...don't like pressure washing on a regular basis...... it will eventually ware the surface to a frazzle...
too much pressure can ruin any surface, but with a lower setting it will do no damage to the gelcoat or fittings/hardware, and technique/experience may play into this a bit also.
it can damage unfinished wood surfaces and soft material like canvas and lines... but this is where technique and experience come in to play...
a small affordable automotive type pressure washer that puts out around a 1000psi is a great tool for washing the boat... depending on where you keep your boat, it usually only needs a pressure washing once or twice a year.
and I dont care who you are, where you are, or how much effort you put into it, a pressure washer with a good chemical will clean nonskid better than any plastic brush and cleaner,
the only thing that does work better is a very fine stainless or copper brush and chemical... but then the effort is at least a hundred fold.....
the following pictures show what a fine stainless brush can do... with no damage to the gel coat.
I tried hand washing and brushing with awsome to remove the black, it didnt work... then I tried pressure washing and pre-soaking with harsher chemicals, and still did not get the results I was expecting, but when i used the stainless brush and awsome, it came right up... and it did not scratch or erode the gelcoat in any way.
I wont say you can use a coarse brush without damage, but a brush with fine bristles that can be drawn across your hand without damage can absolutely be used on gelcoat without damage.
(another harsh chemical that can be used on gelcoat, NOT paint, for cleaning the stubborn spots is easy off oven cleaner.... it will remove oxidation with very little effort.... any acid will remove tannin or rust stains)
I Like to pressure mine before winter to remove any built up dust/debris around the fittings, as this stuff holds moisture and it isnt good if it freezes and thaws repeatedly over the winter months
and I also like to pressure wash it in the late spring after the weather starts to turn, which removes any algea/moss that does begins to grow over the winter and early spring...
ive been doing it this way for many years with all my boats and ive never had problems with degradation of any parts of the boat or rigging, I firmly believe that by keeping the debris from around the hardware/fittings and windows, it helps keeps the bedding sealant doing its job....
it really doesnt matter if you use a brush or a pressure washer, but it does matter if its clean.
I have friends and seen other people who dont take the care they should to keep the "green or black" stuff from growing, and they have problems with water leaking from a failed bedding... i can honestly say I have never had a problem with a failed bedding, although this may be partially due to making sure the boat is a dry boat before I buy it....
