| For really tough boat hull cleaning you will need to | | | | moorage. Often times you can use Slimy grimy |
| break out the acid. Muratic acid is the best for | | | | and hot water or Starbrite's buffered acid will |
| this. You'll want to have a 50/50 mix of muratic | | | | work just fine for cleaning a mildly dirty boat |
| acid of 6-8% concentrated (12% is the highest | | | | bottom. For cleaning diesel soot found around the |
| concentration you can legally buy over the | | | | transom, aft deck ceiling and along the water line |
| counter), water and a good strong sprayer. You | | | | around exhausts, but not bottom paint, you can |
| can purchase muratic acid at Wal*Mart, K-Mart, | | | | use Meguiar's #50 first, then proceed with |
| Pool Supply Stores, Home Depot, Lowe's, Van | | | | compound Monster Agua-Blue 200, Maguire's #44 |
| Waters and Rogers Chemicals. Sears Craftsman | | | | or #49 if this doesn't work. |
| makes a nice strong sprayer or try a local store | | | | If you are cleaning along the waterline and boat |
| for another brand of commercial pump-up | | | | bottom that is not painted, you will want to reach |
| sprayer. | | | | for the bottle of On/Off by Maritime Products |
| Spray onto the boat directly after doing a | | | | Company. You will remove all barnacles, moss |
| presoak with a good strong blast of water. Let it | | | | growth and browning incredibly fast. Don't get this |
| sit for approximately 2 minutes. Just let the acid | | | | stuff on your hands or on any bottom paint as it |
| do its work breaking up and removing the algae. | | | | will streak the paint and will burn your hands. This |
| If it is still there try it again for longer and longer | | | | is corrosive, but will not harm gel coat and |
| periods of time, but not more than 10-15 minuites. | | | | neutralizes with water. Don't get it on the trailer, it |
| You'll be amazed how nice it looks even by the | | | | will streak and etch it. It is an oxcillic acid mix and |
| time you come back to rinse it off. Usually you | | | | is available at West Marine stores. If you are a |
| can remove all this excess with a good strong | | | | contractor and doing this for a living the pricing |
| brush after the acid shock treatment. | | | | usually goes from $3.00 to $4.50 a foot. Again, |
| You may have to get with a smaller scrubbie into | | | | market conditions in your area may be a little |
| some areas around the drive system and other | | | | more or a little less. You can adjust to fit those |
| nooks and crannies underneath. If it's on a trailer | | | | market conditions. |
| and the bunks are on it, that's just the way it | | | | The Marina-Tec boat wash system is great. If |
| goes, you can't get around those - you can't | | | | you are contractor and have lots of work you |
| move that boat on the trailer. On a hoist, you'll | | | | may want to consider leasing a location to wash |
| have full access to the boat. | | | | boat bottoms. GMBH & Co. has a hull-leaning |
| Once you've scrubbed off one side of the boat, | | | | machine that uses two brushes that rotate |
| rinse, and repeat the procedure on the opposite | | | | horizontally along the hull and two brushes that |
| side. Give it a very strong thorough rinse getting | | | | rotate vertically at the heel. It is an automated |
| all the residual acid off the trailer as it can | | | | system and does not use toxic chemicals. It is |
| sometimes cause rust spots and corrode. Only | | | | similar to an automatic car wash only for boats in |
| use this muratic acid mix for boats that are | | | | the water. |
| extremely algae covered, heavy in barnacles, and | | | | Do it right the first time, do it efficiently and think |
| other growth associated with long-term in-water | | | | about it. |