Cleinin' da deck

[Sgt_Nutz]

Ok, I didnt cover the boat and parked it under the trees. Caterpilar droppings or tree 'stuff' I don't know but I got all these brown water stains on the deck that the cheap boat wash wont take up. Any recomendations for a good boat soap that won't hurt the gelcoat?

[Vectorfisher]

Mary Kates on/off dont let it sit on anything metal for too long it is muriatic acid, should have your deck sparkly clean in a jiffy

[Raven]

not sure how long it was parked but if it was oak leaves falling
on the boat
then your dealing with tanic acid which also stains cement....

i'd try chlorine bleach diluted with water and some dish soap...
start weak ....go stronger as needed.

dont use pool chlorine as thats 90% pure
and laundry bleach is @ 10 % concentration

lemon juice will bleach stains out too.

[ProfessorM]

Soft scrub with bleach works great. Rub it in and let set for a min. or 2 and then rinse. Paul

[BEETLE]

Its those F-ing little green catepillars again this year, I got em here at my house, they said they would be bad this spring, there already eating the leaves as fast as they sprout.

Soft scrub with bleach works the balls, use it with a soft scrub brush on a textured deck surface.

[devils fiddle]

1.on-off (keep off metal, don't inhale)
2.fsr stain remover gel
3.soft scrub
4.barkeepers friend
these are essential products for those hard stains.usually go with the on/off to start. fsr works great on hard to get stains as well, wet the deck put gel on and come back in 10 minutes stain all gone. this time a year is a beeatch on the boat nearly impossible to keep decks clean.

[GBOUTDOORS]

Greased Lightning works great they even have a ocean freindly version at Boat Us.

[MakoMike]

I'll second the recommendation for on and off. I use it on tough stains and they come off like magic. Works almost as well as acetone, without the worries. Just don't breathe the fumes or leave it sit on anything metal. Best applied to a dry deck, no matter what the instructions say.

[Sgt_Nutz]

Yippeee...looks like I have an excuse for a trip to the boat store. Thanks for all the input.

[slapshot]

I'm getting those same stains on my boat, its very frustrating. Will the above listed products also take off the wax I just put on the smooth surfaces?

I was hoping that the wax would provide a barrier coating to those stains, but it does not appear to be the case?

[likwid]

Soft Scrub + Ajax mix takes everything off decks.

[ProfessorM]

The gypsy moths and winter moth catepillars are already eating the oaks and %$%$%$%$ting all over the place. Invest in a tarp to throw over the boat till they are done. Helps keep the pollen off too. I just noticed this weekend my tin boat was covered. Paul

[macojoe]

Family Dollar, $2 a bottle mold and mildew cleaner. Spray it and watch it melt away!! I go thur this every year!!! I hate it.

We bearly have any leaves on the trees here on the Cape.

[Sgt_Nutz]

We have plenty of leaves here which means the caterpillars to go with them. And they are eating up a storm. I think they predicted that this would be the worst year to date for wintermoths. This is just from Wed. when I fished last and was to lazy to put the tarp on the boat. I think I will end up waiting until after this Wed. trip to clean up again.

[Raven]

Originally Posted by Professor Moriarty

The gypsy moths and winter moth catepillars are already eating the oaks Paul

doesnt baccilus thurengitus (sp) work on gypsy moth catapillers?
i'm thinking no....

[ProfessorM]

I'm pretty sure BT will work, and safe too, but the problem is getting it up 70 feet in the air to kill them. You also want to get to them while they are small if they get big they are harder to kill. It is going to be a bad year in my neck of the woods. They are starting very early this year. I think there is going to be competition between the winter moths and the gypsy moths for the same food source. I can remember 20 or so years ago that they ate every oak and then actually ate the pines. Looks like a forest fire went thru the area. Maybe they will kill each other off. P.M.

[Sgt_Nutz]

My father got so frustrated last year he took a leaf blower and a can of raid. It didnt get up 70' but he said it sure was raining dead cats'. Dont imagine it was to healthy for him either. This year he hired some company to do it. They used a truck with a preasure hose. It seems to have held them off somewhat so far. They are working on the oaks here. Maybe when they have finished off those they will move on to the dandylions, poison ivy and other asorted leaves.
Just bought some Soft Scrub w/bleach. Will give it a try tomorrow.

[Mr. Sandman]

I am going to try this on-off stuff I hear you guys talk about. I had my boat in the boatyard for a while and some it had some VERY serious bird crap(cormorants I think) all over the boat. It dried and I had my son hit it with a hose and water and boat soap. Well it turnned EVERYTHING it touched BLACK. Like ink. I was in the glass I tried everything (and a full day of scrubbing) I had and got some of it off but it is still grey in places. I am hoping it wears off. That was the worst stuff I have ever seen on glass.

[MakoMike]

Sandy,
I don't think you'll be disappointed with the On & off. For the bird poop I would soak it with water before hitting it with O&F. Put some rags or something over it to hold the water on for an hour or so, then remove the rags and use the O&F.