Powerwashing the Hull

[PollyAnna]

I recently purchased a 2000 X. It has been sitting in the lake for the past six years and a lot of pond scum has grown on the hull and engine's lower unit. I am thinking of using a powerwasher to clean off the scum, but don't want to mess up the gel coat. Has anyone done this before and any pressure sitting, solvents use, etc that I should take care with? Also, does anyone have an alternate solution to to cleaning the hull? I have seen products like Dri-Diver that allows you to clean the bottom from the slip.

Link to the Dri-Diver site:
http://dridiver.com/index.html

Thanks,

Gregg

[NiceAft]

Gregg,

In the far, upper right corner of the page you are viewing, there is an open space with "search" typed in it. Type in the word "powerwashing", and click the search button. You will be brought to a page that list other posts with the word "powerwashing" in it. Go down that list to see who has done powerwashing on their own boat. You can then send a private message to those whom you choose to. This may be a quicker way to getting an answer to your questions.


Ray

[Russ]

After a summer in the lake, our Mac's bottom was full of junk. I power washed it with the marina's gas powered power washer. It won't hurt the gelcoat, but it didn't get all the junk off. When we got home we used a solution of bleach and water to help get rid of the green stuff. I think some folks have used an acid wash that is nasty to work with but effective.

[PollyAnna]

RussMT,

Thank you. Looks like for a first pass to use plain water, starting with a lower power setting on the powerwasher. Then, if needed maybe use somehthing with a little more umph if needed.

Gregg

[Russ]

RussMT,

Thank you. Looks like for a first pass to use plain water, starting with a lower power setting on the powerwasher. Then, if needed maybe use somehthing with a little more umph if needed.

Gregg

Last year was the first year our boat got wet and over the summer it got pretty dirty on the bottom despite use all summer.

I started with your plan. I figured, it's just slime, it should come off easy. 30 seconds with the gas powered power washer (mine is electric) at the marina didn't make much of a dent in the slime. Eventually I got frustrated by the slow progress and just took the boat home. This, I fear, was a mistake. From what I've read, you gotta get that stuff off while wet and once it dries it's even harder to remove. The next day my power washer didn't make much of a dent and we resorted to a brush and bleach solution. We'd brush the bleach on with a brush, let it sit and then blasted it off. That helped but it still took a lot of elbow grease and power washer water to get it off. I think the muriatic (sp) acid would have worked better but I hear it's nasty stuff on your skin. I don't know what kind of slime you have but ours attached itself very well to the bottom. It also slowed the boat WAAAAY down.

The gelcoat is pretty strong and you aren't going to hurt it with a power washer or cleaners. Next year, I'm trying one of those bottom waxes that are supposed to reduce slime.

I'm thinking of getting one of those dri-diver scrubber things you linked to above. Perhaps some maintenance during the summer might keep the clean up job easier later on if it's not allowed to build up.

--Russ

[puggsy]

Go for it...It will not harm the hull...I use a KARCHER washer rated at about 1500psi...Its about the third or fourth model up from basic and the first with a METAL impellor. these units are basically a hobby unit and not so powerful as the professional ones that can get as high as 3,000 psi.
I use only water and do not use any form of detergent.
I have used it on the antifouling [ ablative] painted bottom and all it removes is the micro thin layer carrying the growth. It sure does save a lot of time and energy....
I personally have not had to use any sort of grit sandpaper...that in itself could damage the gelcoat.
just my opinion...Puggsy

[BK]

I also have powerwashed the hull with no problems of it taking off the trailor boat antifouling paint. The power washer takes the grime and growth off the engine support area that is in the water.
I use W/M trailor boat anti fouling paint and it is good for a season in the water. It only takes a few hours to orginally sand the gel coat for a good bond for the paint. Use 100 grit and go one inch below the black stripe. Apply with a small rollar and this allows you to reach way in and into the keel area.
This type of bottom paint from W/m allows the boat bottom paint to stay effective even when the boat is out of the water and then relaunched. Each year I apply a fast top coat in a couple of hours.

[March]

Careful with the powerwasher when you reach the McGregor letters, on the outer board, in line with the cockpit hatch. I managed to dent them last summer. A minor cosmetic disaster, but I wish I hadn't done it.

[jim nolan]

My boat sits it a slip for six months on a lake in upstate N.Y. I found a carwash 8 minutes from the lake. The last bay at the end of the building, must be for trucks. It has lots of power. For about ten bucks, it does a pretty good job. In the spring I use that blue painters tape and a two dollar can of krylon black paint to get a nice straight water line. Not perfect, but nobody knows but me.

[Bill Earnhardt]

I have taken my 26M to the car wash, and used the high pressure sprayer, and the foamy scrub brush,
no problems from it, but still leaves a brown scum. After it dries off for a day or two, I use Starbright Hull cleaner,
works great