Boats and Stains

P

PhillyB

New member
Today i detailed 2 boats. 380 sundancer (new) & a 42ft Silverton (6 yrs old). I do these boats for a friend every week because he uses them a lot going to Canada.



I use OrPine to wash the boat, Meguiar’s 47 oxidation remover and 3M polish/wax. (this is all for marine and boat use) and it comes out looking great. Usually just a wash is necessary when he doesn't go away.



The boats are mostly covered with leaves/ dead bugs/water spots/ and lots of bird poop. (i'll have pictures when he gets them out of the water for winter) The front deck of the boat is where i have the hardest time getting the stains out. They get stuck in between that mesh matting surface that keeps you from slipping off the boat. ( i don't kow what you would call that surface) The smooth surface is no problem and comes out shinny every time, but today nothing worked to get them out on the deck.



Any advice on a stronger compound that's not to abrasive that might get these stains out? Anything to get these stains out
 
try brushing a paint cleaner in. Use a soft brush with something like meguiars medallion paint cleaner and agitate it in real well, then work in good (untill its gone) with the plush side of a mf towel.
 
It is called non-skid and it is a royal PITA to clean. Non-skid is all over our 23' center console and the only thing that gets it clean is for me to get on my hands and knees with a stiff brush and work in Meguiar's #68 Non-Skid Deck & Hull Cleaner (blue spray bottle).



BTW, Barkeeper's Friend works well to remove a lot of stains on gel coat. Just be sure to rinse thoroughly.
 
perfect!

thanks for the help, we'll see what happens



any suggestions on what to finish them with, polish and wax wise, when they get out of the water and i buff the entire boats



thanks again for the help
 
Hey welcome to the world of boat detaling...heh...



Im employee of a company called Shiny McShine.. we wash about 50 boats every week and thats only on thursdays and fridays because some boat owners want it spotless for when they come down to use it for the weekend. We have probally double or maybe triple that number of boats that we wax atleast once or twice a year. hulls and topsides. from 28 feet all the way up to a 75 feet..



That mesh stuff your talking about is called Nonskid and yes its so u dont fall off. its a life saver for waxing because if that was all smooth fiber glass it would be alot more work.. (because u never wax nonskid!!!!) we also use the 3M products for waxing by the gallon. For stains we have this stuff called boat cleaner. its in a white spray bottle with blue on it.. i cant rember the brand....u just spray it on the spot let it sit for like 5 seconds and scrub and it just washes away... and if you cant find it we also use 50/50 bleach and water. but use sparingly. its not quite as good but it does the trick usally. and if you havnt done this already get a stick, brush, and shami, made by a company called shurhold. (interchagable brush and shami goes on stick). if i didnt have this it would take me forever to finish.



Our competitors just waxed a boat's topside with a buffer and made a crapload of swils on it....Thats why you never use a buffer on a new boat (unless u slow it down all the way and dont put pressure on it)...older ones its usally ok but the new ones you will get swirls that will almost never come out.'



Just some tips to make the boats that much shinyer.

any more questions dont hesitate to ask.



Pappy
 
Many boat manufacturers use a buffer on the boats before they ever leave the factory. Our boat has swirls all over it from a rotary used at the manufacturer.
 
yes that is true but since i wash this boat every week i noticed it right after these other guys finished waxing it. then of corse the owners are goin well why didnt u take those marks off.:rolleyes:
 
pappy

your a life saver, thanks for the heads up. Nonskid, makes sense....and the boats have never see the PC, everything done by hand, but it's good to know the older boat it might be ok with the PC since it's the bigger of the two.



And i might as well ask this now before i get into it. When i get the boats out of the water, am i going to have a tough time getting that film off the bottom. or should a couple of washes do the trick? Just want to know what i'm getting into
 
I assume the boats are bottom painted? There may be a slime/film on the hull whether bottom painted or not. If there is, go to Boater's World or West Marine and pick up a bottle of Mary Kate's On & Off.
 
yup good point.. tw85....any very tough stuff is good for it..



We use this stuff when its out of the water that actaully smokes when its being pored into a bottle or being sprayed onto the hull. i think its that on off stuff but it may be a diffrent brand but either way its very bad sh*t so try not to brethe it in. it almost takes ur breath away. we usally have to change bottles when we use it every day because it eats away at the plastic. just make sure u rinse good after though
 
You haven't mentioned anything about this yet, but it would seem to me that a lot of the dirt and crap on the deck of the boat would be minimized if the owner would spring for a good cover. He can have you out there cleaning it every week but not covering the boat is going to wreak havoc on it.
 
im not sure but they dont make covers unless its for winter storage which is just a big piece of plastic. for boats any bigger then like 20 feet.... And if your talking about one that covers the slip for the boat most marinias dont allow them because it makes any marina look like sh*t
 
Not to mention quality canvas or sunbrella covers cost a pretty penny. Spent $1,200 on the cover for our 23'.



Not sure about boats you are detailing but the majority of the mess on our boat is from shoes and cast nets.
 
yup yup same here



one time i had to pick up pizza crusts off the front of the boat and there was sauce all over the boat....now that was just bad.
 
I might as well put in my 2 cents.



I currently work 5 marinas boat detailing and you can use a pc if you know what you are DOING. On all the boats that I detail, I do a three step process: Light compound/polish to remove water spots and any old wax, Then Meguiars boat polish, and then Meguiars boat wax. The first two I use a porter cable on #5, but the wax I always apply by hand. Some customers want my 4 step process to really protect the finish which I apply Megs #20 before the wax and after the polish. I only use my dewalt when the finish is really oxidazed.



One trick for non-skid is to use Soft Scrub with bleach for the stubborn areas and non-skid with a stiff brush. Then I use a non-skid wax which keeps the non-skid from oxidating and keeps it shining. I have never had a customer complain about the wax I use for non-skid and you won't slip.



I do not compete with boat washers and at all the marinas they send me the business as long as I do not offer boat washes, but do offer maid service for the interior of the boats. It has worked out well for me and they are happy since they are not losing business to me.



I posted some of my boats on the gallery. My finish looks like some of the cars that get posted. Looks like glass.
 
i've heard both sides, wax non-skid good, and wax non-sid bad. Any advice that might tip the scale in favor of one over another.



also if you wax the non-skid what will do the job and make everthing look even and shinny?
 
Wax the non-skid. There are several waxes designed for non-skid on the market that do not make it slippery. Why protect just the smooth gel coat?
 
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