Dirt Magnet Canoe Question

[Guest]

I have a white composite Malecite that is the worst dirt magnet of any boat I have encountered, and I have owned other white canoes.

It is not just the color, the white gel coat was so thinly applied that the underlying weave of the cloth faintly shows through the gel coat.

That canoe would pick up a scum line if I paddled it in a pool of Perrier. Worse, every bit of pollen, pollution and road trip grime embeds in the visible weave. I wash it after trips, but even with some elbow grease and soft bristle brushing it is impossible to get all of the embedded grime out of the weave. In that weave begrimed state the otherwise attractive Malecite is fugly.

The question is how to fill that weave after the next time I scrub it clean. I am leery of rolling on/tipping out a thin fill coat of epoxy or varnish, knowing that there will still be crud trapped in the weave that might interfere with adhesion.

Scrub it as best I can and lay down a coat of Marine wax?

 

[frozentripper]

I've used sink and bathroom cleanser (Comet with bleach) to whiten stained gelcoat that ordinary detergent wouldn't clean... the label says scratch-free probably on harder sink surfaces but I suspect there actually is some with gelcoat since the rinse water is milky and probably holds powdery material that's been weathered on the surface.

How do solvents work (eg. acetone) in removing the dirt?

 

[Boatman53]

Mike, to remove the brown water stains just requires some white vinegar. Wet a rag wipe it on wait and repeat as needed. When the boat is white again rinse with water.
I use a stronger acid on the big boats but vinegar works just a little slower and safer.
Jim

 

[DanG]

Rattle cans of brown and green paint, enough to give it that redneck camo look. You'll never notice the dirt again.

 

[frozentripper]

PS... clarification, even water and detergent without any abrasive will cause the wash water from gelcoat to go milky, so after doing some reading, the gelcoat is probably oxidizing, and the oxidized surface is what's coming off. Gel coat is described as being soft and porous and prone to weathering which causes microscopic pitting which may be the reason it holds stains so easily.

This page recommends water, detergent, and bleach if necessary. Or, to degrease, MEK (?), or acetone. More aggressive cleaning means some polishing and abrasion to remove the micropitting.

http://www.boatus.com/boattech/casey...fiberglass.asp

Yawl git to see results here...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJ9H8QKu2fw