Removing Stickiness from Vinyl and Rubber

Question:
John Wright asked:
The rubber around my rear view mirror and the vinyl on a side panel along the driver’s seat have become sticky. I assume it is some kind of UV breakdown. The boat is a 2000 Ski Nautique. Will one of your products, perhaps speed clean, remove the stickiness?

Answer:

Once vinyl and rubber becomes sticky it’s usually a sign that the damage is irreparable, however if the materials are not too badly damaged, Speed Clean may remove the sticky surface. It’s worth a try before you replace these items, but no guarantees. If it works, you have saved yourself the expense of replacing these items. If you do get it off, be sure to protect the surfaces with Vinyl Guard to reduce the chance of reoccurrence. Vinyl Guard will restore some of the lost plasticizers which will help protect the vinyl and rubber.

From your description it sounds like something was applied to the surface which caused a migration of the plasticizers out of the material which in turn led to degradation from UV rays from the sun. Some of the causes of this type of damage are using the wrong cleaners or protectors, suntan oil and insect repellents. If the driver used sun blocker or suntan oil on his arm and rubbed it on the vinyl, this would explain why the side panel was damaged. In future clean the vinyl with Boat Clean Plus and apply several coats of Vinyl Guard to all of the vinyl and rubber to prevent this from happening again. Vinyl Guard is different than other protectors. It uses new polymer technology instead of solvents. It’s not greasy or slippery and will protect against suntan oil and sun blocker damage as well as UV, food and beverage spills etc.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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Protecting Boat Bottom in Brackish Water

Question:
Simon Williams asked:
Can VS721 be used to protect an unpainted fiberglass boat bottom that I plan to store in brackish water for the summer season? I'm trying to avoid bottom painting my Mastercraft ski boat. It's stored approximately 5 miles up a river inland from the southern NJ shore.

Answer:

Boat owners have had mixed results with VS721 in your part of the country. Brackish water will still support algae and barnacles so these can attach to boat bottoms and in some cases stain the gelcoat as well. VS721 will keep your bottom clean if you use your boat on a regular basis or if you wipe the slime off as it begins to appear. In this instance, bacterial slime is at the bottom of the food chain so if you can keep it off you will not be providing a host for algae and barnacles.

If you plan to leave your boat stationary in the slip for weeks at a time or if you allow slime to accumulate, growth will eventually attach. The benefit of VS721 is that it will seal the pores in the gelcoat against osmosis blisters and make marine growth much more difficult to attach and easier to remove. Even toxic bottom paint has limited effect at stopping growth on stationary boats in your area.

Those are your options. The reality is that as boat owners realize the damage they are causing to the environment, by polluting the water with bottom paints that leach heavy metals and neurotoxins into the water, they will seek alternatives before it’s too late and we completely destroy our planet. The oil leak catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico is a stark reminder of what can happen when we try to take shortcuts and things go horribly wrong. Environment friendly alternatives, in some cases, will require more maintenance on our part. VS721 is one of those alternatives. The heavier the natural growth in an area, the more maintenance will be required.

If you can wipe the bottom from time to time, I would recommend using VS721 on your boat. If not, you can use bottom paint for the short term but understand that in the near future, it may be banned as it already is in parts of Europe and California.

Thanks for you question

Captain Aurora

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Will Alumabrite runoff damage glass, plastic, electronics

Question:
John Bartolf asked:
Can I use Alumabrite on my hard top, t-top, aluminum framing without worrying about it dripping on the windsheild, vinyl, plastic and electronics? Will your product bring back that new look without polishing afterwards? Where is your closest supplier.

Answer:
Alumabrite is an acid based cleaner that will etch glass. It normally does not bother most plastics but could cause streaking on some and it can corrode electronic components and wiring and may streak other metal. It will not harm fiberglass providing it's rinsed off. You need to mask off and protect these components with plastic sheeting or plastic bags and masking tape or a coating of grease.

Alumabrite will bring back the shiny silver color of aluminum without polishing. We recommend that you do a test to determine the ideal concentration and waiting time before rinsing it off for best results. We also recommend washing it afterwards with a 1:4 solution of Boat Clean Plus and water to remove any residue and neutralize any Alumabrite that may not have been completely rinsed away. After, if you protect it with Alumetron, it will stay bright and shiny and resist corrosion.

You can read the full instructions here:

http://www.auroramarine.com/aurora/howto/howto_alumabrite.html

All of our dealers are listed in the Find a Dealer section of our Website http://auroramarine.com/. If there are no dealers near you, you can order on line in the Buy it Now section.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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Will Clear View Keep my Ports from Fogging?

Question:
M. D’Angelo asked:
I have an older boat with tinted, plastic ports that are foggy and discolored due to weathering. I’m guessing the ports are made of a Plexiglas type material. I can polish them with a mild automotive rubbing compound and they will clear up for a short time (about a month) but always foul up again. Will your Clear View product, especially the protector coating, keep them looking cleaner for a longer period of time? Thanks for any advice you can offer.

Answer:
Yes, Clear View will keep your see through plastic clear longer.

We do not recommend that you use rubbing compounds or sandpaper on your ports as it can cause additional damage and distortion of the plastic. The Clear View No. 1 cleaner / restorer is easier to use, will do a better job and is less injurious to the plastic surface. Clear View No. 2 should be applied about every 6 to 12 weeks to keep the ports clear and protected. Because you have been using rubbing compound, you may have to apply it more frequently. Clear View No. 2 contains UV protection and anti-static materials and other ingredients to protect the surface of your plastic.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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Delamination of the Paint from the Surface of the Aluminum caused by Oxidation

Question:
Matt Klein asked:
I have a problem with painted aluminum window frames that have delamination of the paint from the surface of the aluminum caused by oxidation. After application of Alumetron to a clean bonding surface is it possible then to coat over the Alumetron with paint-i.e. will paint bond to Alumetron? If so, what types of paint, spray paint?

Answer:
Yes you can paint over Alumetron with a water based latex paint. For added protection, you can then overcoat the paint with a couple of coats of Alumetron. Because of its chemical bonding properties, Alumetron makes an excellent aluminum primer for water based paint.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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VS721 the "way to go" in Salt Water

Question:

Allen Nonnenmacher has submitted the following:

I purchased a 1999 Bayliner Capri cuddy in the fall of last year. This was a fresh water boat and never bottom painted. The hull is pristine and looks like it just came from the factory.

I will be keeping the boat in the water at a marina in Staten Island, New York this summer. I really hate the idea of applying antifouling bottom paint to the hull.

What kind of success can I realistically expect with VS721 bottom coat in the waters of my area?

Answer:

VS721 does not contain poisonous biocides but relies on its super slippery finish to impede the attachment of marine fouling. It’s perfectly clear and will seal the pores in the gelcoat to prevent osmosis blisters. It will give you about the same anti-fouling properties as VC17 racing paint without the hassles of painting and maintaining a painted bottom.

Marine fouling in the North East coast of the US and Canada has become progressively worse over the past two decades so that now it is more aggressive than in the Florida area. No one knows why but it is speculated that the strains of algae and barnacles in the area have mutated over time to become more resistant to the pollutants and biocides in the water and are becoming ever more difficult to control. Even high load copper anti-fouling paints are barley adequate to keep up, especially if the boat is left moored for prolonged periods of time.

If you plan to use your boat on a regular basis and can wipe off the slime every few weeks, VS721 will work for you. If your boat will be stationary for weeks at a time and if you can not keep the slime from accumulating then toxic paint is the only answer otherwise you will get growth on the bottom of your boat. If you decide to paint, I suggest that first you apply a barrier coat to prevent osmosis blisters and then ask around to find what others are using successfully. I suspect that you will have to use the most toxic paint that is still legally available in your area. The most effective paints have been banned because of the damage they were causing to the environment.

Sales of VS721 continue to increase each year in the range of 350% to 450% so it works for a lot of boat owners, both in fresh and salt water but we have been getting a few complaints from boat owners in your area. This is from boat owners that do not take their boats out for weeks or months at a time. The abrasion from the water when running the boat is usually sufficient to knock off the slime and if there is not slime to feed on, algae and barnacles will not attach. VS721 will also make the bottom considerably easier to clean if you do get some growth.

The final choice of bottom protection will depend on how you use and maintain your boat.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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Cleaning Carpet in a Bow Rider

Question:

Gilles Racicot asked:

Would Aurora have a product to clean the carpets for a 17 foot bowrider?
There is a buildup of green musty and moldy residue on the carpets. Any suggestions regarding this matter. Would a carpet cleaner with a cleaning solution do the trick or would I be able to scrub it out with a brush and a solution?

Answer:

Aurora Boat Clean Plus will do a better job of cleaning boat carpet than professional steam cleaning.

If it’s a snap in carpet, remove it and clean it on the dock, driveway or on a lawn. If it’s permanently attached, you can clean it in the boat.

The directions are:
1. Pre-spot clean the carpet. In other words, spray straight Boat Clean Plus on any stains, heavy soiling, mould or mildew.
2. Wet the carpet with a garden hose.
3. Spray Boat Clean Plus evenly over the carpet.
4. Use a deck brush or stiff bristled scrub brush and give the carpet a good scrubbing in all directions, paying special attention to the stained or heavy soiled areas. You should see foam from the brushing. That indicates that you have enough Boat Clean Plus on the surface. If not, spray some more. If you are getting heavy foam, you are using too much.
5. Rinse well with water
6. Let dry in the sun
7. When dry, vacuum the carpet to fluff up the pile.
8. When the carpet is out of the boat, use Boat Scrub on the fiberglass to deep clean any remaining mould spores out of the pores in the gelcoat. Rinse, dry and apply 2 coats of Premium Boat Shine to seal the pores and protect the gelcoat against further damage or mould spore propagation.

You can also use Boat Clean Plus to clean the vinyl seats.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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