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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

Catalina 25 Specific Forum

Help!! My boat just changed color !!!

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Initially Posted - 09/07/2005 : 20:31:32

While waiting on my order of Poliglow (delayed by natural disaster) I got impatient and decided to begin cleaning from the top down. I realize Poliglow doesn't go on the topsides. All I had on hand was Greased Lightning and Windex, both of which turned my chalky while cabin top yellowish. I took off the sliding portion of the pop top and wiped the ledge with Windex. Where the sun ain't been shining it's the almost the same color. Not white but more of a light almond.

Is this the natural color of an '84 Catalina 25 topside?

Fair winds,

Andy, Breakin' Wind, 1984 C25 SK SR

Edited by - on

ClamBeach
Master Marine Consultant

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3072 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2005 : 21:02:10

I have heard that some of the C25 were made with light tan topsides...
However, my 77 is very white.

Edited by - on

frog0911
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1349 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2005 : 21:31:26

My 79 C25 had was almond colored in the non-skid areas and white in the smooth areas.

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Frank Hopper
Past Commodore

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Pitcairn Island
6776 Posts

Response Posted - 09/07/2005 : 23:16:48

PolyGlow is specifically for the tops sides. You were saying top sides but meaning deck. The top sides are the sides of your hull that are above the waterline, hence top sides, not bottom sides.

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John V.
Admiral

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USA
559 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2005 : 10:31:14

There is something in household cleaners that turns gelcoat a slight yellow or tan. I found this especially true with the HD orange cleaners. However my experience is that the discoloration is temporary and a few days of sun bleaches out what ever is causing the color change and the deck is once again white.
I stay away from the orange stuff and stick with a hot bucket of dish soap followed by a good fresh water rinse. bad spots respond well to Goof off but you need to be carefull with it because it will soften the polystyrene in older glass boats. Don't forget that any abrassive cleaner is taking off layers of your gelcoat and at some point you may begin to see the blue layer.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2005 : 11:22:16

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by fhopper@mac.com
 You were saying top sides but meaning deck. The top sides are the sides of your hull that are above the waterline, hence top sides, not bottom sides.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

The term "topsides" still confuses me because during during my 6 years in the Navy, when one said they were going "topsides" it meant you were going outside on deck.

"Freeboard" was the term we used to describe the portion of the hull from the waterline to the deck.

top·side - n. 1. The surface of a ship's hull above the water line. Often used in the plural. 2. The highest position of authority.

top·side - adv. & adj.
1. On or to the upper parts of a ship; on deck.
2. In a position of authority.

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2005 : 11:24:44

Thanks for the edumacation flopper and the info from the rest. I bought some Starbrite deck and hull cleaner but didn't get to use it last night. It should give me something to do this weekend. I hope it works.

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2005 : 12:17:12

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by StSimon
 ...I took off the sliding portion of the pop top and wiped the ledge with Windex. Where the sun ain't been shining it's the almost the same color. Not white but more of a light almond.

Is this the natural color of an '84 Catalina 25 topside?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

My '80 C25 has a white hull and a sort of light cream colored deck.

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5902 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2005 : 13:17:06

When new, C25s could be ordered with a white, blue, yellow, beige, or other colored hull, and the deck could be the same or a different color, and the non-skid could be still a different color. I've seen many C25s with white decks and either "sand" or light blue, or yellow non-skid color. A faded, chalky non-skid might have looked white, and washing it might have brought back its color to some extent. I doubt that the gelcoat changed color significantly.

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oldsalt
Admiral

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USA
578 Posts

Response Posted - 09/08/2005 : 16:41:08

Many household and even "marine" cleaners will penetrate older gel coat and temporarily change its color but after exposure to the sun the gel coat will return to its original color. It's happened to me with a particular expensive "marine" cleaner the name of which I can't remember.

Frank is correct; the term "topsides" properly refers to the part of the hull that is above the waterline, the freeboard.

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3321 Posts

Response Posted - 09/09/2005 : 10:48:28

A few years back I helped a friend sand down his horribly oxidised white hull which had never been cleaned...after several grades of wet & dry sandpaper he was astonished to find that he actually had a tan hull!

Derek

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Dustysailz
1st Mate

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USA
85 Posts

Response Posted - 09/10/2005 : 18:30:20

for the "deck" soft scrub with bleach works really great. Some might refer to the deck as "top side". In my naval experience we walked on decks, went topside and freeboard was that part of the hull which was not submerged. Oh, and brightwork was regularly polished as it was brass, but in the sailing world brightwork is a reference to wood trim. In any event Soft Scrub with bleach will work great. Do however use sparingly and scrub in with a stiff brush (do not allow to dry). Good sailing.

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StSimon
Captain

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USA
298 Posts

Response Posted - 09/11/2005 : 01:42:32

Thanks again. I haven't had time to deal with the deck again (poliglow still coming for the last 3 weeks). I reinstalled my deck teak instead. I did notice that the yellowed area had returned to white in the sun as you all predicted. Next week I will get up there and scrub away !!!

Edited by - StSimon on 09/11/2005 01:56:09

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