. Seems like an exercise in futility! (Just being facetious)

 

[tmjb]

Thanks again guys.

Researching more I see that Starbrite and others (such as 3M) sell a 'Black Streak Remover' that sounds like it may be designed for this - in fact I think I saw a reference to it by Maine Sail - that also claims not to affect the wax. Anyone heard of/used this?

 

[Blitz]

I believe those streaks are from your black chalky toe rail, not the winter cover. This is typical on older hunters and boats like mine that use the black toerail. You can paint toerail, lot of work though.

I use interlux 202 when all else fails but as with the 3M black streak remover product, you are removing the wax.

 

[DougM]

Yes, it is Collinite 870. Even applying it in 50 degree weather was not a problem.
I have used the black streak remover in the past, but I don't think it works as well as the Collinite.