Conference unifix::sailing

    We get a lot of avation fuel on our boats since we are in line
    with one of the TF Green Airport runways in Warwick RI.
    
    For weekly washing (yes I wash down each week) I use Blue Poly car
    wash and a scrub brush for the nonskid (a terry towel for smooth
    surfaces.
    
    If things really get out of hand, I use boat life powered fiberglass
    cleaner.  It is probably something really simple, and available
    in bulk for $1.00 a ton, but I dont use enough to worry about
    the expense, and it works for the stubborn spots.
    
    Walt

    This subject was recently raised and discussed in Moody Owners
    Association Magazine CYGNET. The advice that was given by Moody's
    was warm to hot water with a domestic detergent and a nail brush.....
    Being somewhat cynical but willing to try anything last weekend
    I decided to give it a whirl on the cockpit floor that was slowly
    changing colour. Result from water that I could only just get my
    hand into with a domestic floor cleaner called FLASH plus nailbrush
    was good. We will over the next few weeks give all the areas a try.
    The non slip surfaces are an integral part of the decks but we so
    impressed our neighbours with a Westerly that has painted non slip
    surfaces that they tried a patch which seemed to come up well. Might
    be worth a try on your side of the puddle.
        
    Pete
        

    Why a nail brush and not something larger like a bathtub brush?

    A Nailbrush is recommended on the grounds that the bristles are
    a lot smaller and hence can do a better job of cleaning.  

    After trying a number of things, the combination that finally worked
    was Simple Green (looks like it's a degreaser much along the lines of
    Fantastic/409/etc..) and a nylon scrub brush. When the black tarry
    spots were too thick to be budged by the Simple Green and scrub
    brush. It became acetone, and a slowly dissolving toothbrush.
    
    All in all it worked. Many thanks to the folks who suggested Simple
    Green.
    
    Back to second part of my orginal question, what do you do to protect
    the the deck gelcoat without seriously impacting the co-efficient
    of friction between deck and boat shoe ?
    
    /jim

    	Believe it or not, WD40 is a good tar remover or so they claim.
     I have only tried it for that purpose a couple of times but seems
    to work.
    
    	Also Spray Nine works for most spots generally better then soft
    scrub.  You need to let it sit for a couple minutes on the spot
    as the label directions indicate.
    

    I spent some time with a professional awlgrip painter at the boat show
    a couple of weeks ago. I was asking him about painting topsides when he
    asked why. When I told him it looked old and dirty, he suggested
    cleaning the topsides with muretic (sp?) acid, the same stuff you use
    to clean soot off the fireplace bricks. He said a lot of the grime is
    organic and this will clean it all out. Afterwards, you rinse the stuff
    off. He said 9 times out of 10 the boat looks so much better, that the
    topsides paint is not needed.
    
    Has anyone ever tried this and did it work?
    
    
        Regards
    
         john

    John,
    
    I seem to remember buying a semi-paste gel coat cleaner at one point,
    and being a bit amazed to see some sort of caustic or acid ingredient
    listed prominently on the label.  
    
    It seems a lot of commercial cleaners have fairly strong sounding
    active ingredients.  What concentration they have compared to straight
    muriatic acid might be an interesting comparison.
    
    The job I had for that cleaner was to revove some rust stains from my
    cockpit sole.  Rust is still there.  So's the gel coat.
    
    djc
     

    re: .8, I read that olysitic acid (I know I'm spelling this wrong) will
    clean up rust. As for the non skid, try the deck cleaner from boat
    life. I think that's the manufacturer's name. I'll check it tonight.

Oxalic acid removes rust. There's an oxalic acid powder sold under the name of
Zud. It comes in a round can similar to other powdered cleansers such as Ajax.
Many grocery stores and hardware stores carry it.

You can mix a little water with it to make a paste, then spread it on the
affected area and wait awhile.

    
      I'm a chemist.. wish i was a sailor.
    
       muriatic acid is hydrochloric acid.  a strong acid.  Just about
    any acid will clean up rust.  what you look for is one that won't
    "clean up" everything else..
    ken
    

    Re: last few
    
    I think I'll give another try to getting rid of the rust when the
    temperature rises, and elysium emerges from its winter cocoon.
    
    Thanks all for the suggestions.
    
    djc