Slime on the Boot Stripe

[Paul Klein]

BLEACH using green scouring pads. No name brand pads as they are softer than 3M so do not damage your paint or gel coat. The spore get in the gel coat pores. The bleach kills the spore. Cheep, eco friendly and lasts months!!

[FULLCIRCLE331]

ON OFF is muratic and phosphoric acid, it does a great job but be careful handling it.

[erie bound]

I just buff off the Lake Erie residual slime with the rest of the hull, using Presta Ultra Cutting Cream.

[peter57]

Originally Posted by Richfef

I sail my Pearson 34 on Lake Michigan and have a problem with a build-up of slime on the boot stripe... the stripe is white between bottom paint and a second red stripe that is higher up...

I have tried rubbing compound and some chemicals like Acetone and CLR remover with only marginal results...

Any suggestions on how to remove it??? before I wind up having to re-paint it???

Thanks

Hi Richfef,

Oxalic acid will take off easy just where gloves and googles if it can splash into your eyes. Dilute the power with the recommended amount of water on the lable and with a sponge rub it off, only do for 5 mins then go back to where you started and sponge off with a hose with copious amounts of water, then keep going around the boat and when washing off spray water back to where you started. 1/2 hour to do the whole boat.

If there are any deep brown marks in the paint, use scotch bright lightly so not to scratch you paint in a circular motion with fresh batch of oxalic acid. Don't forget to wash off with lots of water from a hose. I have used this for 20 years without any degradation to my paint "three different boats"

Oxalic comes in liquid form as well but power is much more economic. It is not a strong acid and have had plenty of it all over me and once spilled on a whole bucket of it on me climbing up the scaffold and just put the hose over myself, the only problem to come of it was that I was soaking wet.