Hard water and alge scum on bottom

[Greg Nichols]

I have a client that likes to keep his boat in the water for all summer, but at the end of the year I have to spend HOURS removing all the scum and alge off the bottom. This is a ski boat, so anti foul paint isn`t an option.



Does anyone know of a product that will keep the build up down to nothing or an min?



Cheers,

GREG

[Dan]

I would be interesting to see if OC improves the situation once you get it clean. As many mythical properties as OC has, one of the best is the ease of contamination release.

[Greg Nichols]

Maybe I can do a test patch, but this build up is BAD and the algae is bad too. Full acid wash is always necessary.



Keep the ideas coming people.



Cheers,

Greg

[Ron Ketcham]

Here on the Mississippi, up on the lake side of the damn, people leave their boats in for 6 months or longer. They get a real buildup. I used a hf/sulfuric or hf/phospurhic blend, try to get a pH of 4 when I dilute. Don`t spray it, that is stupid, I wear rubber boots, chemical proof gloves, a good respirator and a face shield. Apply it with a truck brush out of a five gallon bucket of mix. (coil cleaner from AC/Heating supply house may carry it or Automagic was still selling their "acid wheel cleaner with hf in it).

Put it on, watch it bubble and foam, agitate a bit more, add more mix where needed, agitate, rinse off. Use in aluminum and gelcoat boats.

[Greg Nichols]

^^^ Thanks Ron that is a similar process I`ve used before for when they come out of the water.



My question was that "is there a way to reduce or prevent the Hard water and Algae build up" so I don`t have to do this every year. Was hoping there was a product I could apply



Cheers,

GREG

[Ron Ketcham]

Nope, despite all the "miracle claims` made by some companies, you are dealing with everything, that starts as a living organsim, be it the alge or zebras muscles, etc.

You must attack and "kill" the organism`s that make up the scum build up.

HF attacks and kills organic based materials, just as it how it attacks and goes for your lungs, you bone`s calicum, etc.

That`s why it is so effective in this situation and is so dangerous to human tissue.

[Jpostal]

Muratic acid is what I have used for cleaning the scum line. As for prevention...maybe a coating as Dan mentioned.

[Ron Ketcham]

I do not believe that any automotive coating is going to help. Example, if zebra muscles are in your area, they will eat through the 2 part expoxy paint of the lower unit, doubt that a little coating is going to stop them or any other organisim from attaching to the boat for long, let alone a 3 to 6 months of being in the water.

[mikemurphy234]

Boy, do I know this well having owned a few boats over the years and maintained others for a couple people. Ron is spot on in my opinion. I urge the owners to take some time during the season to pull their boat at least once a month and go to a carwash to wash and brush it off to reduce the build up. If they`re reluctant to do that then I suggest they get a soft rv style brush and brush it off the best they can while in a shallow part of the lake.



I`ve yet to find that magic coating that stops build up. On another note, I am going to apply Opti-Coat Pro to a test boat this year to see how well it guards against oxidation above the water line on a boat that isn`t maintained all that well during the summer.

[Greg Nichols]

Murphy,


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What became of the OCP test you mentioned above?


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Cheers,


GREG