Cleaning / waxing a fiberglass boat

[bh0526]

Hi,

Kinda new to boating. I have a few questions about cleaning my boat.

I have a 20', fiberglass boat. I keep it in a saltwater canal in south Florida. It's actually in the water, not on a lift. My boat is not covered either. I notice around the waterline, the boat gets very dirty. It is turning a light brown color. It is difficult to clean. Can someone recommend a good cleaner to remove these stains and use on the entire boat? Also, what is a good wax for me to use given the conditions I described above? Also, how often should I wax? Any other helpful tips about keep my boat clean and preseved are welcomed.

Thanks!

Bob

 

[CX54WEK]

We just give ours a good scrub with a brush around the water line.

When it was last lifted in March we applied a few coats of carnuba wax after we had polished it with t-cut and autoglym super resin polish, which seems to be helping keep it clean.

 

[Nickcf]

If available in the states use Farecla G3 compound the remove the dirt and then polish (above water line) with a good quality polish such as Autoglym

 

[JohnRob]

Yes, but agree with cx54 above, not autoglym by itself. Carnuba wax on top (eg farecla boat wax). Big difference - black streaks then don't stick so badly.

 

[Bandit]

For the brown stain around the waterline try an oxalic acid product such as Y10 or Chine Shine.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

If you are good at it use the 3m products Cleaner & Wax should do and then protect with there Protection Wax.
For more user friendly stuff use the same type but from Starbrite. Their Teflon polish is unbeatable for protection, but remember it is not a cleaner.
Mcguariars waxes and polishes also get good reviews but I have never used it.

I have used Farecla stuff and still do as I have a few bottles remaining but having compared them with the above they are behind. 3m is unbeatable to remove oxidation, and for protection the starbrite is among the best too.

 

[AndieMac]

If you want to clean the stained waterline and not remove the boat from the water, I use a (local to us) product called K&H Gelcoat restorer, essentially phosphoric and hydrochloric acids in a paste-like suspension, in a squeezy bottle.
The acid mix is applied to the bristle end of a 'truckies' ext. handled wash-brush like toothpaste, and gently massaged along the waterline, left for 10 minutes, then hosed off.

If a boat is out of the water, I use either the K&H product or oxalic acid, usually oxalic because its cheaper with a similar result.

The farecula G3 is a preferred product used by pro. detailers and body-shop guys, but I found the Meguairers Diamond Cut (whatever grade you need) really easy to use (no sticking in hard to remove globs).

Finish off and 'top-up' work with Autoglym Radiant Wax. 'Top up' work is done as soon as the first sign of oxidisation re-appears.

 

[Bojangles]

clean & polish

For brown staining around the water line I use Cif and simply brush to clean and rinse with a hose.

Recently I've been using Meguiars Cleaner Wax One Step 50, applied with a Festool 6" polisher, this removes marks, brightens and waxes in one go, easy..
Meguiars is sold in most marinas but I get it from Allscot Ltd in Glasgow where it is cheaper (they also sell Acetone for £8 a gallon and gel coat/glass etc) they sell online at Allscotltd.co.uk

 

[DRM MARINE VALETING]

Scum line.

A regular brushing along the waterline should keep your scum line clean. I apply meguiars M56 boat/rv pure wax carnauba blend which also provides uv protection. The more you clean and polish your craft, the easier it becomes to do each time.

drmvaletingservices@o2.co.uk

 

[Brad Marval Marine]

Polishing and keeping your boat clean

Saw this thread and thought i would offer some advice. The key to getting a looking its best is a lot of prep before you start polishing. To remove any yellow staining around the water line of the boat use a product like "once over" or A-Glaze hull cleaner you can buy these from most chandlers, both these products can also be used on the anti slip decks as well leaving great results! once the stain removal is done then give the boat a really good soapy wash (preferably with hot water as this breaks down any green mold beter than cold water). When you get to the stage where you think she is clean enough to start polishing you then need to decided what compound or polish you want to use on her, there are so many to choose from here are just a few i would recomend, 3m compound and wax in one, 3m cleaner and wax in one, as i say there are far to many good products out there to list them all. Always start from the top down if compounding as this can sometimes be messy and if you have already polished the hull when you wash the dust of the decks this can mark the hull. Once the top is complete then wash down then polish the hull and then to finish off clean all the stainless and the windows. This is just a quick run through if you need any further advice or help deciding which products to use drop me a line!!

 

[alteredoutlook]

Hi i have a 20 year old sail boat with grp deck. What is the best way of cleaning AND preventing the non skid surface from getting dirty again??

tips on this forum suggest using oxalic acid or products containing the acid e.g starbite deck cleaner. I have used this on a previous boat and it did a wonderful job of cleaning it. However, the surface looked 'chalky' and as soon as a small amount of dirt e.g. a single foot print it looked dirty again and requiring acid treatment again. surely repeated use of oxalic acid cant do the grp any good?

I notice that my deck has microscopic holes in them that have got clogged up with dirt.
After i have cleaned them is there a 'sealant' that will stop dirt from entering these holes?
I have heard of 'A Glaze' and wondered would this do the job?

Many thanks

 

[AndieMac]

alteredoutlook

The oxalic acid bleaches out the stain in the porous gelcoat, which of course is merely a cosmetic surface. The product was used to bleach hospital bed sheets, so I guess no more nasty than most commercial bleaches.

Waxes are the best product to protect (smooth) gelcoat from absorbing grime, but not on the patterned non-skid areas, as they will become slippery.

 

[Kipper]

Agree with DRM shouldnt need to use any abrasive cleaner on the brown stain, just regular elbow grease, never used the Mcguires polish but I know many US forumites swear by their produts.

Net Net is if you keep your boat on the water it will get dirty so regular cleaning is a must.
A good polish is a must to start with but you will need to keep ontop of the hull cleaning.
I would do mine every week.