I am looking for a hull cleaner I can use while our boat is in the water. Many times during a weekend we anchor and jump out and swim. This would be a perfect time to scrub down the hull of the boat. The problem is the cleaner needs to be safe for the creatures living in the lake. Can you give me any suggestions on a brand and whether you use a sponge or rag to do the work? Thanks
Michael
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Well, at this stage in the game, the boat should have a good layer of wax and the free-board part of the hull (or unwetted part), should be in good shape. Usually there is some growth on the water line (and just under water) which some people want to work on. Also the decking could be dirty from the high traffic.
I would try a stiff bristle brush on a pole and a bucket of hot water. If that isn't good enough, step it up to something less enviro. friendly like adding some "simple green" for the tougher spots. Also you may be able to carry a bucket of mixture around the boat, and just scrub with a rag or sponge in a way which keeps any of it from really getting into the water. Then going back with a bucket of water and wiping residue down afterwords. Then you can safely dispose of the liquids later. If you dump, be sure to do it in a spreading fashion.
PS> good looking out for the environment ! :-)
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Eucalyptus oil can be damaging to fiberglass and hard to get out as it tends to seep into gel coat surface. I would first try a light-medium grade cutters & polish and try to buff the stain out. If you have a white surface acid-wash works well to remove any stains and discolourations. Failing these two methods my lest resosrt would be to gently wet rub the surface layer and remove the stain. You will need a polisher to bring back the shine afterwoods. I used to repair rowing sculls which always had stains from trees etc and I found that most would come out with a rigourous buff.
Harry Buttcrack
Use a stiff boat brush and lots of elbow grease. The only thing you can put in water that doesn't affect it is.....water. Here's a link for the grease.
http://kalecoauto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=32
Anonymous
good stiff brush