How do I clean a Starcraft Islander hull

[rolmops]

This summer I slipped my boat in a creek near Lake Ontario. This boat has always been on a trailer and I did not really consider growth and scum. Before to long I will have to pull the boat and I am painfully aware that my nice white boat bottom is no longer white.
I have to clean the stuff off the hull to get it nice and white again and then I will have to put some type of bottom paint on it so I will not have the same problem next year.
Now this hull is aluminum, but it is covered with the original factory paint. So what material should I use to clean it up with and what type of paint can I use as a bottom paint?
Thank you.

 

[BWR1953]

I use Simple Green and it does a pretty good job.

 

[StewartL]

For an aluminum hull with factory paint, use a marine-grade algae and scum remover with a soft brush to clean it. Avoid harsh abrasives.

For bottom paint, you must use an antifouling paint specifically designed for aluminum hulls. Copper-based paints will cause galvanic corrosion. Look for paints labeled aluminum safe or that use econea or zinc as the biocide.

 

[Scott Danforth]

simple green full strength and a stiff scrub brush. depending on the mineral deposits, you may be scrubbing for a long time.

being a fresh water creek dealing with great lakes mineral deposits......Wax is your friend here. if you feel you need to do a bottom paint, realize that is a difficult decision to reverse. I recommend collinite wax https://www.collinite.com/product-category/marine/

2-3 layers of their fleetwax

most bottom paints are a barrier coat followed by 3-4 layers of ablative paint.

for most boats stored in the great lakes (Superior/Michigan/Erie) that I have come across, the simple cheap stuff that is over-priced at worst marine or the local marinas is what was commonly used. its black, its ugly, and you apply it with a roller.

however you are not dealing with barnacles, etc that need scraping constantly

on a white boat stored in the great lakes, I personally would lean to spray a bottom primer followed by a white bottom paint (interlux, awlgrip, etc). 2-3 good layers of paint followed by 2-3 layers of wax at the start of every season. the paint is to protect the aluminum should your factory paint start to fail and corrosion start. the wax is to slow down the growth and deposits.

For an aluminum hull with factory paint, use a marine-grade algae and scum remover with a soft brush to clean it. Avoid harsh abrasives.

For bottom paint, you must use an antifouling paint specifically designed for aluminum hulls. Copper-based paints will cause galvanic corrosion. Look for paints labeled aluminum safe or that use econea or zinc as the biocide.

cutting and pasting the AI answers to questions is no bueno. this literally is the google AI answer verbatim