wassachu
03-18-2008, 02:14 PM
Please refer to: http://plantclinic.cornell.edu/FactSheets/artfungus/artilleryfungus.htm
After my house was built, I parked my boat on the edge of the woods line where the wood chips were blown when they were clearing the lot. This huge pile of oak and pine wood chips was decaying and I started to see these tiny, hard shelled, black spots appear on my boat, from the roof to the trailer. I thought it was some kind of insect poop but it wouldn't come off. I can scrape the hard shells off but a black tary substance is left that stains the fiberglass. I have a huge list of products I've tried and nothing touches these spots. It was the next year when I was lead to the above link and knew what I had. I've moved the boat and am trying to remove that huge pile.
I've tried: MEK, Acetone, Paint Thinner, Bleach, On-Off Bottom Cleaner(contains a mild acid), Rubbing Compounds and a slew of cleaners. Nothing touched these spots. I had a Marine Surveyor and a Boat Finisher look at them and I was told to use 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper sanding wet followed by a rubbing compound, a polishing compound and a wax. My boat is a 22 foot hardtop and is now covered with these spots. My old body has a workout ahead of me. My boat is a 1990 and has seen a lot of sun so it's oxidized which didn't help. It should have been waxed more often. Second thought too late. Insurance won't cover it. They concider it a mold or mildew.
Please keep your toys away from piles of wood chips. I'd hate to see others go through this.
After my house was built, I parked my boat on the edge of the woods line where the wood chips were blown when they were clearing the lot. This huge pile of oak and pine wood chips was decaying and I started to see these tiny, hard shelled, black spots appear on my boat, from the roof to the trailer. I thought it was some kind of insect poop but it wouldn't come off. I can scrape the hard shells off but a black tary substance is left that stains the fiberglass. I have a huge list of products I've tried and nothing touches these spots. It was the next year when I was lead to the above link and knew what I had. I've moved the boat and am trying to remove that huge pile.
I've tried: MEK, Acetone, Paint Thinner, Bleach, On-Off Bottom Cleaner(contains a mild acid), Rubbing Compounds and a slew of cleaners. Nothing touched these spots. I had a Marine Surveyor and a Boat Finisher look at them and I was told to use 1000 grit wet/dry sandpaper sanding wet followed by a rubbing compound, a polishing compound and a wax. My boat is a 22 foot hardtop and is now covered with these spots. My old body has a workout ahead of me. My boat is a 1990 and has seen a lot of sun so it's oxidized which didn't help. It should have been waxed more often. Second thought too late. Insurance won't cover it. They concider it a mold or mildew.
Please keep your toys away from piles of wood chips. I'd hate to see others go through this.