Hull Cleaner Advice

Need advice on hull cleaner application.

I keep a 19? bow rider in a small lake in Michigan all summer. When I pull it out in the fall there is quite a bit of growth on the hull. Every year I use an acidic based acid to clean the growth from the hull. I use ?West Marine Hull Cleaner? which I believe is a local brand. I forget the type of acid it is, but my guess is many of you know exactly what I am talking about. Always amazed how well it works.

My question is how to apply it? I have tried all sorts of methods and never found a good method. The acid quickly breaks down sponge and spray nozzles. Each year I have tried different combinations of methods. The only method that has worked is wearing rubber gloves putting hand into acid and wiping hand on hull. But to do this I have to lie under the boat and risk it dripping on me. Even with a sight shield this seems pretty dangerous.

I am doing this to a 19? Bow Rider while it is on the trailer.

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

oxalic acid is what I believe you're referring to.

There are several spray on brands available that you can try that spray on, sit for 5 mins and spray off with a garden hose.

Here is a thread that reference some different products

hope it helps.

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

What thread??????????????

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

a long handled brush has worked great for me. get a brush that has threads...

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

Sorry, I forgot to paste the link before I submitted my reply

http://forums.iboats.com/showthread.php?t=270592

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

Sno bowl toilet cleaner works pretty well and is cheap. I just used a cheap-o brush to put it on, let it sit for a few minutes, then hosed the snot out of it.

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

muriatic acid.

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

We use a brand of hull cleaner. Next time I need to get some, I'll try to get a generic oxalic acid.

Before we pull the boat in the fall, I swim under it with a good brush and clean off all the scum etc. After we pull it, there's still a stain on the gel coat.

We put the hull cleaner into household spray bottle, spray it on the hull, let it sit, then rinse / wipe it off. Since some of this is lying on our backs under the boat, we're careful to start on the centerline and work our way out so it doesn't drip on us.

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

Buy a cheap, 1-2 gallon tank sprayer that has a plastic nozzle. It works like a charm and no corrosion of the nozzle.

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

Bamboo said to use sno bowl toilet cleaner, i'm always hesistant to use household cleaning products on the boat. I keep my boat in a slip, so the runoff from any products I use go directly into Boston Harbor. I personally always use West Marine products, or any products made to be environmentally safe for the water.

Is there much of a difference between these products? I guess even waste water and household products that get flushed down the toilet, or down the sink eventually make it to the ocean. Is that true?

Re: Hull Cleaner Advice

dingbat said:

Buy a cheap, 1-2 gallon tank sprayer that has a plastic nozzle. It works like a charm and no corrosion of the nozzle.

Click to expand...

That's an excellent idea Dingbat. I think I'll give that a try this fall when I winterize my boat....