johnnyonspot wrote: ... I own a Mac 25 that looks like it has never had a coat of bottom paint or barrier coat. When I got it last spring there was a layer of crud on the bottom to the waterline, and the PO told me he had it tied up to his dock all the previous summer. Muriatic acid easily removed the bottom crud. ... I am okay with scrubbing the bottom a few times during the summer while it is in the water, and/or immediately after pulling the boat from the water before I take a planned trip to the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior. I am also okay with cleaning it again with the muriatic acid at the end of the season. I bought the boat for $2,400 and thus do not have a lot into it, which means a bottom job would be about one-fifth of its value in paint alone. ...
How did you apply & remove the muriatic acid?
Split from thread about Do I need bottom paint? (Blisters, etc) ~fc
Last edited by Frank C on Fri Feb 09, 2007 7:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Frank C wrote:How did you apply & remove the muriatic acid?
I poured the acid into a paint pan and used a paint roller with man-helper to apply it to the bottom while the boat was on the trailer. It was done one small section at a time. I had a hose handy and rinsed the bottom and the trailer frequently to avoid corrosion. I was unable to get strips of the bottom that were covered by the bunks, however. This was all done on a cement slab.
The wax sounds like a good idea. I will look into it.
I agree blisters should not be a problem since if the PO had no problems then I should not either. Perhaps those are the famous last words of a fool, though.
James V wrote:As I recall, there is a product called "Slime Away" sold at West Marine that is not as caustic and works well.
Reports are that it is good.
Perhaps you mean 'Lime-Away" the acidic stuff for removing scale and other debris? Or then again, maybe there's a companion product for boats called 'Slime-Away' !
I used a product called SLIMY GRIMY, perhaps this is the product you were referring to.
When I removed Nice Aft from the Delaware River at the end of last season, it's bottom looked like it had grown green hair. The Slimy Grimy did an amazing job. I mean it! The stuff was great. Here is the site for the spray bottle. I bought a gallon sprayer and mixed the dry chemical version of Slimy Grimy so I could do a larger area than the 32oz sprayer allows.
Look at my rudders in this picture. When I pulled the boat out at the end of the season, the whole bottom looked worse than that! Slimy Grimy removed all of it in two spray applications.
Ray
I have that problem on my 26X bottom, and nothing seems to work, so thanks for that report on SlimyGrimy. Some quick Googling found it MUCH less expensive at iboats.com, but especially cheaper (about half-price) at ShipShore.
Unfortunately, haven't yet been able to get ShipShore's shopping cart to respond.
I first heard about Slimy Grimy on this site. Someone had seen it used on a boat that was just taken out of the water. I was not able to do that. I had to wait until I got home. I don't remember if the instructions say anything about working better if wet. All I know is it worked. Some areas of the boat required a third application, but at no time did I scrub! It was just schmootzy one moment, and gone another.
I just ordered the one-pound (dry) tub of SlimyGrimy from ShipShore (linked above). Their price is only $16, but they RIP the S&H for another nine bucks ... total delivered at $25. That's still less than total-delivered by ordering direct from the mfg. I'll report results later, but hopes are high per Ray's results!
See my problem? Various chemicals worked, but req'd lots of scrubbing after the yellow-brown grunge has had time to dry.
Is it West Coast thing? I see you get the "brown beard" also. Muriatic acid will remove the stuff, but is a nasty chemical!! The green stuff is not much of a problem. Bleach will get most of it.
Let us know how the Slimy Grimy works. I don't have bottom paint, but am considring getting a temporary slip this summer for three months. Diver every other week and a really good scrubbing after the boat is out. Go after the slime as soon (hours, not days) after you get it out of the water. It is much easier that way.
My problem happened over about 3 weeks in the Bay. The trailer sat at my welders shop for some upgrades after installing disc brakes & 15" wheels. I should have pressure washed as soon as I pulled the boat, but time was short. After a week, it's stuck on there like ... like stucco~!
I used a weak hydrochloric solution (basically a weaker version of Muriatic acid) and it worked in some places, as shown on port transom. Other places seemed it had no effect. I'll report back after trying the SlimyGrimy.
Found it! I knew I first heard about the product from a posting on this site It was Chip. Here is his posting:
Chip Hindes wrote:Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 7:00 pm Post subject: Bottom Cleaning
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pulled our X for the season yesterday. The boat had been two weeks in salt water in NC, then in a freshwater slip in upstate NY since early July with no cleaning at all, and the bottom was pretty nasty with fuzzy brownish green algae and stains.
While derigging in the ramp parking lot ran into a 26S owner also derigging. He saw the bottom of my boat and offered a product called Slimy Grimy in a two gallon pump sprayer which he had left over from cleaning his own boat. First Mate sprayed the boat while I degrigged.
I have in the past used heavy duty bottom cleaner from West Marine which is oxalic acid based. Works well but it is also pretty nasty; even with rubber gloves and eye protection I've managed to burn myself regularly, and it will trash the trailer if you don't wash it off promptly.
Slimy Grimy seems to work better and it's advertized not to damage the trailer, not harm fish, biodegradable, etc. Without scrubbing or rinsing the bottom was acceptably clean, one more app perhaps with a little brushing and rinsing it will be spotless white. Unfortunately I was busy with derigging and did not see the nearly clean bottom until after he had left. I will be forever grateful to this unknown Mac owner.
Gotta get me some; I have no connection with this stuff.
Greetings from Plano, Tx,Hi 45-Lo 38,
i read every thread on this list as it comes up, but don't put my two cents in very often, due mostly not sailing very often ,due to cost,and location of boat ,as well as try to get a bionic body to work, due to old age and neck and back injurys.
This item looks like THE ticket for boat bottoms, fiberglass or alum. Has anyone looked to see if it rates as an enviromentally save product, I think CA residents have to be more carefull than others what they use around lakes and ocean water,however we should ALL be aware of lake pollution, muratic acid is a sure no NO!!
a ? for Frank C,-- I see you had your rudder brackets beafed up with welding ,if I may ask what was the cost to do so.? I have enjoyed all of this sites input on sailing for the ordinary sailor.
fairwinds to all, Pegleg
on Edit: Sorry, I see the product IS biodegradable. Pegleg
Bought a tub and used it as a bottom prep before apply my new bottom coat. Took a bunch of pictures before and after. The boat waqs out of the water about 36 hours before I could apply it. I aslo used a pressure washer. I used the slimy grimy in several spots and the pressure washer alone in others. I don't know how long it was since she was last hauled to give you a referance but the only difference was in that my wallet was $25.00 lighter. It may work better on light growth. I'll post the picture when I finish the rest of the projects. Frank like to hear about your results
mike
I did a little digging on Slimy Grimy and a couple of sailing boards state that it is a buffered oxalic adid product - would still be a corrosion risk to trailer and need to handled carefully
I cant vouch for this info, but someone who has it can probably request a MSDS (Material safety data sheet) which would settle that question.
It was Chip. Here is his 