| Non-Skid Deck Cleaning and Maintenance |
| By James "Doc" Lewis |
Published
11/30/2005
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Maintainance
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Unrated
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Three Common Deck Stains
If, after the initial wash, you have a few stains which are beyond the reach of the over-the-counter solutions (test on a small area to find out) we get down to finding the least offensive chemical to eliminate the stains and then wash the whole deck again with one of the above mentioned cleaners. Most of the stains found on topsides come from one of three sources.
1. Oil: No surprise here. We track it on from the parking lot, spill it
when adding to the engine or hydraulic system, fish are full of it. There are a few other sources but you get the idea. A little paint thinner will generally dissolve the stain left by oil and evaporate enough to be washed off later with soap and water.
2. Food: If all you ever eat onboard is French Fries then refer to item 1. If, like most of us your taste buds tend towards exotic treats while asea then the possibilities become extensive. Red wine is another "food" that is much easier to spill than it is to clean. In general, the same chemicals that you would use at home will work on the boat. What's that you say, you don't do any cleaning at home. Shame on you! Ask your wife, maid, or mother, they'll likely tell you if you offer to vacuum or something.
3. Epoxy: I can see some of you looking at me like I just flew in from Mars. If you don't have this problem, good for you, but it is a quite common complaint in our neck of the woods. All too often boat owners will try to save a little money and make a repair to a chip, scratch, or worse without having a clue as to how the pros do it. As a pro I can say that the number 1 difference between an amateur patch job and an unnoticeable professional repair is in the preparation of the area to be worked on. And the first thing any fiberglass man does is to mask off the surrounding area and thoroughly cover the area beneath (called decks where I come from) with drop cloths.
The other part of the problem is the use of the "Magical Fix-It Stuff" that all the boating stores sell under a variety of names,(aka Epoxy) which is harder than the gelcoat itself and therefore nearly impossible to remove. The easy fix here is to remove as much of the spill as possible by sanding or grinding (be careful) and then covering with color matched gelcoat.
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