Finally an easy way to keep my bottom clean

I boat on the Ohio River. I trailer the boat each weekend. The most we stay in the water is 4 days. By then we normally have a nasty ole line of crud on the boat. Heck an hour after dumping in the water you could see the start of a line.

Wax would help. And a few years ago we started wiping the boat down at the boat ramp right after pulling out of the water. That way a lot of the crud would wipe off. If I pulled the two miles home from the boat ramp the crud would dry and be very hard to clean.

Last weekend for the first time I applied McGuire's Ceramic Wax. I was leary of it as it seemed to easy. Instructions were to clean boat, then spray on the McGuire's Ceramic Wax (simply using the spray bottle). Spray the whole boat. Then spray off the boat with the garden hose. Then wipe it dry with a micro fiber towel. To easy, right?

But it worked. After 4 days in the water Memorial day weekend I barely had a line. The difference was truly jaw dropping, so I had to share for others who might boat in water that leaves a nasty line, or any line. This stuff is amazing.

I had thoughts of reapplying before putting in this weekend but I didn't. So will see how well one application works for two weekends of boating.

 

That's interesting. I never had much of a line while in a slip. Water was pretty clean. But this year, my first launch was in the Erie Canal, very slow current and it was during the time the trees were blooming and all that "tree stuff" started piling up at the ramp. When I pulled the boat out, what a mess! No place to wash it until I got home. I'll have to try this stuff out. Thanks

BTW, I see you said "whole boat." You sprayed underneath too?

 

There is this new thing. Bottom paint, it works very well. Some say you will lose 2 knots. But paint is only applied every 1 or 2 years. A lot less work!

 

BTW, I see you said "whole boat." You sprayed underneath too?

i got the front half of the V. I did not get underneath the back half.

I know all about bottom paint. I put it on the houseboat we used to own. Handy, but i have a true speedboat. No thank you to bottom paint. thanks for the suggestion though.

 

There is this new thing. Bottom paint, it works very well. Some say you will lose 2 knots. But paint is only applied every 1 or 2 years. A lot less work!

I believe we are chatting about dirty water rather than growth. Bottom paint is for growth protection. I had good bottom treatment but its been out of production for awhile. I think bottom paint would be overkill if your boat is out or the water 90% of the time.

 

Back in the day (I love to say that) LOL. I used a product called VC-17 a copper based bottom paint when I first met my girl in 1992. Granted she has been a trailer queen since 92, but I have never washed her bottom, nor reapplied any more coats.
The one advertisement they made was, it would make the bottom slipperier with less resistance. They made one for sail boats that stayed soft and was designed to ware, and one for trailered boats that dried hard.

 

I boat on the Ohio River. I trailer the boat each weekend. The most we stay in the water is 4 days. By then we normally have a nasty ole line of crud on the boat. Heck an hour after dumping in the water you could see the start of a line.

Wax would help. And a few years ago we started wiping the boat down at the boat ramp right after pulling out of the water. That way a lot of the crud would wipe off. If I pulled the two miles home from the boat ramp the crud would dry and be very hard to clean.

Last weekend for the first time I applied McGuire's Ceramic Wax. I was leary of it as it seemed to easy. Instructions were to clean boat, then spray on the McGuire's Ceramic Wax (simply using the spray bottle). Spray the whole boat. Then spray off the boat with the garden hose. Then wipe it dry with a micro fiber towel. To easy, right?

But it worked. After 4 days in the water Memorial day weekend I barely had a line. The difference was truly jaw dropping, so I had to share for others who might boat in water that leaves a nasty line, or any line. This stuff is amazing.

I had thoughts of reapplying before putting in this weekend but I didn't. So will see how well one application works for two weekends of boating.

Look forward to hearing your report.

 

The line was worse last weekend when we pulled out. So we took her home and applied the 2nd coat.
So far this weekend I see a line but not bad. It's hard to tell for sure until I pull her out. Will do that tomorrow.
I expect it to be like the first time since there are two coats of the ceramic was on it. Then next weekend will tell the tale on whether two coats make a difference for two weekends of boating fun.

 

Now granted my girl is painted and most are gelcoat. Back in the mid 90's my nephew told me of this great Teflon wax, so I thought I'll give it a try.
I did a 2x2 sq. ft. area aft on the star side. Took her out for a 3-4 hr. run, came back to complete my test. Felt the area that had the wax on it, it did not feel slick, like when I first applied it some 5-6 hrs. ago, and it did not clean up any easier then the parts with out any wax. My 25+ year formula for giving my girl a bath (and not the same day). I do not wash her every time out, maybe 3-4 times a year, and only if we will be on a long road trip I will get her all dressed up. My formula is a bucket of water with some Dawn soap, some white distilled vinegar. It air dries and comes out looking like this, no steaks, no water spots. The only thing I have to towel is the glass, for some reason it will spot if you don't. Granted sometimes the bath tub ring is a little heavy and I may have to do the ring twice, both sides and the transom takes me less than an hr.

That white vertical line on the transom is not a scratch, it is the reflection of the stanchion. Lol
P.S. That was the last time she was ever was waxed.

 

She looks GREAT.

Rain here today so pulled her out earlier today. Line was same ole line. Ceramic wax did not prevent the line or lessen the line but it sure was easy to wipe off. Cleaned right up. So, While no miracle cure it does help. I'll continue to use it.

 

She looks GREAT.

Rain here today so pulled her out earlier today. Line was same ole line. Ceramic wax did not prevent the line or lessen the line but it sure was easy to wipe off. Cleaned right up. So, While no miracle cure it does help. I'll continue to use it.

Whatever works and makes the job faster and easier.

 

I believe we are chatting about dirty water rather than growth. Bottom paint is for growth protection. I had good bottom treatment but its been out of production for awhile. I think bottom paint would be overkill if your boat is out or the water 90% of the time.

I guess how dirty is dirty? How brackish is the water? Bottom paint will keep the bottom clean and it comes in many colors.

Pull the boat out and drive away. You could hose it down too.

 

I find the best way to keep the hull clean it to use the boat......

 

My end of Lake Erie is the shallowest part of the lake, and in one way or another it is fed with run off from the farm lands on the US side. sst's area is deeper and is cleaner, and so is the Canadian side. Like Phillbo says running it helps to keep it clean. However on my end a lot of launches have stagnant water, and that is where the film is the heaviest. One of my fishing launches is1mile inland and the water is really stagnant, that is where my white vinegar and Dawn Soap comes in handy. lol

 

Sitting in a marina for 6 months breeds some nasty growth. Bottom treatment is really necessary. The treatment I used to use didn't really eliminate it but either slowed the growth or made it easy to clean off. One day nearing the end of the season and nearing the usefulness of the treatment, as I was getting on my boat, the growth was really radical. Not plain slime but it looked like scaffolding building along the hull. I wondered how I was going to get it off. But the bottle said the best way to clean the bottom is keep it moving. So I took it for a ride, then dropped anchor and jumped in expecting to scrub away. Couldn't believe it, clean. Didn't have to scrub after all.

Keep your hull clean and spend your money on gasoline.