Water Spots Will Not Come Off!

[plano86skier]

Good idea to try your on your father's boat first. Don't want to experiment on the 'bu.

[FijiRob]

Maybe try oven cleaner if you are afraid of the muriatic acid. Just spray it onto a towel and rub it on and let it sit about 30 seconds to a minute. Then buff off. You may need to apply it several times. As with the acid, do not let it set too long or permanent gel coat damage may occur. Do not spray it from the can on the gel coat either because it will splatter in places you do not want it to be.

I used this method to remove ID numbers that were painted on and it removed the numbers very nicely and the gel coat around it was sparkling clean.

Follow the oven cleaner with Klasse polish and a very good quality wax like Zymol Marina (not the cruddy Zymol at Target, but the GOOD stuff).

Good luck with those stubborn spots.

Rob

[sliver]

Thank you for all the suggestions. Just to make sure, I tried another coat of the 3M Finesse It II with the buffer with little improvement.

Should I try a compound with a little more cut before resorting to one of the more extreme suggestions? If so, what is the next 3M compound with more cut than the Finesse It II?

Also, I looked around for some clay and all I found was the Mothers Clay Bar. I read the packaging and it just said it was for "removing contaminants." No real directions though. I'm guessing you just spray on the included quick detailer and scrub the surface with the clay bar?

[smeagol]

Thank you for all the suggestions. Just to make sure, I tried another coat of the 3M Finesse It II with the buffer with little improvement.

Should I try a compound with a little more cut before resorting to one of the more extreme suggestions? If so, what is the next 3M compound with more cut than the Finesse It II?

Also, I looked around for some clay and all I found was the Mothers Clay Bar. I read the packaging and it just said it was for "removing contaminants." No real directions though. I'm guessing you just spray on the included quick detailer and scrub the surface with the clay bar?

I've not done the clay bar on my boat, but on my car, I put car wash liquid (a cap full) into a standard spray bottle of water. I spray it on a 2-3 sqft area to lubricate. Then rub spots off with clay bar. Continually pull and fold the clay bar on itself to keep its surface clean (if you drop the clay bar on the ground, throw it away). The bar will obviously pull the wax off your boat... as if you had any left after all you've done to it. Hope this works for you.

Edited July 26, 2006 by smeagol

[Romi]

I read the packaging and it just said it was for "removing contaminants."

Yes it does... it works great on clearcoat. It brings it back to a smooth finish. But we are talking about gelcoat... I have had great success with the stuff. I bet it will take some work with the what you are talking about.

[VinRLX]

Sliver, you're op says you tried vinegar and water. What was the ratio?

Have you tried straight white vinegar???

[sliver]

I tried it 50/50 first. Then after trying the other ideas, I went back with straight white vinegar.

I thought about something on the way home from work tonight. No matter how tight I tied the pads on the buffer, they never seemed to rotate at the speed of the buffer due to the "random orbit". The pads seemed to almost float on the buffer base. Any pressure at all would really slow the rotation of the pad. Seems like this would have reduced the effectiveness of the compound?

So, I wonder if I can convert the buffer to the velcro style to prevent the pad from slipping. I checked NAPA, Home Depot and Lowe's with no luck.

[ubugarrity]

Did you or anyone ever try "On and Off" from West Marine? I just got a boat lift so it was time to clean off the bottom. I could not get it white after trying all the tips from the forum. Peroxide and baking soda mixture was the best but there was still a slight stain. Then a friend gave me this stuff called On and Off. It litterally wipes the boat white instantly!! You have to wear rubber gloves because its acid. It says it won't hurt the gel coat and my friend has been using it for over ten years with no problems. You have to see it to believe it. I'm sure it should take off any other stains. Good luck!

[VinRLX]

Yeah, that On/Off stuff is good. Used it on a previous boat and it worked wonders on the hull. Be sure to follow the directions/precautions--a drop of it ate the hem off my wife's shorts. (yes, I had her work on the hull )

[SkinnyJ]

What 87skier said.

I had my boat in a wet slip for a couple of months while my trailer was being fixed. When I finally took the boat out of the water, it was covered with a nasty build-up of water deposits and water spots. Nothing would remove them. I tried everything. Finally resorted to muratic acid and water mix. The deposits and water spots were gone immediately!! No rubbing, no elbow grease. It is safe on gelcoats. Just remember a couple of things:

1) Pour the acid in LAST when mixing. (you could try several ratios if you don't want to do a 50/50 mix right off the bat.

2) Do not breathe fumes.

3) Don't touch.

4) Keep solution away from any metal.

[IceMelted]

I used a product called ZING... I used a paint roller, rolled the ZING on, (Making sure to only apply to the gelcoat) and then spray it off immediatly with a hose, (kinda like the instruction for the muriatic acid.) It worked great, made the white on the hull like brand new.

[sliver]

I think I may have mislead you all. Where ever the boat has constant contact with water (ie. below waterline), it's perfect thanks to Tony's Topical Toilet Tonic.

It's the area above the waterline where the water constantly splashes and dries that I'm having trouble with.

Thanks for all the tips! I bought some On And Off @ West Marine on Thurs. But, I also put the boat in on Thurs. so I haven't had a chance to try it yet. Is it safe for the decals? I'm assuming no. If not, how can I get the areas around the decals w/o ruining them?

Edited July 30, 2006 by sliver

[ilovetrains]

Those must be some impressive stains. I have developed some persistent ones on the chrome pieces around the docking lights and rear vents, filler caps etc. Figure it is recurring problem. But on gelcoat, I used a CLR like product and all spots came off.

I can't believe Vinegar did not work, that took concrete off my truck.

Maybe these aren't water spots after all? Could something have bleached the gelcoat?

[VinRLX]

Has anyone ever heard the old saying, 'full of piss and vinegar'? I stand by my previous post. YMMV

[SunriseH2OSkier]

On a side note: While not quite on the level of the infamous Rutat, after reading many of your posts over the past year or so, I can understand why Andy didn't take you seriously. Speaking of Rutat, does anyone know what happened to him? I miss the witty banter....kinda

Yeah, the biggest difference between Jack and Rutat is that once in a while Rutat actually added something worth a cr@p. Other than that, they are both just blowhards.

[VinRLX]

Yeah, the biggest difference between Jack and Rutat is that once in a while Rutat actually added something worth a cr@p. Other than that, they are both just blowhards.

Jerry, 'awhile' is one word. Perhaps learning to present your thoughts accurately will help you on a professional level. Then, indeed, I will have contributed something worth your crap.

[SunriseH2OSkier]

Yeah, the biggest difference between Jack and Rutat is that once in a while Rutat actually added something worth a cr@p. Other than that, they are both just blowhards.

Jerry, 'awhile' is one word. Perhaps learning to present your thoughts accurately will help you on a professional level. Then, indeed, I will have contributed something worth your crap.

Thanks for proving my point...

Merriam-Webster

Common Errors in English, or more specifically, Once in a while.

...Blowhard!

[andyb]

Since this thread has turned into a spelling lesson, the one that really bugs me is the constant substituting of "your" when "you're" is intended..

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/errors/your.html

[edwin]

Since we're going to air out the grammar peeves, I can't stand it when my father-in-law says 'irregardless'.

[VinRLX]

Ok, Jerry, your write. Irregardless, I think you should have used 'occasionally' in place of once in a while.

[SunriseH2OSkier]

Ok, Jerry, your write. Irregardless, I think you should have used 'occasionally' in place of once in a while.

[sliver]

FEEL 'DA LOVE

[andyb]

[perkas]

Yes, the boat is a little over due for a wax job. But, this is ridiculous

I've tried:

- Vinegar & water

- Tony's Topical Toilet Tonic (works magic on the hull but, no dice on the water spots)

- DuraGloss Marine Polish

- 3M Finesse It II

- Meguiar's Scratch X

These were all applied by hand. The lighter spots are gone though, the majority remain. I guess the only thing left to do is purchase a buffer...

Anything I'm missing or not thinking of?

[perkas]

Got home last night with 3 1/2 weeks on the water. Tons of water spots especially above the rub rail. My RLXI is black over platinum so the black really shows the spots. No amount of soap and water would help. This morning I took water and vinegar (1:1) and a terry cloth. It works. I think the trick is to work the solution over the gelcoat. I polished the cloth repeatedly over one section at a time, then rinsed the section with the garden hose after about 5-10 minutes of light rubbing. The spots came out. After I dried it and waxed it and now it is shining inside my garage and the lights aren't even on. Good luck.