Cleaning up your Boat

[mygreenihc]

What products do you guys use on your fiberglass boats for cleaning and protecting?  I have been looking at some of the new Ceramic coatings,  but I am not sold on them yet.  I am interested in opinions on what others use for complete cleaning/detailing for protection and also wipe downs between trips.


Brad

[Lee Smith]

Rain.................

[mygreenihc]

    


A white boat in South Georgia lakes equals a three tone brown boat eventually.  I gotta get her cleaned up and shiny again. I need something a little stronger than rain.

[Smallie_Stalker]

   


A white boat in South Georgia lakes equals a three tone brown boat eventually.  I gotta get her cleaned up and shiny again. I need something a little stronger than rain.

Sounds like the Boston area ot the Charles River up here.

Sent from my SM-G970U using Tapatalk

[zippyduck]

Rain.................

Any other way is just wasting fishing time. 

[Wizard]

There are cleaners containing muratic acid for removing stains from the hull. Any white hull will turn yellowish over time. I use a product named Nu Hull. It is made by a respected commercial cleaning product company. Spay it on, run a boat brush over it, rinse it off. It will remove all stains, dirt and wax so you need to wax the boat after use. Buy it online from the maker at half the cost from a dealer.

Wizard

[LgMouthGambler]

   


A white boat in South Georgia lakes equals a three tone brown boat eventually.  I gotta get her cleaned up and shiny again. I need something a little stronger than rain.

Browns a color. 

[coldfront]

Rain.................

thanks Lee!  you are making me feel much better!

[Bud Kennedy]

The river here leaves a stain on the boat but wipes right off while the boat is still wet at the ramp.  At that time a simple windex style solution will do the job.  If you let it dry and try to clean it later then that is another problem entirely.  The Dolllar store sells a cleaner called Awesome Cleaner and it is well named.  Great for those dried on stains.  Also goes a good job on sun baked plastics that might have some mildew stains.  I used it on the rub rail and even on the trolling motor wiring from the foot pedal to the head.

[DURASPANK]

Once you get it cleaned and polished to your liking. Use a SiO2 spray to seal and protect it. Will make cleaning it afterwards very easy. 
Since doing my sons Blazer. Now only needs a spritz of quick detailer and wiped down when it's pulled out at ramp.

[Bud Kennedy]

This fall I am gonna have the boat wet sanded and resealed at a local marine detail shop owned by the same guy that does my motor work.  I have no idea what it will cost but I want to do it for sure. 

[coldfront]

This fall I am gonna have the boat wet sanded and resealed at a local marine detail shop owned by the same guy that does my motor work.  I have no idea what it will cost but I want to do it for sure.

bud, I'm thinking if I were to die, I'd love to come back as your boat.  you show a lot of love for that girl.

[Bud Kennedy]

I am kinda particular about my toys.  I guess that is why i am able to keep them for so long.  It is not that I would not want a new boat or truck or car, its just that no sense selling if the old ones still look and operate like a new one.  My wife in particular really keeps a clean car and was the driving force for me to upgrade the boat last year.  Her 2005 SS Monte Carlo still looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. My 2007 expedition still looks good but not as good as the SS.

[Thornback]

A little off topic -- I own an aluminum boat -- that's completely painted. After each fishing trip I will go out to the garage the next day (I'm too tired to clean the boat after the fishing trip) and check my boat for clean-up. I charge the batteries, hang out the anchor ropes to dry, and then start removing the pond scum line and water spots. To clean the scum and spots from the gunnel and hull and motor I use half white vinegar/half water in a spray bottle (vinegar is a mild acid). I spray an area and wipe it off with a towel. Very easy and the boat looks like the day I took possession of it. I also clean my boat trailer and chrome wheels the same way.

[Mike Cork]

Using a buffer to help remove minor scratches and sun fading, I use Maguires Flag Ship Marine wax twice a year. I follow up twice a month with SC1 (amazon for both). SC1 is an aerosol that dirt bikers use on their bikes. Keeps the boat super slick and if anything sticks to it, it wipes right off. Very water hydrophobic after both.

We've got some very dirty harsh water here in Louisiana, a boat looks like it's been mudding and driving through oil slicks every time it comes off the water, in reality it has (muddy slime, surface cypress oil, and ever bug shell that hatched the night before).

Make sure you don't have to put on a registration sticker, boat ramp sticker, or any kind of sticker on your boat for a couple weeks after application. It won't stick with a fresh coat of SC1

[Oldfart9999]

I endorse Lee's method, it's built in camo.
Rodney

[Princeton_Man]

I still use the Protec Products. About the only exception is that I use the Lucas Slick Mist for quick wipe downs.

[apenland01]

I'm generally lazy and don't wipe down the boat after each use.  I use Dawn Platinum dish soap in water and wash it down good to get it clean, rinse and dry it well once a month.  Then I use 303 to protect and restore shine to the gel coat.  The 303 is great here in the desert because it has the strongest UV protection.