Fiberglas maintenance

[Nemrod]

Oxalic acid containing products will remove rust stains from fiberglass as will a few other types of acid. Barkeepers Friend or some such as that and several boat specific products containing similar will remove rust stains. N

 

[OceanObsessed]

Most of the career captains that I have known use Softscrub with bleach and sno bowl on their boats. These seem to be industry standards down here.

I'll throw in another vote for Dri Dek too. You can throw bloody fish onto your deck, and even spill the fobidden greasy potatoe chips onto your deck and life is still good.

 

[DennisS]

I use Dri Dek on the engine boxes (they're seats for gearing up)when I'm doing dives, so the tanks don't scratch them up. I remove it when I just have the boat sitting. Dri Dek is a dirt magnet. When you lift it, after it's been sitting a while you have lots of dirt squares.

 

[Scubakevdm]

I use Dri Dek on the engine boxes (they're seats for gearing up)when I'm doing dives, so the tanks don't scratch them up. I remove it when I just have the boat sitting. Dri Dek is a dirt magnet. When you lift it, after it's been sitting a while you have lots of dirt squares.

Don't think of them as dirt squares! Think of them as sand boxes.

 

[Nemrod]

Concerning the Dri Dek, once a year I split the Dri Dek and roll it up and then use a deck cleaner with a deck brush, soap it up with the cleaner, let it sit a while and then use the brush. Comes completely clean, looks like new. I agree, it does trap dirt which can be a PITA.

The life of a boat in professional use that stays in the water and a garage queen that stays on a trailer are quite different.

N

 

[Chuck Tribolet]

My whaler is also a "trailer queen" (if a boat that gets splashed in salt water
70 days a year can be considered a queen.) Like Nemrod, once a year, I pull
the DriDek and scrub, usually just before the Boston Whaler Rendezvous.
I use CLR on the boat, and Comet on the Dri-Dek. After the CLR, the boat
gets its annual wax job. No dirt squares because
the boat gets washed with fresh water on a slight up slope 70 days a year.
The dirt gets washed aft, into the bilge, and out the scuppers.

 

[TSandM]

I was out on a boat today that has a dri-dek type flooring, and the owners agreed that it's a dirt magnet. Still, it has to beat the scars and rust stains from having the tanks on the sole!

Thanks, everybody, for the ideas. And rest assured that no chemicals used on this boat will directly end up in any kind of watershed.

 

[Tom Winters]

I spent three hours scrubbing my boat this afternoon. Down on my hands and knees, ...

So after a shift in the ER, you're in there cleaning up and scouring bedpans?
No? Orderlies? Hmmm...
Somewhere between Kirkland and Kenmore, there must be a good mobile marine detailing service up there.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

:Hi: Hope the post hasn't gone too far and you are no longer checking the post.....here goes.....
I have a 20 year old Glastron 19' inboard/outboard runnabout that had turned chalky and really looked bad....tried everything under the sun and nothing worked...Last week the wife and I were making a round through Bass Pro Shop and there was a refinishing kit from Meguiar's Wax company....three parts...Meguiar's No. 49 Marine/RV Oxidation Remover, No. 45 High Gloss Polish and No. 56 Pure Wax....we had used Meguiar's wash and wax products on our cars and Rv for years so decided to give it a try........unbelievable how it works....beleive me when I say my 20 year old fiberglass boat looks almost brand new....try this product and you will not be disappointed.

 

[TSandM]

Thanks, cajuncrudiver!

At the moment, the outside of the hull looks pretty good. It's the sole and the gunwales that are driving me nuts.