Hull growth

[airdvr1227]

I used the search function but I got way too many hits.

My rig has been sitting in a freshwater lake for about 5 weeks now at a slip. It has growth on the hull. Starting to get thick and I want to clean it off. I'm thinking I can get away with a pressure wash and possibly a scrub brush. Any cleaners or such I should be using?

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Hull growth

Muriatic acid in a pump sprayer. The marinas out here use it all the time. Just be careful of where you spay it, especially your trailer and the ground beneath. Ideally spray it in a vacant field that is dirt.

 

[sasto]

Re: Hull growth

If she were mine......I would pressure wash her, any discolor I would use phosphoric acid (SLX mixed 1:4 with water). Spray on, let her sit a couple minutes and hose off. Then a coat of wax or polish. I discolored a $300 rod holder one time using muratic acid. Others have used with sucess.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Hull growth

I'm on the +1 side for the muriatic. That said, you do have to be very careful and rinse the heck out of it. But I've yet to see any product do anywhere near as good of a job for such a cheap price.
Muriatic costs on a couple bucks for a gallon, and you dilute that with water.
Spritz on with one of those plastic spray bottles, then watch and hear the sizzle as the goop melts right away. Then rinse and rinse and rinse so you don't corrode anything.

 

[sasto]

Re: Hull growth

I'm on the +1 side for the muriatic. That said, you do have to be very careful and rinse the heck out of it. But I've yet to see any product do anywhere near as good of a job for such a cheap price.
Muriatic costs on a couple bucks for a gallon, and you dilute that with water.
Spritz on with one of those plastic spray bottles, then watch and hear the sizzle as the goop melts right away. Then rinse and rinse and rinse so you don't corrode anything.

....and that you are right about.... SLX will cost you about 5 times more $ than muratic acid.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Hull growth

Muriatic accid sounds like a PITA to work with. Went to WalMart last night and found some 'Hull Cleaner' with oxcalic acid as an ingredient. Gonna try that applied liberally with a pump sprayer, hit it with a pressure washer and see what happens.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Hull growth

Yeah, with muriatic you need to be careful handling it. I have it around to adjust the Ph in my hot tub. I tried one popular hull cleaner- Starbrite, and it didn't make a dent. If you find a good one, go for it.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Hull growth

Yeah, with muriatic you need to be careful handling it. I have it around to adjust the Ph in my hot tub. I tried one popular hull cleaner- Starbrite, and it didn't make a dent. If you find a good one, go for it.

Pretty sure that's the stuff he got. Wally World carries Starbright if I remember correctly.

To airdvr1227; while you have the boat out, and after you get the crud off the hull, do yourself a favor and paint the bottom if you're going to be keeping it in the water.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Hull growth

This is the stuff...Seasense Hull Cleaner Anyone ever use it?

I guess I haven't seen that many boats with bottom paint jobs that I thought looked good. If this is an easy clean-off I'll keep doing it. If it's a PITA I'll look into paint.

 

[jmarty10]

Re: Hull growth

If you have that much growth seasine will not make a dent. The pressure washer will get the fuzzy stuff off but not the heavy film/staining. At least that has been my experience

 

[JoLin]

Re: Hull growth

Muriatic accid sounds like a PITA to work with. Went to WalMart last night and found some 'Hull Cleaner' with oxcalic acid as an ingredient. Gonna try that applied liberally with a pump sprayer, hit it with a pressure washer and see what happens.

Oxalic acid works well, and is the active ingredient in all kinds of stuff. Just read the labels. I use a rust remover that I buy from HD.

Be sure to rinse with a LOT of water when you're done. Like any other acid, it'll start to eat at stuff you don't want it to, like your trailer.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Hull growth

Some of the local boat mechanics are offering "Acid Washing" of boats, for something like $10 or $12 per foot. Presumably they're using some type of acid. But $200 to wash my boat is a bit too rich for me.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Hull growth

I guess I haven't seen that many boats with bottom paint jobs that I thought looked good. If this is an easy clean-off I'll keep doing it. If it's a PITA I'll look into paint.

It's not about looking good. It's about proper boat/hull maintenance. You'll need to scrub the hull down about every 2 weeks (or less) to keep on top of the growth. With a proper bottom job, you'll benefit in fuel economy, efficiency, time saved, and labor saved.

I would imagine that if you keep the cycle going of growth/acid wash/growth/wash etc., it will take a toll on the gelcoat/finish of your hull.

But hey, it's your boat....

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Hull growth

It's not about looking good. It's about proper boat/hull maintenance. You'll need to scrub the hull down about every 2 weeks (or less) to keep on top of the growth. With a proper bottom job, you'll benefit in fuel economy, efficiency, time saved, and labor saved.

I would imagine that if you keep the cycle going of growth/acid wash/growth/wash etc., it will take a toll on the gelcoat/finish of your hull.

But hey, it's your boat....

good point.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Hull growth

Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night and start thinking about things I was going through the process in my head. One potential problem is the one hour drive home before I can get to the pressure washer. I read somewhere that you don't really want to let the junk dry. I'm pretty sure it'll be dry by the time I get home. So I'm wondering if I should spray the hull cleaner on as soon as I get it on the trailer or wait until I get home.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Hull growth

For me it didn't seem to matter. Just a plain pressure washer was not effective regardless of if the goop was dried or still wet.
I live close enough to my slip that the boat doesn't have a chance to dry unless I let it sit for a bit.
The muriatic acid took off the dried on crud like magic. My outdrive never looked so clean. The stuff worked so well, I really didn't even need the pressure washer, the garden hose with a plain nozzle worked well.
Not sure if pre spraying would help, or just waste product.

 

[Beefer]

Re: Hull growth

Ok, I need to back up on this. Is the boat going to be kept in water, or will you be trailering it. If it will be moored in the water for short periods, and traliered 90% of the time, then I take back what I was saying about bottom paint. In that case, I would just clean it good when I pull it out. But if it'll be in the water 90% of the time, then paint it with an ablative bottom paint.

 

[airdvr1227]

Re: Hull growth

It's at the wet slip most of the time. I just noticed how much gunk is on the hull last week. If this turns out to be an easy project I'll just keep cleaning it. In Ohio we only have about 5 months of real boating weather. The rest of the time it sits in storage on the trailer.

 

[Brewman61]

Re: Hull growth

You're in the same "boat" as I am. Minnesota- boat goes in the water sometime in May, depending on the weather. Stays in the water till mid October. 6 months, tops.
Looks like the creatue from the black lagoon when I haul it out.
Spend most of the day cleaning and winterizing, including removing the glop.

I keep telling myself that I'll pull it a couple times per month for a cleaning, but I never do. Just spend a couple hours at seasons end.

Boat doesn't seem any worse for it. Hull is in fine shape.

Maybe this year I'll take some before and after photos.

 

[roscoe]

Re: Hull growth

Hull growth is only a problem if it grows to large for the current powerplant.

I wish my hull would grow about 2 feet.