Removing scum on white boot stripe?

[Pat]

Since installing an AC under the V-berth our boat sits slightly bow down due to weight distribution. The has allowed scum to adhere to the 5 inch white stripe hear the water line
(approx. 1 inch wide into the white....below this stripe the boat has bottom paint that makes it
easy to clean but the white stripe itself has a scale-like scum that even muraitc acid will not remove. Any thoughts on removal of the scum.....? Thanks, Patrick

 

[Justin_NSA]

Patrick, I used toilet bowl cleaner. It is oxalic acid.
I am getting ready to redo my keel, so if you hear loud swearing from the other boatyard, ignore it!

 

[Parsons]

Pat - are you trying to clean near the waterline in the water, or on the hard? On the hard, I would try Marykate On & Off, which is available from Amazon or WM. I believe it is a blend of a couple acids, and does a great job on anything organic or metallic. The gel is a easier to handle on vertical surfaces, and it may need some scrubbing to get through a thick layer of stuff. I do not think that I would use this in the water as it's serious stuff and not environmentally friendly. Also, it will eat copper-based bottom paint. For in-water scrubbing, I have had success with a blue scrubby pad on a plastic handle they sell in any hardware store for paint prep. Unfortunately, this involves getting near the bottom, so either use a dinghy or do it away from the docks - we don't want you succumbing to the freshwater electric shock http://www.boatus.com/seaworthy/magazine/2013/july/electric-shock-drowning-explained.asp

 

[Justin_NSA]

Hey Patrick. I agree with the Marykate On & Off, and I have some if you you want to use it. Let me know and I can bring it over to the house. The toilet bowl cleaner you probably have at home. It's usually a gel and won't run down your bottom paint like the MaryKate.

 

[Pat]

I 'think' I have a bottle of the Marykote downstairs....I appreciate the advice from you good sailors....I'm thinking I may add
some weight in the stern to help this situation....a 40 pound anchor placed in the aft end of the quarterberth would eliminate this situation (or mostly).....the affected affected area is the bottom 1 inch of the 5 inch stripe (boot stripe I assume)....I'll let you know what works the best...........Patrick

 

[Pat]

I did not have the Marykote....something else I had, which did not work....tried a sander, tried nearly everthing I own that
has a blade or grit to no avail....maybe I'll paint the stains and live with them.......patrick

 

[Sunbird22358]

I've had good luck with Davis FSR (Fiberglass Stain Remover) a Gel that you "paint" on, then wash off with soap and water after stain is gone (about 5 minutes). A similar product is Y-10, same procedure. A friend with a CAL 20 on Lake Michigan uses white vinegar to remove mineral staining after haul-out. After you get the scum off, apply a few coats of a good marine paste wax to seal the gel coat along the water line (yes, boot top) and (usually) make future scum removal easier. Although I've never tried this product on my boat, I have been using "LIME-A-Way" toilet bowl cleaner, it is a gel and I've been buying it at DOLLAR TREE for (obviously?) $1.00 for a 16 oz bottle. Not sure if you have any Dollar Tree Stores in Kansas.

 

[Gene Neill]

Another thumbs up for toilet bowl cleaner. I use "The Works". It has succeeded for me where "On & Off" failed.

 

[sailme88]

Ditto on the On &Off... Now, establish the weight of the AC. Acquire a slightly heavier amount of bagged sand box sand and ballast your boat.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Shift your bow chaser to the stern
I'll bring you the MaryKate and you can try it. No, not the Olsen twin.

 

[Pat]

Yes, we do have Dollar Tree stores here in Wichita....I tried everything yesterday....will try yours this coming weekend...My friend Justin suggested Marykote, but I don't have any of that so will ask him to loan me his and I will refill his stock....short of sanding away the bootstripe, I'm out of ideas except the ones from you good folks at SBO.com....thanks for your help!
Patrick

 

[Pat]

Thank you my friend...just leave it on the front porch as I have an appointment at the VA today....thank you Justin...I will buy you a new supply..........my worse problem is removing the poly-glow from the port hull....we've tried everything to remove the poly-glow to no avail.....polyglow stripper, floor wax remover, etc.....nothing cuts through it....have a great day Justin! Pat

 

[Pat]

Sailme....I'm thinking of purchasing some barbell weights and giving them a home in the aft end of the quarter berth.....I looked at a lot of boats yesterday in our yard at our club and most of the boats have the same issue..some have re-established the water line by painting lower....did not want to do that if possible....I could paint it white too....???? would this be an odd cure? Patrick

 

[Justin_NSA]

Thank you my friend...just leave it on the front porch as I have an appointment at the VA today....thank you Justin...I will buy you a new supply..........my worse problem is removing the poly-glow from the port hull....we've tried everything to remove the poly-glow to no avail.....polyglow stripper, floor wax remover, etc.....nothing cuts through it....have a great day Justin! Pat

Don't worry about it. I will never need all of it. Use what you need and I'll get the bottle back when I see you.

 

[Brian S]

Acid works like magic to remove tannin stains.

Just this past weekend I was at Home Depot, and I knew I needed toilet cleaner, and I found The Works right there.

When I do my haulout from fresh water, I have heavy rubber gloves and a sponge. I saturate the sponge with On and Off, and wipe it back and forth over the waterline stains about a foot at a time. In less than 30 seconds, the stain disappears like magic. It's like the opposite of disappearing ink fading into view. Once the stain bleaches, I saturate the area profusely with running water, so that the acid doesn't wreck my bottom paint. Which it will do.

 

[Pat]

Justin, I found an open bottle of Marykote in a bag we brought home from the lake on Monday..the bag was full of cleaning stuff Heather had found in our basement cabinets...lid was on bottom of bag.....do you suppose this will adversely affect the strength of the product.. being un-capped that is.?......I will let you know...will probably head out tomorrow....very chilly today.

When are you putting in? I think we have the crane two weeks from now weather permitting.....thanks for the help! Pat

 

[Justin_NSA]

I don't know if uncapped will affect it. What might evaporate off. I will look for mine in the garage tonight and bring it over but it might be in my dockbox. I can give you a key.

I'm just starting to clean my keel and reseal it so I have some time before splash day. Got my new mixing elbow yesterday so I can put my engine back together. Mast has to be stepped too. <sigh>

 

[sailme88]

Pat, weights rust, clank and tend to slide around. Sand box sand is bagged and will conform to your hull. On a good heel it stay put and won't rust. If you are in a northern clim, you can get "sand tubes" that are used as traction weight.

 

[Pat]

Justin, spent 4 hours on the boat this afternoon....getting the scum off as much as possible.....the On-Off did work slowly...
this has been going on for 6 years at least so it was one tough waterline mess.....Heather sanded, then used toilet bowl cleaner then used the On-Off....

 

[kampuniform]

These threads can be pretty painful to read at times.

A discolouration does not need an application of caustic soda; that would be catastrophizing what is a minor problem.

A simple rubbing compound will remove almost any blemish. Try Meguiar's. They are available in a an ultra, medium, and fine cut, with a swirl remover as a finish.