Hi all,

just found this brilliant page. I am a (recent) proud owner of a 1991 Hobie 16. I am sailing in Cadiz bay, South Spain. I would like to ask the pros here, what would you recommend as a "strong" cleaning agent? I have had some oxid/water dropping down from the shrouds, and now I have a red vertical mark on the hull. I have tried with different "smooth" cleaners (soap etc) but I could not get rid of the mark. How about using solvents? What kind of solvents would you recommend? Or might this affect the hulls? Any hints are very appreciated.

Regards, Claus

Oxalic acid will take most stains out of the gelcoat.

In the US, there are a number of products that contain it as their active ingredient:

Davis Products Fiberglass Stain Remover

is probably the best.

There's also


And


But I don't know if any of this stuff is available in Spain.

Thanx a lot, I have found a boat cleaner that contains it. Its a powder that has to be used with water. Hopefully I can get it nice'n shiny again. I 'll let you know.

Be careful with the stuff - it's really nasty if you get it in your eyes. If you've got sensitive skin, then use rubber gloves, too.

Worked perfect! Thanx again!

Claus, qué sorpresa... ¿También escribes aquí? ¿Qué producto usaste al final?

Claus, what a surprise... Do you post here too? Finally, which product did you use?

Saludos.

RONY

Hi Rony,

I used Sadira (the name of the company) "Limpiacascos" for the hulls (which was suffcient to get rid of the rust), and Sadira "polvo limpiador fiberglass" for the deck. The last one contains the named acid and leaves the deck very clean. I think it is wise to wax/polish the surface after a treatment with such a strong cleaner, though. Does Currito need a thorough clean up too?

Saludos, Claus

OK. Pues sí, yo creo que no le vendría mal un blanqueado porque los cascos están un pelín amarillentos. Ya te contaré.

OK. I think a whitewash will be good for my catamaran because hulls are a little yellowish. I´ll tell you the result of it.

Saludos.

RONY

http://usuarios.lycos.es/siguecurrito