Cleaning Gel Coat

andrew_ocp · **Joined:** Mon May 14, 2012 7:14 pm **Posts:** 2

Hi

I have brought a second hand boat Four Winns Horizon 180 2005 and noticed some brown water stains on the gel coat on or below the water line. The owner has had it sitting in the water for lengths of time. They are not major and can get rid of some of the stain - but would like to get it back to brillant white. Any ideas on the bext way to do this - and what products you may recommend.

I have a small home waterblaster - can that be used safely?

Cheers

yrless11 · **Posted:** Fri May 18, 2012 6:13 pm

You're probably going to want to perform an acid wash. Personally, I've had good luck with marikate on/off hull cleaner. You'll certainly want protective gear and have your boat off the trailer, etc. The acid will eat away at the paint on your trailer. A lot of places will get the pump sprayers like you would use for spraying weeds in your yard to put the acid on (very controlled and easy to use). I hope that helps.

ric · **Posted:** Fri May 18, 2012 7:04 pm

I use marykate gel, gloves, and a sponge. Couple applications and it's like brand new. Doesn't hurt my galvanized trailer. Start getting used to it, you'll be doing it every 6 months/year with a white hull boat if you want it pretty.

jrcinnh · **Joined:** Fri Sep 14, 2007 9:13 am **Posts:** 313

I use the same Mary Kate Gel. Every fall we pull the boat from the lake and the bottom is brown. We get two quarts of the gel and two of those cheap paint roller kits from Home Depot. Roll the stuff on, wait a few minutes and wash it off. Sometimes needs another round to get the missing spots. The key is patience, you need to wait for the stuff to work but not too long or it will dry. Two of us can do a 35' boat in a few hours.

Before the gel we used Slimey Grimey which also works well, but it's a powder you mix with water and spray or brush on. Being thin like water a lot drips off and is wasted.

Throw any rollers or brushes away after they are ruined by the stuff.

Mark T · **Posted:** Mon Jul 23, 2012 8:00 am

I used "The Works" bathroom cleaner on the hull, and boy did it work FAST. I put it in a pump sprayer and did 1/4 of hull at a time. I had tried star brite cleaner, but maybe I did not leave it on long enough, as it did very little.

jontmiller · **Joined:** Thu Jul 26, 2012 8:16 am **Posts:** 296

Do these same products work for a boat that maybe hasnt been cleaned like that in a few years? I am a new owner of an 1998 Horizon that spent its summers in a lake and got pretty green.

ric · **Posted:** Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:46 pm

jontmiller wrote:

Do these same products work for a boat that maybe hasnt been cleaned like that in a few years? I am a new owner of an 1998 Horizon that spent its summers in a lake and got pretty green.

might take a few applications, but yes.

heathtrost · **Joined:** Mon Apr 20, 2015 11:30 am **Posts:** 18

After doing an acid wash what is the best way to prevent it? I just purchased a boat 2005 H200 and it was waxed really well so it has not left a water stain yet but a friend of mine has a water stain and he did an acid wash only and it came back over a short period of time.

I assume you should do a polish and wax after the acid wash to help prevent the stain from coming back?

Is this true?

what is the best way to keep the stain from coming back?

afw200 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:05 am

heathtrost wrote:

what is the best way to keep the stain from coming back?

Keep the boat out of the water for extended periods if you are not using it.

rpengr · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:15 am

jontmiller wrote:

Do these same products work for a boat that maybe hasnt been cleaned like that in a few years? I am a new owner of an 1998 Horizon that spent its summers in a lake and got pretty green.

Yes, but scrub off any buildup first. Green implies plant (algae) growth. If the green does not wash off, then clean that with diluted bleach solution. Then acid wash to remove remaining mineral deposits / stains.

GottWhat · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2015 8:32 am

Mark T wrote:

I used "The Works" bathroom cleaner on the hull, and boy did it work FAST. I put it in a pump sprayer and did 1/4 of hull at a time. I had tried star brite cleaner, but maybe I did not leave it on long enough, as it did very little.

The professional that does my boats also uses bathroom cleaner to remove rust stains. Except he applies a very little bit at a time.

rpengr · **Posted:** Tue Jun 02, 2015 9:30 am

GottWhat wrote:

Mark T wrote:

I used "The Works" bathroom cleaner on the hull, and boy did it work FAST. I put it in a pump sprayer and did 1/4 of hull at a time. I had tried star brite cleaner, but maybe I did not leave it on long enough, as it did very little.

The professional that does my boats also uses bathroom cleaner to remove rust stains. Except he applies a very little bit at a time.

I've been using Lysol toilet bowl cleaner, which is a gel. I have to admit that the idea came from Ric:

ric wrote:

Mary Kate on/off gel and Lysol toilet bowl cleaner are identical. Just pickup the one with the oxalic acid as there's different kinds. The Works at Walmart is also the same. Like $3 a bottle.

DougT01 · **Joined:** Wed May 20, 2015 6:44 pm **Posts:** 121

Definitely recommend a good coat of wax after any acid wash or wet sanding.

If all else fails, I take 1000 grit sand paper and wet sand. Go back over it with 2000 grit for best shine.

Doug

flyweed · **Posted:** Thu Jun 25, 2015 10:16 pm

my 1990 four winns 170 freedom is no longer glossy/shiny, and the maroon on the sides of the boat has alot of 'white" fading, or possibly oxidation. Do you guys recommend a cutting/rubbing compound..or will this acid wash do the work of what a cutting would do? I want to restore my color and whiteness to my boat. Just not sure what to use.

DougT01 · **Joined:** Wed May 20, 2015 6:44 pm **Posts:** 121

flyweed wrote:

my 1990 four winns 170 freedom is no longer glossy/shiny, and the maroon on the sides of the boat has alot of 'white" fading, or possibly oxidation. Do you guys recommend a cutting/rubbing compound..or will this acid wash do the work of what a cutting would do? I want to restore my color and whiteness to my boat. Just not sure what to use.

Yes, I would use a good rubbing/cutting compound.
You can also get good results on the white with 1000 grit followed by 2000 grit.

After either, a good coat of quality Wax. I use Mcguiar's #26 I think. It had Canaba wax in it, fairly easy to use but holds up well.

www.iFourWinns.com

Cleaning Gel Coat

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