Fiberglass cleaning streaks

C

Chris Darling

New member
Last fall at the recomendation of a long time boater friend I washed my boat and used about 1.5 cups of bleach in 4.5 gallon of water. I finished washing the boat and when it was dry I have steaks where the water run off the boat that was not there when I started. I've used Mcguires clean and wax, a med rubbing compound, vinager, regular windex, steak removers, many other kinds of wax and I still have the steaks. When I washed it I thought I did a good job of rinsing but it looks like it took the gel off. The rubbing compound was aplied by two people that make their living doing boats. What would Acetone do? Any other thoughts?
 
Are the streaks only on the darker gel coat? Why was the bleach used? Was there mold on the deck or hull side. I have had a problem on by boat where a well meaning friend borrowed my boat and used hydrochloric acid (or perhaps snobowl) to clean the hull and got it on the dark color gel coat. It ends up that light wet sanding, along with compounging out may take care of it--if not, then to get the best look, paint the areas....not what you want to hear, I know.

Acetone will clean gel coat--but generally will not restore bleached gel coat. The probelm with acetone is that it is a solvent--and softens the gel coat. I use it only as a last resort, if all else fails--and then sparelingly.
 
Thanks Bob, I'm not sure it has went through the gel coat. It seems to be a different shade of white. When you apply wax from an angle it all looks smooth but you can still see the white steaks and depending on how the sun is hitting it, its ugly to me. I thought about painting but for me that would be the last resort (although I've told my wife that I like the TomCats that were gray below the rub rail). I boat in FL in the winter and store it in the summer when I go back up to MI so the bleach was used to help clean exterior mold from sitting all summer. I use 2--3' golden rods on the inside and that works very well. The lite sanding might be a good option.
 
Gel coat is pretty tough stuff. There will be a "layer" of the color of the stripe gel coat under the white (that is so you cannot look right thru it, and see a translucent structure--which tends to freak out some folks).

There are a number of cleaning agents which may help you. I generally use oxaloic acid. This is available in crystals at most big hardeware stores and paint stores. It is a mild acid and the basis of most hull cleaners. I make a saturated solution and apply it. (wear gloves and eye protection--as for all of these compounds. Davis FSR (Fiberglass stain remover) is a gel with oxalic acid. Starbrite hull cleaner is also oxalic acid. Mary Kate makes a product named "ON-Off" which also is a good hull bleach. SnoBowl or "Works" (WalMart) are toilet bowl cleaners, which are a bit stronger. Finally Muriatic (hrdrocholoric acid) is the cleaner of last resort for this type of problem. Avoid getting the latter products on any colored gel coat. I have used the former several on dark gel coat with no problems. Be careful.

Yep, that mold is an issue. Keeping the boat well waxed and wased down helps, but the humidity and sun do act to allow the mold to grow if not washed regularly.

If these don't work, let me know.
 
it seems to me that you need to hire someone to wash the boat a couple of times durring the summer whilst you are gone. would be easier than what you have to put up with now.
 
Before getting the Dory, I had a SeaCat here in FL and I would just take everything out of it and clean it when I come back. With the Dory I have been completely covering the boat with a RV cover and that has worked pretty well. The bleach thing only happened because I was told that if I used the bleach mixture it would help continue to kill that mold spores. I'm summeriziing the boat today and because I covering it has worked well I think I'm going to do it again but I agree that if I wasn't going to cover it washing it once a month would be a good idea. Thanks for you imput Roger.
Bob I have some on/off so I think I will try a test spot today. I may not have enough time before I head north to complete the cleaning I appreciate all the imput as I WILL try them when I get back and let you know. I should have came to this source for information months ago instead of days before leaving. I learned another lesson. thanks
 
I made a discovery today. A few years ago I finished a small deck boat with Poly Glow. So today I got thinking if maybe beings I've only owned the Dory for a couple of years maybe it had poly on it from a previous owner. I had some of the ploy cleaner left so I tried it today and it worked. It removed all the streaks and dulled the surface. I washed it and then waxed it and it looks great. The streaks are gone and it has that deep white luster to it again. I'm feeling much better about it now. Thanks for your imput guys, I appreciate it very much.
 
thataway":1ctaxar0 said:
Excellent discovery. The acrylic coatings do detiorrate with time--and that would explain your problem!
Click to expand...

Do they also turn yellow from the UV light with time, or is that something else I'm confusing it with in my memory?

Joe. :teeth :thup
 
No, Joe these streaks were just a different color of white. As it turns out because it must have had Poly Glow on it from a previous owner I was seeing the gel coat without the Poly on it, thus the 2 different shades of white. Using the Poly cleaner the Poly comes off very easy but very difficult using anything else...........chris
 
Sea Wolf":1zpxj8zq said:
thataway":1zpxj8zq said:
Excellent discovery. The acrylic coatings do detiorrate with time--and that would explain your problem!
Click to expand...

Do they also turn yellow from the UV light with time, or is that something else?

Joe. :teeth :thup
Click to expand...

Or...when everything starts looking yellow.... :wink: It could be cataracts :shock:

just saying...

/david

PS...at least my mother in law said everything looked so much whiter after her cataract surgery
 
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