The Boat Cleaning Blog

Start of a new year

01/03/2012 13:44:00

Well 2012 is here already!

Where does the time go?

The Boat Cleaning Co had a great year in 2011.

We have made new friends, worked on some truly beautiful boats and it has been an absolute pleasure as always.

A warm thank you to all for your support through 2011.

Thanks for all the tea, biscuits and chats, I hope I have not bored you all too much!

Wishing everyone a Happy & Healthy New Year for 2012

Tony & Samantha

How to remove scratches from stainless steel handrails

12/30/2010 19:08:00

The most common reason for scratches on the stainless steel handrails on a boat is the use of a hose that has not been cleaned when washing or rinsing off the boat.

The hose that may have been on the yard floor or pontoon, may have picked up grit; this grit along with the hose, scratches the stainless as it is pulled back and forth over the handrail.

To prevent this, clean the hose off before use, then place enough hose length on board for the wash. This way you will not be pulling the hose back and forth over the rails. If it does meet the stainless, tie off with a cloth.

So, how do you remove the scratches?

Forget starting with metal polish, as it will only remove the very lightest of scratches. What you need is various grades of extra fine wet & dry sandpaper and some water, with a few drop of soap in to act as a lube.

Depending on the depth of the scratches (some may be just too deep) 800, 1200 & 2500 would be a good selection.

Follow with finer and finer grades until a reflection is formed.

Try with the finest you have to start with and only use a coarser grade if that fails to 'flat' them.

Example:

You have started with 1200, then use 2500 and finish off with polish or compound.

For deeper scratches, you may have started with 800, so then follow with 1200, then 2500 and finish off with polish or a compound.

Identify Gel coat surface condition

12/12/2010 17:24:00

Identify the condition of your surfaces

Using eyes alone, surfaces fall into 6 main types of condition.

(1) High gloss with a perfect reflection, there may be old wax or water scale but the surface is sound

(2) High gloss with some light scatter from micro scratches / swirl marks etc

(3) Losing its gloss in places but still retains a good reflection overall

(4) Losing its gloss in places but also has some light scatter, starting to oxide.

(5) Lost its gloss and can't tell if there is surface scatter or micro scratches, as there is no reflection

(6) Lost its gloss and has started to become chalky, has changed colour and become quite rough in places.

Visit us at www.TheBoatCleaningCompany.co.uk

Gel coat surface condition

12/10/2010 17:58:00

Surface condition

Let me explain the importance of having a perfect reflection on your surfaces.

1) It will help the durability

2) It will provide very easy maintenance

3) It will look fantastic

So, how does a correct surface profile help with durability and easy maintenance?

In order to explain this, take a look at these doodles in an attempt to show how light reflects on a surface.

Pic 1 above shows how light should be reflected off of a smooth, fine profile, the light hits the surface once! and reflects a perfect image of the surface.

Pic 2 above shows light reflecting on a poor finish, the light is scattered and therefore returns a poor image.

A closer sketch of pic 2 shows light being trapped between the differences of surface profile.

An even closer sketch demonstrates just how much more surface is under attack as the light gets trapped and bounces around before being shot out at different angles.

Of course these are examples of extreme magnification and are just sketches, but they do show how light behaves on a surface, be it smooth or rough.

The pictures above are of the same sq ft of gel coat on a sports boat. The one on the left shows a good reflection but as you can see from the one on the right, when light is added the true image is revealed. By the way this boat was only 6 months old and the owner informed me he had only cleaned it once and admitted to not pre-soaking nor pressure washing off the dirt first....Not a good start!

It is very common to make this mistake and is usually the main reason behind accelerating the breakdown. Poor 'haf job' polishing techniques coming in a close second.

I once pulled into a supermarket and was nearly jumped on by a valet.."want your van washed mate"?

"errr, what are you going to remove the grit with"?

I asked as he was only holding a bucket and sponge.

He looked at me as if I had come from another planet, looked into the bucket, frowned and said "The sponge?" A tempting offer, but I politely declined.

So how does having a micro scratched surface affect the durability of the surface?

Well, a smooth highly reflective surface, allows light to hit it once! But on a rough surface it is hit many times as the light rattles in the peaks and troughs, also more of the surface is being exposed.

This action also increases those height differences, further damaging the surface.

Tiny particles also find a home in the differences and are a pain to remove without harsh cleaners.

Oxygen also plays a huge part in the breakdown process in much the same way as UV does.

On a perfect profile you can offer quality wax as a barrier to oxygen, but with a rough surface you will only be trapping oxygen within the peaks, allowing the oxidation to continue.

Thanks for reading

Tony

Teak Decks

12/04/2010 21:34:00

Yes Teak adds weight, adds more to the maintenance but it also adds decent grip and what's more..beauty...lots of it!
Side by side, the same model with and without teak there is no question (in my mind) which would win the 'best looker' contest.

On the maintenance side, taking good quality, thick, well installed teak, there is no reason why it can't last a lifetime, providing you follow correct maintenance procedures.

Teak has its own natural oil and for this reason it is said to be the best timber to be used in marine applications, but this natural oil will be forced to the surface by the elements as it has no bark on the timber to contain it.

The natural oils in Teak carbonise or oxidise on the surface turning it silver and many like this look, but then the silver finish starts to turn darker, holds onto dirt and is cleaned off in order to reveal the fresh teak underneath.

This method comes with its own problems and are usually up for debate

1) are you thinning the wood?

2) are you running out of natural oil in the wood?

I think both, even if it's only on a small scale.

There are diffent sections of the tree to take the teak from... softer sections = expensive costs for production, to harder sections = very expensive costs and will depend on the long term reputation v the cost for each manufacturer, but who is going to notice the difference? which is why sadly most these days are softer.

The plan 'B' is to seal the Teak..why?

Well firstly a good sealer will assist in stopping water and dirt getting in, especially each side of the caulking where it causes most problems, any water trapped in gaps this weather will of course expand causing larger gaps, the second is to have some form of UV protection which helps to slow down any surface degrading and break down of the softer grain, also it provides a barrier from oxygen that again attacks the surface.

The surface will still get dirty (of course) but now you have a pawn on the surface that can be maintained without affecting the surface itself and still providing the grip it was put there for in the first place.

Of course this is subject to correct preparation and application.

Annual costs for maintaining a 40ft correctly should be around £400.00 including materials or £100.00 materials and two days of your time.

Why bother?

I have a bowl of apples on my dining room table that have been there for a few days now and look the same as when they were purchased from the supermarket. If I was to take a bite out of one and place it back down on the table I would soon see oxidation in progress.

Likewise if I was to go sunbathing during mid summer on Bondi beach Australia it may be suggested to wear a higher factor of sunscreen ( or at least apply it more often) than I would use in the UK to prevent burning.

Also, modern sailing jackets wick water away from the surface fast to stop it from soaking in any further, thus maintaining its performance.

All marine surfaces need to perform...Gel coat needs wax in order to form a barrier to oxygen, provide UV protection and to wick the water away. Teak is no different and requires a sealer to do this.

Tony

Please visit us at www.TheBoatCleaningCompany.co.uk

How to restore the shine to fibreglass gelcoat. by Tony Carlow

11/21/2010 00:40:00

The Gel coat - silky, smooth and protective

To some the gel coat is 'fibreglass' when in fact the gel coat is a layer of un-reinforced resin on top of the fibreglass.

The purpose of the gel coat is to protect the delicate structural fibres, fibreglass on its own would not be attractive and the gel coat provides manufacturers with a cost effective solution to finishing straight from the mold.

The picture to the left shows a large chip on the gel coat, exposing the fibreglass underneath.

The effects of weather

When a new hull or superstructure is popped out of a mold, the gel coat is solid, smooth, very glossy and is easily cleaned and waxed, but this finish is subject to attack from many sources, the elements, poor cleaning and poor polishing techniques. The gloss fades to dull, it becomes difficult to clean and feels rough to the touch.

The first stage in the restoration process, cleaning

This stage is by far the most important one to get right, use a cleaner that will take off all previous waxes or coatings in order to work on the gel coat surface and not 'old wax'. Be very extensive with your washing, as any grit or dirt left on the surface will cause you problems in later stages. In short clean, de-grease, rinse and dry.

Polish

Some feel that polish is a protective coating, but polish is actually a form of surface correction. Polishes contain 'microscopic particles' (some diminishing) that restore the gloss to a surface by hand or machine abrasion (or burnishing). Depending on the severity or the lack of lustre on your surface, you can use polish that has either small particles, to tackle very light oxidation and improve gloss, right up to course particle polishes (compounds) for heavier oxidation.

It should be noted that the more aggressive polishes will need to be followed up with lighter polishes in order to remove any swirl marks / ghost tails that may have been caused in the process.

You should try and go for the least aggressive first and examine the results, it may be that this is all that is needed to restore the surfaces to where you need them.

Sanding

Sanding a surface that is as thin as gel coat should be left to the professionals. Despite being ten times thicker than the paint on your car, sanding techniques requires correct equipment and training, or you could be in trouble (quickly).

Once you have the surfaces where you want them, be sure to follow up with a good protective wax and make sure you clean the surfaces with 'wax safe' cleaners.