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Cruddy Question

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John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Initially Posted - 06/03/2003 : 13:47:14

My boat has accumulated a deposit of dried hardened scum, or lime or scale(which I'll collectively refer to as crud ), on the lower stripe right above the water line. The boat was kept in fresh water, so my guess is this is a mineral deposit from being docked in the lake. Anyone have any experience in removing it without damaging the painted sripe?

Edited by - on

jm
Captain

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Canada
290 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 13:57:02

A solution of vinegar and water, and maybe some baking soda if you need an abrasive. Apply with sponge, and some elbow grease, and /or a soft bristle boat brush.

Future reference - from the top deck, scrub the water line of the boat (when its in the water) once a week or so - to prevent the 'ring around the collar' effect you are experiencing.

Edited by - on

wmkoines
1st Mate

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56 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 14:51:25

I've used a product called On&Off Hull Cleaner. No problem with my paint and make the waterline spotless.

Edited by - on

Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
6855 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 16:01:49

If you just hose off the waterline with a regular garden hose and nozzle once a week, it should keep the problem from reoccurring.

D. Wolff - "The Flying Wasp" #401 sr/sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://www.flags.com/dreamimages/Flags/measurer.jpg" border=0>

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 16:07:48

If you are out of the water and you want to easily get rid of the "crud", get yourself some toilet bowl cleaner(I prefer the scented kind <img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>), a scrubby sponge, and some rubber cleaning gloves.

Put on you gloves and pour some toilet bowl cleaner onto the sponge then apply it to the areas that need cleaning. Don't try rubbing or scrubbing at this point, just get a layer of the thick cleaner over the crud. After it is applied, grab yourself a beer, sit down, and let the stuff do its magic. After 10-15 minutes, simply wipe the areas with the scrubby part of the sponge to make sure all the crud is gone, then rinse with water.

I've been doing this for years and I've found nothing easier than toilet bowl cleaner for getting rid of organic stains.

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

Edited by - on

John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 17:23:46

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>
A solution of vinegar and water, and maybe some baking soda if you need an abrasive. Apply with sponge, and some elbow grease, and /or a soft bristle boat brush.

<hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

I scrubbed the crud with a "dobie" (sponge in a nylon net for cleaning pans),soaked with straight vinegar with no effect, Perhaps the toilet bowl cleaner will be plan B. Any particular one seem to work well? I particularly like the idea about sitting down with the beer and watching it work. This has been an effective approach with my wife and various household chores for years.

Edited by - john j. on 06/03/2003 17:28:30

Edited by - john j. on 06/03/2003 17:32:54

Edited by - on

Kip C
Navigator

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USA
243 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 17:47:47

Our boat had the ring at the top of the bottom paint leaving about 3" of ablative above water and the ablative could go another season. I wanted to clean it off and repaint when needed. This past weekend I used the ON-OFF product . I'm assuming it reacted with the copper in the paint, because now, where the cleaner was used it gave our black bottom a green patina. The patina disapears when wet, but with our paint above the waterline you see the green patina. So I now my choices are to repaint or live with the green patina until the bottom needs repainted or maybe repaint the patina area. Has this happened to anyone else?

Kip Casada

'90 C25 #6021
SR/WK

Edited by - on

Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5909 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 18:02:06

I just cleaned some crud off the waterline at the bow of my boat that I had allowed to accumulate over a period of years. If it's that bad, those wimpy solutions won't get it off. As Tim, "the Toolman" Taylor says, you have to suck in your gut and be a manly man, and use some serious stuff or you'll never get rid of it. I used a sharp chisel to carefully chip away as much of it as possible. Don't dig into the gel coat. Put the blade of the chisel against the edge of the crud and tap it carefully. Where it wouldn't chip away, I carefully sanded it as thin as I could without scratching the gel coat. Then I repeatedly dabbed it with full-strength muriatic acid and, after each application, scraped it carefully with a paint scraper. If you work on it off and on over a couple of days, as I did, don't let the acid remain on it overnight. Rinse it off thoroughly. In past years I used watered down muriatic acid to clean my waterline, and it never damaged it. I was very concerned about using it full-strength this time, but believed the crud couldn't be removed any other way. I decided that, if it damaged it, it wouldn't be difficult to repair it with a little filler and to re-paint the waterline. The full-strength acid didn't hurt my boat, but I won't guarantee that it won't hurt yours. I only suggest you do it this way if all else fails. If you do this, be sure you wear good rubber gloves and a good respirator (not just a dust mask).

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 18:42:19

<BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>quote:<hr height=1 noshade id=quote>Perhaps the toilet bowl cleaner will be plan B. Any particular one seem to work well? <hr height=1 noshade id=quote></BLOCKQUOTE id=quote>

I use ZEP scented toilet bowl cleaner that I bought at Home Depot. They sell it in various sizes(qt, 1/2gl, 1gl). The thing about toilet bowl cleaner(especially ZEP) is that it is very thick, and will cling to where ever you put it, even the underside of the hull(It is designed to stick under the rim of the toilet bowl). This allows you to apply it without it running down like a normal liquid would.

I stumbled upon this technique when I purchased my first sailboat. That boat was severely neglected when I purchased it, especially the bottom. The bottom had never, I mean had never been painted and it had a layer of shi...er, crud on it that Hercules himself couldn't muscle off. Anyway, I was talking to a friend at work about this and he said that when he was a kid and club raced small sailboats, they would use toilet bowl cleaner to clean them because they didn't use antifouling paint. Since I was getting nowhere using conventional means, I gave it a try and it worked wonderfully.

Now you have to remember that toilet bowl cleaner is not a wimpy solution, it is in fact, "HYDROCHLORIC ACID" so take the proper precautions(gloves, eye protection, long sleeved shirt,...etc) because it will sting a bit if you get it on your bare skin(simply keep some rinse water handy if you get some on you). You might want to try it on a small area first just to see that it won't do any harm, but I've used it on the entire topsides before without any problems or issues.

Give it a try and if you don't want to use it for the boat, take it home and use it on your toilets.

<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>Don Lucier<img src="http://www.catalina25-250.org/c25sm.gif" border=0>
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2d904b3127cce9f7cd9ffdf1d0000003010" border=0>
North Star SR/FK

Edited by - dlucier on 06/03/2003 19:05:00

Edited by - on

CB
1st Mate

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54 Posts

Response Posted - 06/03/2003 : 21:58:17

I removed the dark stains at the waterline(on the white between the bottom paint and first stripe) by wet sanding w/ 320 grit sandpaper. It worked very well, just keep a hose around.
Chris

Edited by - on

John J.
Navigator

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USA
157 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2003 : 18:20:01

Well I tried the vinegar, then I tried the Zep, but the crud doesn't go away. Certain portions of it will scrape off with a fingernail, yet other parts are not affected by a plastic putty knife, ( almost like trying to scrape your windshield after an ice storm ). I guess my next step will be to try sandpaper but I'm concerned about destroying any gloss on the paint stripe, which if not for the hardened crud would be in almost like new conditon.Any last suggestions?

Edited by - on

OJ
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
4382 Posts

Response Posted - 06/04/2003 : 19:01:28

Actually I've never used anything lower than 800 grit on the gel coat (keeping off the edges of course) - then No. 7 rubbing compound, then No. 7 polishing compound, then Collinite FleetWax. You should be okay.
Good luck

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