Cleaning & Protecting Sunbrella Dodger from Bird Droppings

Question:

Donald Kluberdanz asked:

Do you have a product or suggestion for maintaining/cleaning/protecting Dodger & Bimini "Sunbrella" material, particularly from bird droppings?

Answer:
Boat Clean Plus is excellent for cleaning the bird droppings from all soft surfaces, like Sunbrella canvas as well as hard surfaces like fiberglass. Simply spray it on, full strength, making sure that the entire mess is wet and allow it to work for 20 minutes or so, then rinse it clean. Although Boat Clean Plus is an aggressive cleaner, it is safe for all fabrics and stitching so it won't damage the canvas or leach the color.

As far as protecting the top from bird droppings, you need to find some way of discouraging the birds from leaving their presents, or covering the top with plastic, which may not be practical. There are numerous devices such as fake Owls, fishing line strung back and forth over the boat, probes or spikes temporarily attached to areas of your boat where they like to perch, etc. to discourage them. Boaters have reported various degrees of success with these items. It may be worth experimenting with them.

There is no chemical that will prevent the bird feces from sticking or attaching.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora

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Cleaning & shining Non-Skid decks and swim platforms

Question:

Tim asked:

I have a red Crownline, and on the top deck were the non skid surface is, it is always white and dull looking. What do I need to clean and make it shine again?

Answer:

First you need to clean the dirt, bacteria, pollutants and oxidation from the surface and clean out the pores. To do this, wash the deck with a 1:4 solution of Boat Clean Plus and water, using a Marine Scrub Mitt or sponge with some aggressive rubbing, and rinse clean. This will get rid of all the surface pollution.

Next deoxidize and deep clean the surface with Boat Scrub. Use a Marine Scrub Mitt or cloth. Apply the Boat Scrub to the Mitt and scrub the smooth surfaces until all the oxidation is removed and the surface is shiny. You will need a scrub brush to clean the non-skid areas. Rinse and let dry. Boat Scrub will remove the dead and damaged gelcoat without damaging the integral gelcoat. Be sure that the finish is shiny and there are no streaks, otherwise go over it again until it is smooth and shiny.

Sure Step will seal the pores in the gelcoat and give you a nice shiny, UV protective, low maintenance polish. It’s pressure sensitive, meaning that it’s slippery to light weights like dirt and pollutants, making it easy to keep clean, but when pressure is applied to the surface such as when you step on the deck with deck shoes or even bare feet, the weight creates pressure which gives you grip. And, the traction increases when the decks are wet.

Apply the Sure Step with a 2” foam paint roller. Be sure to spread it out as much as you can and push it into the surface. Let it dry to a haze. Wipe off the haze with a terry towel and buff the irregular non-skid surfaces with a 6” loose cotton jewelers buffing wheel on the end of a 18V portable drill. After 24 hours apply a 2nd coat. Now you will have a nice shiny deck again that will resist UV, dirt and pollutants. On white surfaces that are more reflective it should last 3 to 6 months, depending on how strong the sun is in your area. Darker surfaces may require reapplication more frequently as dark colors absorb more UV and will degrade faster.

Maintenance will be greatly reduced. No more scrubbing. In most cases rinsing with a garden hose and drying with a chamois is all that is required. If you need more aggressive claming, just wash it with a 1:15 solution of Boat Clean Plus and water with the rest of the boat and dry with a chamois to eliminate water spots.

You will find your decks safer to walk on because even though they are nice and shiny there will be no slipping.

Thanks for your question.

Captain Aurora

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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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