What is the best way to clean black dirty grim frome the deck and hull of a sailboat that has been stored 2 yr

Question

What is the best way to clean black dirty grim frome the deck and hull of a sailboat that has been stored 2 yr

Answer 1

Elbow Grease.  Try some Starbrite Hull Cleaner.  This product does wonders.  It is non-abrasive and won't harm your gel coat.  It has oxalic acid and is made to clean rust, algae and any other water stains, from the hulls of boats left in the water for long periods of time.

Good Luck.  I am restoring a 1985 Run-A-Bout and I have tried just about everything.

Answer 2

I have a small power washer... (one of those $100 jobs from Sears) it lives (as I do) on my boat.  I use this thing for everything... in fact, I even wash the entire bottom of my vessel while she is in the water.  I wash hull, decks, deck sides, cabin exterior, engine and engine room, stairways... everything I possibly can with it... It is fast, easy, efficient... and WOW! Does it really do a super job... in fact, I just have to make sure I don't set the stream too hard or it would literally take the paint off.  I like this method because it doesn't require any soap or bleach... just water. The absense of any detergent use on my vessel is (I believe) the reason my paint holds up so long and so well.

Answer 3

Thats probably mildew. Laundry detergent and bleach will get rid of it, then wax it real well.

Answer 4

The EASIEST way to get rid of heavy mildew and other stubborn stains like spider droppings, etc. is to go to your local Home Depot or Lowes and buy  a gallon or 2 of  Thompsons or Olympic DECK WASH.  Spray it on, let it set for about 30 seconds, rinse it off with a hose and the stains will be gone!!!

It will not harm the gel coat or the fiberglass.  Wax the boat after it's clean and you won't believe the results obtained with very little effort.