Cosmetic Issues - newbie

[BryanR]

Bought my first boat EVER this morning. Its a 15 foot Key West 1520. A bit underpowered at 40hp, but I water tested it and with over 600lbs of people on board, it would plane just fine. Hulls seemed in great shape, trailer, etc - $2,900. Had to buy a bimini for it though as it didn't come with one.

Anyway, the boat is in great condition for the price. But, it needs some cosmetic work. The bottom is a bit tanned from the tanic acid in all the lakes around here. I'd like to try to whiten it up, if possible. Can I use a diluted bleach mixture and a scrub brush to wash all parts of the boat? Won't hurt the gelcoat, right? Needs scrubbing inside all the storage locations, under the console, etc, etc. I figure it'll take several hours of elbow grease - but what is the best chemical to use?

Inside the bilge - once I pull the plugs and let it out, I'd like to clean out the bilge as much as possible? What is the best way to handle that?

Gel coat repairs - has a few gelcoat chips here and there. What is the best way to get those covered up? Is it hard to do?

The boat is going to be garaged, so once its gleaming clean (as much as it can be), it'll stay nice and clean and dry except when in use, of course.

 

[oops!]

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

hi....welcome to iboats !

congrats on the new boat.....tons of fun.

ok....lets get to that yellow scum line...

the pro"s do something called an acid wash.....
They use industrial stregnth toilet bowl cleaner, (not the stuff from home depot...but go to a real janitors shop)
take a soft scrubbing brush with a long handle and a bucket diluted 50/50 with water....and go for it !
if you have a galvanised trailer....cover it with plastic first. really tough spots....just go straight.....
with in seconds...your boat turns shiney white.

now......for the bilge....there is professional bilge cleaner.....just pour it in the bilge....swish it around.....and clean !

gellcoat chips are a little more intense to fix.....but after you do one....you will whip right through them all with ease.

click on the forums restoration section....and do a searh for threads called gellcoat repair.
you will get a thousand of them.

cheers
oops

 

[Shabah 182]

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

No need to go searching for a janitor shop to remove the scum line and whiten up the bottom. Just buy a bottle of hull cleaner with oxalic acid. I bough mine at Bass Pro Shop and it is amazing. Most marine stores will have it. No scrubbing need...just wipe or spray it on and wipe clean.

 

[tpenfield]

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

I often use rust stain remover to get rid of mineral stains on the hull. Many boat owners use bleach to clean organic stains, etc.

 

[BryanR]

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

Great info, thanks.

If I wanted to embark on a full shine restoration project, what would be the way to do it? I want to remove the tanic acid stains from the hull, removeoxidation, and attempt to restore that white shine. It is an 18 year old hull and I dont expect perfection, but want to maximize results. Saw some stuff on Amazon. Planning a trip to Bass Pro next weekend and want to get everything I need to start restoring the finish on this boat.

Thanks.

Also, it seems covering the trailer is wise..galvanized....how exactly do I do that with the boat on it?

 

[Home Cookin']

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

If you use toilet bowl cleaner on the hull (I would) just hose off the trailer as you go along.

If your Key West is like mine, pull up the whole deck plate and while the trailer is tilted, hose out the bilge. It doesn't have to be clean, but it can accumulate a lot of funkiness, some of which will hold moisture and cause problems (like leaks in the gas tank). This will also give you a chance to inspect the tanks and the hook-ups. While you're there, replace your fuel line from the tank to the water seperator (don't have one? add one)

INterior cleaning= dish soap with bleach; let it sit and work.

 

[BryanR]

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

Whoa?! I can pull up the deck plate? How? Id love to inspect those gas lines and replace. Wasnt sure how to access them. How can I do that?

 

[BryanR]

Re: Cosmetic Issues - newbie

Do you have pictures of that?