What would be the best way to remove algae from my boat,is there someway to prevent or slow it down

dwolfdwolf Member Posts: 157 ✭✭
My boat has been having to sit in the water as I have not been able to find a lift for it so it's  getting algae on it, as long it was in the water I could use a brush and fairly easily remove the algae but when I remove the boat from the water to try to clean the algae off the Ozzie and dried before I got a chance to do it and now I'm having trouble removing it is there any way this better than any other or is there a easy way to do this I used a  pressure washer  which removed a lot of it but what's left on there is  not wanting to come off 

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Answers

  • chamberbchamberb Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    I am a big believer in Captain John's Boat Brite Algae and Waterline Stain Remover. Very little elbow grease required. 
  • youstolemybeeryoustolemybeer Member Posts: 246 ✭✭✭
    dollar store toilet cleaner, spray it on with a garden sprayer just before you put the boat back in the water.
  • randy56randy56 Member Posts: 4,083 ✭✭✭✭✭
    dwolf, there's serveral ways to tackle pond scum, I use attwood hual cleaner sometimes spray on hose off, if it is not etched on there, you will need rubber gloves and mask, if its etched in, then dollar store the works tolet bowl cleaner, and scrub, after hoseing off with water, it's a good idea to wax, useing these harsh cleaners take away anything you had on there. 
    Boat Name : 

  • frenchshipfrenchship Member Posts: 1,079 ✭✭✭
    Second BD, muriatic acid
  • MarkBMarkB Member Posts: 3,960 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Yup that's the stuff. If you want to avoid having to do this regularly then paint your bottom with anti fouling paint.

    Boat Name: King Kong

    "Boat + Water = Fun"

  • Dream_InnDream_Inn Member, Moderator Posts: 7,552 mod
    muratic acid with 50% water.  Gotta pour acid into water (or did I get the backwards?). 

    Dream 'Inn III -- 2008 400 Express

  • jme097jme097 Member Posts: 1,224 ✭✭✭
    Slimy Grimy. Get it on Amazon
    Boat Name: Knot A Worry
    2007 280 Rinker Express 6.2L B3
  • Cableguy GregCableguy Greg Member Posts: 5,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Slimy Grimy.
    2008 280 Express Cruiser, 6.2MPI, B3, Pittsburgh, PA "Blue Ayes"
    Go Steelers!!!
  • mvnmvn Member, Moderator Posts: 744 mod
    Dream_Inn said:
    muratic acid with 50% water.  Gotta pour acid into water (or did I get the backwards?). 
    You have it right.......acid into water.

    Mark
    Good,  fast,  cheap.... pick two. 
    2019 MTX20 Extreme

  • bella-vitabella-vita Member Posts: 411 ✭✭✭
    Muratic acid its what's in some of the cleaners,but gotta be careful with it rubber gloves long sleeve shirt.
    2002 Rinker FV 342
  • MarkBMarkB Member Posts: 3,960 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Always acid into water.

    Boat Name: King Kong

    "Boat + Water = Fun"

  • dwolfdwolf Member Posts: 157 ✭✭
    Thank all of you for your responses. First i tried tolite bowel cleaner mixed with  peroxide, someone locally had suggested this, took some off, next i tried  muriatic acid,took lil more algee off, then tried aluminum  Brightner which is hydrochloric acid, this did more than all the others, i'm surprised there was any shine left by the time I got done I still never did get it all off most seventh that was left was on the transom .then color sanded with 2500 grit compounded with.  Best cut  compound  then mirror glaze it with Maguires and then used turtle wax and top that off with liquid ice . It took me about three weeks of working on it nearly every day to get all of that completed the boat had only said in the water about five weeks and in those five weeks I had used it several times so it wasn't just sitting . Last weekend I put the boat back in the water and almost immediately algee was attacking it again. This time I took a car wash mop which is got a soft bristle brush on the end and a handle about 4 feet long and I went to an island out in the lake with a good Sandy shallow beach and the algae scrubs right off even the algee that was on there I couldn't remove before so as long as it's not dried on there and remains wet  it comes off fairly easy so I guess every time I take my boat out I'm going to be finding a sandy shollow beach where i can wakn around bout to keeo that crap washed off. The boats ive seen with bottom paint doesnt look very good.i need a lift bad for my 1996 rinker 232 captiva cc, ive been looking for several month to no avail.
  • BigWeekend88BigWeekend88 Member Posts: 52 ✭✭
    @dwolf  @chamberb -Captain John is a good friend of mine. We keep our boats at the same club... The algae and waterline stain remover is an amazing product. Right up there with the bird and spider dropping remover. Safe on the environment, and us too!
  • chamberbchamberb Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    @dwolf  @chamberb -Captain John is a good friend of mine. We keep our boats at the same club... The algae and waterline stain remover is an amazing product. Right up there with the bird and spider dropping remover. Safe on the environment, and us too!
    Excellent !!! Best product I have found so far, by far!!
  • dwolfdwolf Member Posts: 157 ✭✭
    I found  muratic acid to work best,i tried everything,even using muratic acid it was still a lot of hard work.I found the team you more often that you clean the hall the easier it is to remove I also found that not letting it dry before you started cleaning it made things easier also another words as soon as this pulled out of the lake you need to start pressure washing it. 
     Here's what I found to work best from start to finish as soon as I remove the boat from the water I pulled off to the side where I wasn't blocking anyone and took a couple of plastic scrapers like because you would spread Bondo with on the car something like that and scraped as much as it off as I possibly could which  came off fairly easily like this and then immediately started pressure washing and pressure washed as much off as I  possibly could then on the next go around I had someone with a big pump up spray bottle missed acid starting at the lower part of the boat first and working my way up to the top because doing it the other way around was causing it to streak real bad but I would leave the acid on there depending on the weather conditions of anywhere from a couple of minutes to maybe five minutes even it just depends on the temp.  I did it in small sections at a time so that I didn't have to worry about the acid drying and pressure washed the boat just moving slowly back-and-forth with the water stream hitting the boat an angle so that would get under the algae and scum in Weston off it also helped by buying what's called a turbo tip to put on the pressure washer giving it a lot more force. Then the next go-round we sprayed the boat with acid again and used soft bristle brushes like you would use in a car wash except a little softer and scrub the heck out of it making sure to not let any of the acid dry keeping the trailer nice and wet to keep the acid from staining the trailer I think we spent 10 or 12 hours doing the hall on my 24 foot   Rinker  232 Captiva. Then about two weeks later I did everything all over again it came off a lot easier this time because I had buffed and waxed the bottom of the boat before I put it in and it only went two weeks instead of four weeks  this time between cleaning . Well I can see this was going to get old real quick so I finally broke down and invested the money in a really nice brand-new custom made boatlift so no more having to  pull the boat out of the water to scrub the whole down to get the algae off of it now it's just a simple wash and wax I  appreciate everyone's input now,I took a little advice from several of you and came up with my own conclusion here hopefully what I came up with my help someone else I'm just glad that I won't have to go through it again like this
  • TonyWalkerTonyWalker Member Posts: 744 ✭✭✭
    This may or may not be practical for you to do but if you can take the boat out for a short spin once a week, it should reduce the algae problem quite a bit.
  • TonyWalkerTonyWalker Member Posts: 744 ✭✭✭
    I should add that the Salt Shaker is bottom painted and lives on her lift most of the time.  If I leave her in the water (salt) for anything over 7 days without taking her for a ride, the algae is beginning to form at that point.
  • DanD2DanD2 Member Posts: 847 ✭✭✭
    I just bought a container of Slimy Grimy.......I'm told this works wonders. Boat is coming home Oct 11 so I'll see how it works.
    No longer a boat owner.....previous boat - 2005 Rinker Fiesta Vee 342
  • chamberbchamberb Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    Slimy grimy is good. Captain Johns is way less scrubbing IMO. 
  • DanD2DanD2 Member Posts: 847 ✭✭✭
    Just ordered the Captain Johns......I'll give them both a try.
    No longer a boat owner.....previous boat - 2005 Rinker Fiesta Vee 342
  • chamberbchamberb Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    Good luck Dan!!
  • dwolfdwolf Member Posts: 157 ✭✭
    Having a new custom lift built to match my boat has done wonders. As soon as its on the lift i rinse and dry my boat, no more algea problems. In only two weeks time the growth was so much my top end went from 58mph. Down to 38 mph,i was shocked that algea caused this much drag. But no mote, thank you everyone for your advice. 
  • DanD2DanD2 Member Posts: 847 ✭✭✭
    I forgot to update you guys...as @chamberb stated, they both work but Captain Johns is definitely the better product. Bottom scum came off much easier with the Captain Johns product
    No longer a boat owner.....previous boat - 2005 Rinker Fiesta Vee 342
  • chamberbchamberb Member Posts: 265 ✭✭✭
    DanD2 said:
    I forgot to update you guys...as @chamberb stated, they both work but Captain Johns is definitely the better product. Bottom scum came off much easier with the Captain Johns product
    So glad to hear it Dan!!
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