Keep your Com Pac Yacht clean

[Richard B.]

Re: oxalic acid / Dekswood

I'm about to go get some Dekswood to use on my new-to-me cp19. Any considerations with chemical reactions with metals? In other words, do I need to be careful around port lights, deck fittings, etc.? ...does it seem to dissolve bedding compound?

Also I'm working on freeing the Stainless rudder tension bolt from it's galvanic-ally corroded home in the Aluminum rudder housing. My plan is to soak it in liquid wrench for a few days, then apply heat to the aluminum if the liquid wrench doesn't do it.
Anyone have any experience or other advice on the matter!

Thanks all!  Happy Summer!!!!  

[PHOENIXCP27]

I have not seen a black mark yet the the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser will not handle.

[pbrenton]

I went with a product calles poly-glo (http://www.oxford.net/~craiglud/poli2.htm) that seemed a little rich at first, but we followed the instrctions and it performed precisely as advertised; about four hours of non-strenuous cleaning/application time the first season (7-8 coats, wiped on, after a good cleaning with their product) and seasonal 1-2 coats added (about 1/2 hour), and the fiberglass looks about as good as a 20-year-old boat can look.  Because it puts a layer of acylic on the hull, it makes between-coats cleanup very easy.

I bought a quart of Cetol light when I bought this boat three years ago, on the previous owner's recommendation and I haven't opened the quart yet.  The brightwork has not needed a bit of work until this coming season. The tiller is varnished and covered up, but the grab rails and the winch platforms will need some TLC this spring ("Ella J" in in Maine, so boat maintenance season starts in May).

I'm going to try the magic eraser on the one thing I find really tough despite the poly-glo; lobster pot bouy paint.  I have these bright threadlike traces where I plowed over a lobster bouy (hard not  to do sometimes in my area) and I've found only a great deal of elbow grease and/or some kind of abrasive takes it off (I actually usually just leave it, its only noticable close up anyway).

Pete

[dusty]

<nevermind>
what about inherited sails that have mildew (or whatever the brown stains are) all over them?

is there any way to safely clean that out?

i'm thinking 'oxyclean' or that CLR product, or even just dye the sails a non-white color.

is there a way to clean? several people have said "No." but there's just got to be a way! there's just got to...
</nevermind>

found "sail washing" under the 'model: cp 16' category

[spaul]

Hi Richard,
Oxalic acid is  a relatively mild acid using oxygen as the active atom. I know of no significant reaction with metals on your boat. I do suggest you scrub a little and then just rinse. I've left it on the gel coat for hours just to get all of the iron stain off the water line.
In our part of the country and in most the water line scum is mostly iron and calcium and magnesium salts that have dried. Lemon juice is great for these as is HCL or toilet bowl cleaner.
Oxalic acid is best used for getting iron stains out of many things especially clothes. It converts the non soluble form of iron to the soluble one and then you just wash it out. Same for gel coat. There is another gel coat stain remover that uses sodium flouride and it seems to be safe for fiberglass also. It is thick and blue comes in a small plastic jar. I think it's fiberglass stain remover.

Happy sailing,
Steve Paul
cp27/2 Nashville, IN

[dusty]

Also see the Boat and Hardware Modification :: Shiny Gelcoat Again thread