Sailboat bottom cleaning
- Thread starter domalon
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just an average run of the mill washer is fine the trick that I learned from a buddy at the club is when the boat comes out pressure wash it immediately then put some straight bleach in a spray bottle and spray the hull with that while it is still wet then scrub it off with a mop and pressure wash it again works pretty good
Try one of these electric ones. I use it to clean the siding on my house. I'd be concerned a gas powered unit might take the paint off if too much pressure although the yards use them most boats getting hauled are getting hauled for a paint job. The electric ones are cheap and still provide quite a bit of pressure.
Be careful with a pressure washer! You could literally blast the gelcoat off the hull with direct force. You really don't need extremely high pressure to clean the bottom.
The nozzle with the lowest pressure orfice is almost too strong if held too close to the hull. Just getting at the hull when it is still wet after haulout makes the job infinitely easier.
The nozzle with the lowest pressure orfice is almost too strong if held too close to the hull. Just getting at the hull when it is still wet after haulout makes the job infinitely easier.
Electric powerwashers, in the 1600 - 1800 psi range, usually sell for around a "boat unit" (+/-$100) at Home Depot and Lowes. These are really handy for any number of boat and home chores. But it's a good idea to practice on something you don't care about first before aiming the nozzle at your boat. Be particularly careful about cleaning near any caulked seams as these machines will remove caulk nicely....
Just be aware that using a pressure washer to wash a bottom painted boat hull is illegal in many areas unless you have a waste water capture system.
some yards pressure wash boat bottoms in sin diego--i have NEVER seen-nor heard of- gelcoat applied so poorly as to be removable by pressure wash, unless is a repair done after the boat was built. in proper boat layup, the gelcoat is part of the hull--doesnt just pressure wash off no matter what the psi of the washer....dont do the pressure wash over water-isnt allowed in many places--
I use an electric Simonize 1600, they go up to 1800 psi and work just fine for trailerable boats, especially if you use them before the bottom dries out too much. A spray bottle of bleach helps too. The Simonize units go for $150-$250.00 at most outlets, not a bad investment.
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