Removing black marks from hull

[Peter K.]

Last fall as I was trying to power my newly purchased CD26 from a marina to the hard for the winter I ran the bow up onto the dock and it left an ugly black mark down the bow. It is basically a rubber mark that came off the black rubber on the edge of the dock, and I can remove some of it by scratching it with my fingernail. However I have tried various hull soaps (including one from West Marine called "Black Mark Remover"), and these have no effect on the mark at all. The area does not appear to be scratched, and I've tried to remove it with a plastic paint scraper, but that does very little. I don't want to use sandpaper though I would if that would not scratch the gelcoat. The hull looks very good (nice sheen) except for the marks I've put onto it, and I'd like to get it back again. Any ideas?
Thanks,
Peter K.
CD26, Hull #42



peterkozup@sailnet.net

[Ed Haley]

Try removing the rubber mark with acetone. It removes the hard rubber scuff marks on decks very easily. Wear rubber gloves and saturate a rag with acetone and rub the marks out. Do not allow the acetone to "pool" on any part of the gelcoat, although I see no problem on the bow. It also works well removing recently applied varnish or paint.

Ed Haley
s/v Mokita
CD330 #1
Mystic CT



eghaleyNOSPAM@twcny.rr.com

[John Nuttall]

.......the black marks from my rubber dingy. A better product if you can find it is Blue Wizard. It cleans gel coat very well.

John
s/v Aimless
CD31 #28
Oriental, NC

[Hanalei]

Try a product called "Grease Off" or "Roll Off" available from any good chandlerly. Grease Off would be my first try!

Hanalei

[Joe L.]

There's a product called On/Off that West Marine sells. I used it to remove years of brown "moustache" from my hull that nothing else would get off. I just brushed it on and sprayed it off in about 30 seconds - all stains instantly gone.

This stuff will remove anything. I'd use it as a last resort though, it may be overkill for one black smudge mark. It's VERY powerful! I thought I was using a natural bristle brush but actually had a synthetic one and the brush instantly melted together and became fused glass. Damn near fumed out the whole marina. But it will defintely work if nothing else does.



jl0246@alpha.rwu.edu

[D. Stump, Hanalei]

On & Off hull cleaner is for biological growth ONLY. It will not remove grease, and I doubt it would remove rubber. It IS hydrochloric acid! For brown mustache, it is great, but not for black marks.....FWIW......

Hanalei

[Don Carr]

FWIW..Try either the 3M cleaner/wax or something like it made by West Marine. Besides petroleum distallates (stay away from acetone on gel-coat!!!) which clean, it has a mild compunding material. I used it this weekend to clean up the 'stern crud' (damn overhang) and some slight waterline stains. Worked great with a little (no, make that a lot of) elbow grease and I now have an extra 25' shaving mirror.

Don Carr
s/v Lolita CD25
Noank, Ct.





carrds@us.ibm.com