brown waterline scum

[Charisma]

Pulled our h26 last weekend from fresh water and it has a brown stain at the waterline which is also on the blue bootstrip. Any suggestions as to removing it? Chemicals to use/not use? Thanks in advance Charisma

 

[Ross]

It may be an iron stain. If it won't scrub off with normal efforts try some oxalic acid in a small area. Some iron oxides are water soluble and some precipitate from the water when exposed to more oxygen.

 

[Dale_K]

I found Davis FSR almost a miracle when I needed to clean up my little sailboat after I bought it. The waterline stains were very embedded but Davis FSR took them out without any rubbing in only a few minutes. The stuff is kind of a gel. You paint it on and let it set a few minutes, then wipe or hose it off. Here's a link but you can get it at pretty much any of the online boating sites.

http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/DAV/DAV790.html

 

[Charisma]

Thanks Ross, its off to find some oxalic acid

 

[Mike B]

Try Bar Tender Keeper available at most hardware stores.
Mike

 

[higgs]

I was using an oxalic acid product on my scum. Nazty stuff and it burns when it gets on your skin. It Certainly does work, but then a guy came over told me to use his stuff and it worked pretty good. it was Merrymate non skid deck cleaner. It was great stuff and not toxic like the oxalic acid stuff.

 

[Maine Sail]

This...

The thread linked to below should help and yes any acid based cleaner should work fine.

How To Remove Rust/Tannin Stains From Your Hull (LINK)

 

[Joe]

toilet bowl cleaner....

go to Smart and Final (it's a restaurant supply chain) or any store that sells janitorial supplies. Purchase a quart of basic toilet bowl cleaner... it is acid based and should cost less than 5 bucks... purchase a long handled soft scrub brush and a bucket... you now have an algae removal kit... the brown stuff is algae and will come right off with any diluted acid based cleaner... the cheapest is the aforementioned product. Just squirt some in a bucket of water, swab it on, then rinse off with a hose.....

I trailer sailed my NACRA in fresh water for years. The brown stuff was very easy to remove this way. It is a pain without acid based cleaners.

 

[Capn Dave]

You Don't Have to Go To

a supply house to get the cleaner. Go to your local grocery store and get a bottle of Sno-Bowl toilet bowl cleaner. Don't use the gel kind get the liquid. It's about a $1.50 a bottle.
Wear rubber gloves when you use it. It's a matter of wiping it on and rinsing it of with water. I use a sponge mop to apply it.

Fair Winds

Cap'n Dave