Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem is
that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf stains. I
tried most everything I could think of that would not damage the gel coat.
The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA

" Bob Marchese" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem is
that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf stains.
I
tried most everything I could think of that would not damage the gel coat.
The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA



Bob,

After trying everything else, I used to use Comet, then wax again. However,
I have found over the years that if you just wash the boat regularly, the
sun eventually beaches out the stains and in a month or so they will be
gone.

How's the harbor looking this year?

Eisboch

"Eisboch" wrote in message
. ..

" Bob Marchese" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem is
that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf
stains.
I
tried most everything I could think of that would not damage the gel
coat.
The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA



Bob,

After trying everything else, I used to use Comet, then wax again.
However,
I have found over the years that if you just wash the boat regularly, the
sun eventually beaches out the stains and in a month or so they will be
gone.

That is a pretty amazing phenomenon isn't it?

db




How's the harbor looking this year?

Eisboch

On Sun, 30 May 2004 13:19:19 GMT, " Bob Marchese"
wrote:

Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem is
that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf stains. I
tried most everything I could think of that would not damage the gel coat.
The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA

Have you tried oxalic acid yet?

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

"John H" wrote
Have you tried oxalic acid yet?

That's the stuff. I get mine in powdered concentrate form from the local
home improvement joint under the name "wood bleach" or something like that.
The reason stains are so hard to get out of fiberglass is that it's porous,
kind of sponge like at a microscopic level and the stains get down into
those little pores. OA will penetrate the pores and remove the stain without
removing any of the material like you would if you tried to abrade the stain
away.

On Mon, 31 May 2004 11:51:13 -0400, "Joe Blizzard" wrote:

"John H" wrote
Have you tried oxalic acid yet?

That's the stuff. I get mine in powdered concentrate form from the local
home improvement joint under the name "wood bleach" or something like that.
The reason stains are so hard to get out of fiberglass is that it's porous,
kind of sponge like at a microscopic level and the stains get down into
those little pores. OA will penetrate the pores and remove the stain without
removing any of the material like you would if you tried to abrade the stain
away.


Buying the powder from a hardware store, or whatever, and mixing your own is
much cheaper than buying the pre-mixed stuff at West Marine. I mix a gallon at a
time and apply it with a spray bottle. Good stuff!

John H

On the 'Poco Loco' out of Deale, MD
on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay!

" Bob Marchese" wrote in message
hlink.net
Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem
is that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf
stains. I tried most everything I could think of that would not
damage the gel coat. The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA

Check out meguires wax and surface cleaning solutions (search the web for
it, there are thousands of websites that have it). I haven't tried it on a
boat, but several other fiberglass things (Corvettes ((newer all fiberglass
ones)), snowmobiles, storage sheds, RV's ((with fiberglass sides)), all of
which have gelcoat/are outside in the weather/etc, and it usually works very
well for all of them. It's a bit pricey, but their multi-step surface
renewal system really works well.

Just an aside, there are certain stains that get into the gelcoat but go
away in time, you can royally damage gelcoat trying to scrub em out, best
thing I know of is prevention. Seems a coat of wax BEFORE you store anything
fiberglass, works the best. I got into the habit of clean/wax/cover/store
and it has saved a lot of work in the spring (except the snowmobile, that's
fall .

" Bob Marchese" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem is
that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf stains.
I
tried most everything I could think of that would not damage the gel coat.
The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA



Use bleach directly on the stain, then rinse thoroughly when the stain is
gone. Bleach will not hurt the gelcoat. I used it regularly on my last 2
boats without a problem.

A cleanser called "Bar Keeper's Friend"...very mildly abrasive cleaner for
fiberglass, chrome, stainless, etc., that contains Oxalic Acid. Wonderful
stuff.



" Bob Marchese" wrote in message
hlink.net...
Hello Folks,

Well, in my enthusiasm I uncovered my boat too soon this season.
Consequently, the top side got covered with small leaves. The problem is
that when I washed the boat to wax it, I could not remove the leaf stains.
I
tried most everything I could think of that would not damage the gel coat.
The stains remain.

Any suggestions for removal would be greatly appreciated.

Bob Marchese,
Scituate, MA