First year sailors and we keep our boat in the water on the lake. I had the boat hauled out in Austin (Feb 05), washed, and a new bottom job done before we put her back in the water in Cedar Creek. I have a dirty line above the water line and was wondering how to best remove it.
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Line above the water line
One product works like magic on this, it is FSR for Fiberglass Stain Remover. No need to scrub just apply, wait 5 minutes and wash with water. Check this related web site and have fun cleaning your hull!
One product works like magic on this, it is FSR for Fiberglass Stain Remover. No need to scrub just apply, wait 5 minutes and wash with water. Check this related web site and have fun cleaning your hull!
If it is the brown "mustashe", Slimy Grimy...
is the one. FSR may work well, I have never used it. However, Slimy Grimy is just great! You mix it from a powder with hot water and spray it on. The crud just melts off. A very light scrub is only needed on the very worst spots. A small tub of the SG costs about $20-25 and makes 5 gallons of cleaner. It should last you 5 years or more. I mixed up a 3 gallon batch in my garden sprayer and cleaned my entire topsides on my 40-footer. Never scrubbed an inch. Looks like it did on May 1st!!
is the one. FSR may work well, I have never used it. However, Slimy Grimy is just great! You mix it from a powder with hot water and spray it on. The crud just melts off. A very light scrub is only needed on the very worst spots. A small tub of the SG costs about $20-25 and makes 5 gallons of cleaner. It should last you 5 years or more. I mixed up a 3 gallon batch in my garden sprayer and cleaned my entire topsides on my 40-footer. Never scrubbed an inch. Looks like it did on May 1st!!
Oxalic Acid (wood bleach)
the stain is probably from tannins and Iron in the water. Oxalic acid will instantly bleach it. Oxalic acid (wood bleach) is found in paint and hardware stores in dry form - just add to hot water. Its the 'active ingredient' in those 'costly' marine bleachng and 'brightening' products. Use rubber gloves, etc. when using as oxalic can rapidly absorb through your skin, accumulate inside your kidneys and do considerable harm.
the stain is probably from tannins and Iron in the water. Oxalic acid will instantly bleach it. Oxalic acid (wood bleach) is found in paint and hardware stores in dry form - just add to hot water. Its the 'active ingredient' in those 'costly' marine bleachng and 'brightening' products. Use rubber gloves, etc. when using as oxalic can rapidly absorb through your skin, accumulate inside your kidneys and do considerable harm.
Dirty Line above water line
I vote for Slimy Grimy. It is the most amazing stuff I've ever used. Don't even bother with the power washer anymore.
I vote for Slimy Grimy. It is the most amazing stuff I've ever used. Don't even bother with the power washer anymore.
Rich: Where do you get this Slimy Grimy?
Sounds like great stuff. I have always used FSR. Did you get Slimy at West Marine? Once you spray it on, do you just rinse it off or do you let it sit for awhile first? You said you spray it with your garden sprayer, do you mean the pump kind, or do you mean the electric pressure washer?
Sounds like great stuff. I have always used FSR. Did you get Slimy at West Marine? Once you spray it on, do you just rinse it off or do you let it sit for awhile first? You said you spray it with your garden sprayer, do you mean the pump kind, or do you mean the electric pressure washer?
Another vote for oxalic acid
Bought a tub of crystals 10 years ago from Home Depot for 5 bucks. Mix into hot water until saturated. Cut about 5:1. Takes the waterway smile off. Takes all the rust stains off. Use it on the stainless too. If you want a thicker mixture for the topsides so that it doesn't run onto the bottom paint, just thicken with cornstarch over medium heat. That's all FSR is, oxalic acid in some sort of gel stuff.
Bought a tub of crystals 10 years ago from Home Depot for 5 bucks. Mix into hot water until saturated. Cut about 5:1. Takes the waterway smile off. Takes all the rust stains off. Use it on the stainless too. If you want a thicker mixture for the topsides so that it doesn't run onto the bottom paint, just thicken with cornstarch over medium heat. That's all FSR is, oxalic acid in some sort of gel stuff.
JC, I get Slimy Grimy at my local marina
I live in Berkshire County, MA 3 hours from the ocean. The local marinas that serve our lakes have this stuff. At the S-G website they have a link to tell you where you can buy near you. I have never seen it myself on the shelves of WM or BW. I use a garden sprayer- like you put weed and bug killer into and pump it up and spray. I spray it on my waterline while walking the length of the boat. Then I do a second pass just to be sure I didn't miss a spot. After that I wait a minute or two, let it just disolve or bleach or whatever, and then rinse with a hose afterward. The stuff says it is non-toxic and I don't believe there is a caution to use gloves, but it's probably a good idea anyway. It does take off rust stains from the anchor chain so it is probably oxalic acid of some sort. I know that you don't want to get the mist in your eyes. Maybe there is a less expensive packaging product that performs as well. When you just watch the brown stains disappear with NO scrubbing after you spray it on, it is hard not to smile or laugh outloud!
I live in Berkshire County, MA 3 hours from the ocean. The local marinas that serve our lakes have this stuff. At the S-G website they have a link to tell you where you can buy near you. I have never seen it myself on the shelves of WM or BW. I use a garden sprayer- like you put weed and bug killer into and pump it up and spray. I spray it on my waterline while walking the length of the boat. Then I do a second pass just to be sure I didn't miss a spot. After that I wait a minute or two, let it just disolve or bleach or whatever, and then rinse with a hose afterward. The stuff says it is non-toxic and I don't believe there is a caution to use gloves, but it's probably a good idea anyway. It does take off rust stains from the anchor chain so it is probably oxalic acid of some sort. I know that you don't want to get the mist in your eyes. Maybe there is a less expensive packaging product that performs as well. When you just watch the brown stains disappear with NO scrubbing after you spray it on, it is hard not to smile or laugh outloud!
Try Sno Bowl
The wind is free and being the typical sailor that also happens to work at a marina, Sno-Bowl toliet bowl cleaner works just a good as the all the stuff mentioned, But here is the biggie Sno-Bowl is about a buck a bottle. The others are way way more expensive. The most people that have boats are rich yatchies like me
Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
The wind is free and being the typical sailor that also happens to work at a marina, Sno-Bowl toliet bowl cleaner works just a good as the all the stuff mentioned, But here is the biggie Sno-Bowl is about a buck a bottle. The others are way way more expensive. The most people that have boats are rich yatchies like me
Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
OOPS!!!!
Almost forgot; With Sno-Bowl you just apply it with a sponge mop, use a cheap one, let set a few minutes and hose her off. No rubbing no scrubbing. Do this before you bottom paint. In fact most of the stuff mentioned will remove bottom paint. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Almost forgot; With Sno-Bowl you just apply it with a sponge mop, use a cheap one, let set a few minutes and hose her off. No rubbing no scrubbing. Do this before you bottom paint. In fact most of the stuff mentioned will remove bottom paint. Fair Winds Cap'n Dave
Slimy Grimy for me!
I get it from the local hardware store so you don't necessarily have to go to a marine store to buy it. I've bought the bottled mix that I use on my ski boat. I'm going to use the powder mix this year as Rich suggests. It's the best stuff I've used in over 20 years of cleaning boat bottoms. The mist does sting the eyes, but it has a nice limey scent (but don't breath it in either!).
I get it from the local hardware store so you don't necessarily have to go to a marine store to buy it. I've bought the bottled mix that I use on my ski boat. I'm going to use the powder mix this year as Rich suggests. It's the best stuff I've used in over 20 years of cleaning boat bottoms. The mist does sting the eyes, but it has a nice limey scent (but don't breath it in either!).
Rich: Spraying the Slimy Grimy
When you spray the stuff, is the boat still in the water? Then does it just melt away the gunk above the waterline, and bottom paint should be safe? I am going to buy some this weekend, if I can find it.
When you spray the stuff, is the boat still in the water? Then does it just melt away the gunk above the waterline, and bottom paint should be safe? I am going to buy some this weekend, if I can find it.
JC: Yes, yes, pretty much....
Yes I spray the boat in the water, or land, wherever. It melts the brown stains away and it will temporally cause a light colored run on the bottom paint (it's cleaner) but the color change disappears quickly. It does not remove bottom paint. When you test it out, try not to have anyone watching. They will think you're nuts laughing to yourself as you watch it do all the work for you.
Yes I spray the boat in the water, or land, wherever. It melts the brown stains away and it will temporally cause a light colored run on the bottom paint (it's cleaner) but the color change disappears quickly. It does not remove bottom paint. When you test it out, try not to have anyone watching. They will think you're nuts laughing to yourself as you watch it do all the work for you.
Cleaning Stuff
Hey, are any of those products environmentally friendly. I love a clean/shiny boat just as much as the next one but I want to make sure my little fishy friends are going to be OK too.
Hey, are any of those products environmentally friendly. I love a clean/shiny boat just as much as the next one but I want to make sure my little fishy friends are going to be OK too.
I called a bunch of Boater's World, and....
none of them carries it in the stores. But their website does have it though.
none of them carries it in the stores. But their website does have it though.
Thanks...wood bleach woeked
Thanks to everyone. I purchased a container of wood bleach from Sherwin Williams Paint store and it worked wounderfully. I mixed it in a one gallaon pump sprayer. It was just enough to do the Catalina 22 we own. The dirty mustache line disappeared immediately before our eyes. Very pleased.
Thanks to everyone. I purchased a container of wood bleach from Sherwin Williams Paint store and it worked wounderfully. I mixed it in a one gallaon pump sprayer. It was just enough to do the Catalina 22 we own. The dirty mustache line disappeared immediately before our eyes. Very pleased.
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