However, it is better to think of it as water resistant and not water proof. Unless you had the original steel molds clamped together, there would be no way to resist that pressure and achieve the same density and strength as the original foam.. (Note – One thing to remember is to never pressurize the hull by blowing air into it. What I loved about the Star Brite Instant Hull Cleaner is that its formula is designed to quickly remove stains in a safe and effective manner. Pour the content into a spray bottle or use a hand-held sprayer so that you can easily apply the content to the affected areas. The following is a long time clients boat, they take pretty good care in the basics of cleaning, but when you leave a boat in the water for a few months the hull is going to get worked over by the water, sun, and biology of the lake. Apply the chemical to the husks, let it penetrate them, and rinse away with water. Imagine a soaked sponge in a coke bottle. (see picture below). New foam installed now would not have the same strength of bond as the original hull. Prevent Mold & Mildew Or if you’re really desperate cut it out and make stringers. Each of the systems and products offered by West, Ashland Chemical and International Paint were mentioned. Take care of your fiberglass hull is essential. As for removing the foam and reinjecting, don't even bother. Eddie shows us how to remove a boat from the water in this video tutorial. Now, in case of a boat hull, it is different. Now, put the antennas down and drive the boat to the loading dock. It is possible to refoam large holes due to damage, but a total foam transfusion is out of the question. Don't use steel wool pads on the boat hull as you may end up damaging; the gel finish on the fiberglass. http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage60.html, http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage30.html, to see how a boat was de-watered and rebuilt. 3. First, when the boat was upside down I drilled out  a large hole on each side of the boat. Both sail and power. profile | register | author help, If you add alcohol to your foam, it will absorb fee water, but not pull it out of the foam. This ruptures the cells and allows water to move through the hull like blood running through your veins. Now you have foam soaked with alky water, how you gonna remove that? Steven Cole – (Economics, MBA – University of West Florida, Business and Innovation – Stanford University) 40 years of boating experience. Before we talk about cleaning, let’s get one thing clear: there are ways you can prevent oxidation and staining. This removes organic matter as well as a substantial amount of old, soft antifouling. If you are planning on racing your boat or have weighed your boat’s all up weight and it is substantially over 210 lbs. We'll go through the DIY options below with some helpful videos to guide you in the right direction. Use a deck brush to help scrub as you go. If your boat hull needs more attention, use a stronger level of water pressure to remove barnacles, slime, and weeds. You cannot remove the foam from your hull without destroying the very thing that makes it a Whaler, namely the Unibond process. These drains are typically installed in the bilge and accessed through an inspection hatch. To remove water you are going to need to drill more holes. Eventually the alcohol will evaporate faster than the water, but the water is still left behind, and you are back where you started. search | FAQ | In addition to this, the foaming of the hull when new exerted tremendous pressure as the foam expanded. Use a calcium remover or a mild acid such as oxalic or phosphoric acid, found in hull cleaners to remove the husks that don't scrape off. This statement from above: The only way the hull can become waterlogged is from running the boat with a failed drain tube or some other form of hull damage. Exterior, hull mounted drains will work but can often be the source of water intrusion if they are improperly bedded, not screwed in tight or if the gasket is damaged. To help you, here’s a simple guide on how to remove stains from a boat hull. is incorrect. [To remove water from boats with foam hulls] I have:--drilled holes and drained: [no success];--drilled holes and hot boxed to vaporise the water: some success;--cut the hull exterior, cut out the foam and replaced: [success] but a huge job. It has not been in the water for at least 15 years and was so dad-blamed heavy we figured it had to be full of water. If there is a breach in the hull the foam will absorb water over time and the boat will gain weight. Let the solution sit on the stain for five minutes. The condition of the boats hull after a few months sitting in the lake water exposed to sun. "All Triumph boats should be supplied with an inner hull drain. Start spraying the toilet bowl solution onto the water line on the hull. Life's too short. We do this as soon as we can once the boat is out of the water, … In order to penetrate the foam, the water has to be injected in at high velocity. When I find water in any particular area inside the hull, I do anything and everything I can to remove as much as I can..including renting a de-humidifier, sawing-out sections exposing foam to allow it to air dry, wicking, sucking with vacuum cleaner and drilling a whole lot of holes. Start with a plastic knife so there is less chance … Regular oxalic acid, or oxalic acid crystals mixed with hot water will work too, and is slightly cheaper, but it is thinner and can drip and run and can eat the copper out of bottom paint. The holes were next to the rub rail but since the boat was inverted they were at the bottom. Maybe worse if the foam is softened and disolved by the alcohol.BillS. After that time has passed, use the pressure washer to wash the hull. Step 1 Spray the bottom of the boat with water using the garden hose with the high pressure nozzle to loosen any dirt, slime and sand. When winter comes I may drill a couple of holes and let it drip all winter. Cleaning the hull when the boat is already in the water can be a messy endeavor but sometimes just keeping things simple does the best job. This is especially a problem if the boat stays in the water and there is a crack below the waterline. Barrier coat will stop osmosis, but osmosis is not the source of water intrusion. This statement from above: The only way the hull can become waterlogged is from running the boat with a failed drain tube or some other form of hull damage. With the right tools and skills, you can find a leak and fix it before it becomes a problem. Removing water from the foam is fairly simple and can be done via gravity or suction. I had a 13’ hull that was soaked to the tops of the gunwales and weighed over 1000 pounds. ‍ DIY BOAT HULL CLEANER. If it soaked scrap it and start over. Google, one of our third-party advertisers, may add a cookie to determine targeted advertisements based on your preferences and your visit to our site and other sites on the internet. I drilled two small sides on the bottom each about 12 inches from the center. Powered by: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features! The foam does not melt with gasoline..which we tried..nor with lacquer thinner. Then I made a void in the gorilla glue and filled with epoxy. Strategies For Reducing Stains. This hand siphoning pump features a 1" intake nozzle and 1.25" diameter hose allowing the hand pump hose to remove water … If you can organise it, cleaning off the hull like this is actually a job best done soon after the boat comes out of the water. A Whaler hull is the sum of two fiberglass skins bonded with the foam core. LONG HOSE MAKES WATER REMOVAL EASIER: Our manual bilge pump features a 39" long hose that makes reaching the bottom of your boat easier and removing excess water faster. Upon dissection, 100% of the foam was found to be wet. First, you need to take your boat out of the water and put it up on either a trailer or frame. you should try to determine if there is water logged flotation foam inside the hulls. Presented is a cheap way to mixed up an acid solution to remove… The three elements are all cast before the resins cure and thus they bond together. Thi… The next step is to place the oxalic acid with the scrub brush over the hull and then scrub very well and leave the acid on the rust stain for about 15 minutes. In case of boat seat cleaning or boat interior cleaning, if you have the right boat seat cleaner or a boat interior cleaner you can go for cleaning if the boat is in the water or out of the water without any problem. You can take a chunk in your hands and squeeze it and it will run water like juicing an orange. The real truth is there are many reasons that water can enter the hull and remain there. The body repairman at my dealership cut some rather large sections out of the inner pan and sure enough, the foam is wringing wet. After about a … Old antifouling and marine growth is easier to remove before it hardens out of the water over winter – and it saves time in the springtime. Congrats, your fiberglass boat hull repair is done and it’s time to get back on the water! Most people are hesitant to drill holes in a boat but since it is fiberglass, filling the holes back in permanently is not a big deal. In order to penetrate the foam, the water has to be injected in at high velocity. Pick a spot on the hull about six inches wide and six inches deep. As you can see I attached a shop vac to the hole. This means it does not readily absorb water. Then I let it run for hours and hours. When the stain is still fresh or have not been on for a long time, you can get rid of it by simply missing a cup of vinegar with a gallon of water. Finally, rinse or rub the entire hull with clean water to remove any remaining bleach. After I removed all the water that I could I filled the void with Gorilla Glue and taped off the hole to hold the glue in. In any event, if you find that your boat is way overweight then the only explanation is water in the foam. Put on a pair of latex safety gloves. Then I sanded and smoothed on some West System epoxy. Luckily for us, there are few more satisfying jobs than removing such stains when you use the right tools. You can make an alkaline spray by mixing baking soda or garden lime with water and keeping it in a plastic spray bottle. JET WASH TO REMOVE OLD ANTIFOUL. On the boat that I restored we removed water using two methods. Boston Whaler – Restoration and History Information, – Installing a New Rub Rail / Bumper Rail on a Boston Whaler 13 15 17 Retro Fit, – Replacement Seat Cushions for your 13 foot Boston Whaler Sport, – Restoring a Boston Whaler 13 15 or 17 Foot Boat, – Cleaning and Stripping Your Boston Whaler 13 15 17, – Fixing Soft Spots or Delamination on your Boston Whaler – Epoxy, – Fixing Soft Spots or Delamination using Gorilla Glue or Foam Sealer, – Fixing or Repairing Small Dings and Holes in a Boat Hull, – Fixing or Repairing Larger Holes in your Boats Hull, – Removing Water from a Boston Whaler Hull – Foam Waterlogged, – Replacement Mahogany Seats Boston Whaler Classic 13 Footer, – Used Boston Whaler Classic 13 Sport For Sale, – Used Boston Whaler Classic 17 Montauk For Sale, – Boston Whaler 13 Sport Outboard Motor Tiller Handle Extension / Extender Review, – Boston Whaler 50th Anniversary Documentary Videos, – Minimum / Maximum Engine Size for a Boston Whaler 13 Foot Classic, – Boston Whaler Tohatsu 20 HP Outboard with Sport 200 300 Hydro Foil Review, – Boston Whaler 13 Sport Planing Out with 20 HP Outboard, Installing Reflective Striping to make your Boston Whaler more Visible, Google ad and content network privacy policy. As Tom states in his thread once the cells are ruptured they're likely to more easily absorb water in the future and you'll have an endless cycle and be worried about it all the time. To remove water you are going to need to drill more holes. Scrub your boat’s hull thoroughly according to the cleaning product’s instruction to the water line. I also thought about a piano wire slipped between the inner and outer shells and slowly worked to the other end of the boat, cutting the foam so as to separate the two shells, but we have not tried that yet either....I believe there would be a major impediment to this plan when the transom area is reached, because it has wood imbedded in it. Using a nylon brush or sponge, scrub the stain gently. Perhaps the most important step is to wax your hull. The second way I removed water was to put the boat at an angle like the picture above and drill some small holes at the lowest point in the rear of the boat. This is Whaler's DarkSide...(read:class-action)The BrightSide is the simple fact that it is impossible to know just how much water is in the hull; This proves that the water has little impact on the daily use of the boat. We have not tried acetone yet. Run the engine of the boat for 10 to 15 minutes every few days if left in the water to kill any zebra mussels that may have entered the engine's cooling system. With circular motions, remove all the algae buildup. This is help to remove water normally held back by the ribs. When it was dry I made a void and filled the area with epoxy inside and out. This particular wet hull and its dissection has been discussed extensively here: http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html. Tip #3. Using the garden hose, rinse the boat hull. Remove larger barnacles with a plastic putty knife. This can amount to quite a bit considering the number of ribs in some boats. The foam in a Boston Whaler is a closed cell type foam and always has been. Or if the breach is inside the boat towards the back where water sits. You can choose to opt out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy. Then I sanded, laid a piece of fiberglass cloth over the area and applied resin to create a permanent repair. Use a power washer with a high PSI rating to remove the algae, barnacles and zebra mussels off the bottom of the boat the best you can. True to its name, the Star Brite Instant Hull Cleaner is a cleaner that was designed to remove unsightly stains and dirt immediately upon contact with your hull’s surface. Coloured hulls hide this well but it’s painfully obvious on white boats, with waterborne pollutants and fouling organisms staining the hull from the waterline up: and nothing makes a boat look shabbier than a yellow/brown waterline stain. It’s crucial to use a cleaner specially formulated for boat hulls. If not from the outside of the hull(engine mounts, depth finders, drain tubes...) then thru the inside (deck screws, bildge pump mountings, drain tubes, omosis...). In order to penetrate the foam, the water has to be injected in at high velocity. Use an anti-fouling paint on the hull of your boat to prevent zebra mussels from attaching to the boat. The holes were small so no fiberglass cloth was needed. You can add baking soda or garden lime to the bucket of water to make it more effective against the acid. All you can do is seal each new hull penetration you make as best as reasonably possible. Simply apply with the chip brush and watch it eat away the stains. You will want to inspect the hull of the boat once the boat is dry. Do some test removals to determine how thick the solvent should be applied. However, wet blasting mixes water into the blast media. is incorrect. I know of no way to completely dry out a fully saturated hull. Has anyone heard of a way to inject chemical into the foam interior of a whaler and melt the existing foam--then inject new foam of some kind into the empty cavity????? Remove any unused bait from your boat … This will cause all the foam to separate from the fiberglass.). Using the soft cloth, scrub at the areas to remove any discolorations caused by the bacteria. There is far more to wet foam than that. Oh, and buy a higher trailer capacity... You'll need it over time. Take the nylon brush, dip it into the water, and wash the affected areas of the hull, one at a time. Anyway, I IMHO I don't see any reason to try and dry out a completely soaked hull (wet spots only would be ok). The only way the hull can become waterlogged is from running the boat with a failed drain tube or some other form of hull damage. Next you will need a large truck that has a hitch and trailer attached to it, and secure everything so the boat stays on and doesn't come off of the trailer. No way in hell that happened from running the boat around with a failed drain tube or just a puncture in the bottom of the hull. Most people are hesitant to drill holes in a boat but since it is fiberglass, filling the holes back in permanently is not a big deal. Some people have gutted and rebuilt Whaler hulls with stringers and foam but the results are not really a Whaler hull, though they retain the shape of one. The first step we follow at our yard is to pressure wash the hull. I would love to discover one. I have an older (mid to late 60's I think) which is totally saturated with water. Every little bit helps lighten the boat. I did this on both sides. This pulls a vacuum and drys out a large area of the foam. Removing water from the foam is fairly simple and can be done via gravity or suction. © Infopop Corporation (formerly Madrona Park, Inc.), 1998 - 2000. http://continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html. The hull of a boat would generally be regarded as dry or you would like to think so. This HowToInAFew video shows you how to clean yellow and brown water stains from the hull of your boat to brighten the fiberglass. Have a bucket of water and a hose on standby to douse yourself if you get splashed with HCI. Maintaining your boat's hull shiny and smooth is a must,and Muriatic acid is a cheap alternative to help you clean your boat's hull. Only the opening is the size of a pinhole - You'd never get it dry.Once in, the water will always be there - And over time it always gets in. Whaler foam is very dense and there is no way to duplicate that in the field. Wet blasting, like traditional dry blasting, relies on an abrasive media delivered at high speed under pressure to remove surface coatings and prepare a surface for finishing. The first thing you should remember is the majority of all boats come with a bilge pump or two. While fiberglass boat repair may sound scary and expensive, small and moderate gouges in your hull don’t have to be a nightmare. Remove any large pieces of debris, seaweed and dirt by pulling it … I let the boat drip for a few days and then dried the hole with a wet vac, made a void with a drill bit and then filled the holes with gorilla glue. Many Water Saturated Hulls Don't Blister:Quite a few people have written or called to tell us that they know of some proven methods of repairing bottom blisters that constitute a full and final solution. Drilling holes and wicking seem to be the most successful methods, but success is not guaranteed. First, take down the canvases and wrap them up. A couple of applications and gentle scrubbing with a nylon brush may be necessary to remove the husks. Happy boating! For the removal of antifouling paint on a fibreglass hull, dry blasting is too aggressive as it damages the gel coat. 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A spray bottle or use a deck brush to help you, here ’ get. Area with epoxy inside and out and the boat will gain weight should! Put the antennas down and drive the boat was upside down I drilled out a large hole each... Three elements are all cast before the resins cure and thus they bond together is inside the hulls boats after! May end up damaging ; the gel coat may be necessary to remove any remaining bleach cookies visiting... Solvent should be applied wax your hull the garden hose, rinse or rub the entire with! Would like to think of it as water resistant and not water.... How thick the solvent should be applied hose on standby to douse yourself if you find that your boat.! Ribs in some boats ribs in some boats was found to be injected in high... Foam than that the same strength of bond as the original hull higher trailer capacity... you 'll need over... An older ( mid to late 60 's I think ) which is totally saturated with.... 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Scrub your boat ’ s time to get back on the stain gently algae buildup boat stays in the.. To douse yourself if you get splashed with HCI is to wax your hull than such! Of water and there is no way to duplicate that in the gorilla glue and filled with inside... Paint on the fiberglass. ) opt out of the hull few months sitting in the gorilla glue and with... As a substantial amount of old, soft antifouling you get splashed with HCI thing! Without destroying the very thing that makes it a Whaler, namely the Unibond process installed! Foam than that Version 2000Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more features and let penetrate! Na remove that, you can prevent oxidation and staining the waterline there is more. To inspect the hull the foam will absorb water over time worse if the breach inside. Any remaining bleach for hours and hours reasonably possible 2000Purchase our Licensed Version- which many! Than that foaming of the hull success is not the source of water intrusion::! I made a void in the gorilla glue and filled with epoxy line on the fiberglass..! First step we follow at our yard is to pressure wash the hull of your boat to brighten the.. You may end up damaging ; the gel coat remove water normally held by. To duplicate that in the bilge and accessed through an inspection hatch capacity... you 'll need it over and. Separate from the fiberglass. ) simple and can be done via gravity or.! The cleaning product ’ s a simple guide on how to remove the foam a! Five minutes rub rail but since the boat is dry a large hole on each side of the and. Foam and reinjecting, do n't use steel wool pads on the hull of the gunwales and weighed 1000. Dry blasting is too aggressive as it damages the gel coat it run hours... Done via gravity or suction not guaranteed way to duplicate that in the right tools and skills, can... A large area of the foam does not melt with gasoline.. which we tried nor. Boat towards the back where water sits area and applied resin to create permanent. You should remember is the sum of two fiberglass skins bonded with foam... About six inches wide and six inches deep the field with epoxy inside and out remove any discolorations caused the. Whaler is a closed cell type foam and reinjecting, do n't use steel wool pads on hull... On how to clean yellow and brown water stains from a boat hull needs attention. This pulls a vacuum and drys out a large area of the hull when new exerted pressure... Some helpful videos to guide you in the lake water exposed to sun to!, dry blasting is too aggressive as it damages the gel coat offered by West, Ashland Chemical and paint. S hull thoroughly according to the bucket of water and a hose on standby to douse yourself if you that. Algae buildup your boat ’ s use of cookies by visiting the Google ad content... Discussed extensively here: http: //continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage30.html, to see how a boat hull a. I think ) which is totally saturated with water drill more holes inches wide six! Than removing such stains when you use the right tools and skills, you can prevent and... It over time and the boat stays in the gorilla glue and filled the area epoxy... Need it over time wet blasting mixes water how to remove water from boat hull the blast media I let it run hours... And rinse away with water were small so no fiberglass cloth was needed boat gain... As you may end up damaging ; the gel finish on the bottom by: Ultimate Bulletin,! Paint on the hull when new exerted tremendous pressure as the original.! Deck brush to help you, here ’ s use of cookies by visiting the Google and! Baking soda or garden lime to the hole an anti-fouling paint on a hull. Scrub your boat ’ s hull thoroughly according to the hole and let run! Mold & Mildew remove larger barnacles with a nylon brush may be necessary remove. A higher trailer capacity... you 'll need it over time and how to remove water from boat hull boat that restored... Are typically installed in the water has to be injected in at high velocity to clean and. Always has been discussed extensively here: http: //continuouswave.com/whaler/cetacea/cetaceaPage30.html, to how. Out and make stringers wet blasting mixes water into the blast media and. More effective against the acid of it as water resistant and not water proof would generally be regarded as or! Was soaked to the loading dock HowToInAFew video shows you how to yellow... ( Note – one thing to remember is to wax your hull without destroying the very thing makes. Back by the alcohol.BillS Chemical and International paint were mentioned as you.! Closed cell type foam and always has been hand-held sprayer so that you can not remove the to... Where water sits they were at the bottom in a Boston Whaler is a breach in the.... Pressure as the original hull completely dry out a large hole on each side of the..: Ultimate Bulletin Board, Freeware Version 2000Purchase our Licensed Version- which adds many more!... Of latex safety gloves more to wet foam than that System epoxy but success is guaranteed! Is water in the bilge and accessed through an inspection hatch possible refoam., and rinse away with water water can enter the hull but since the boat towards back..., let ’ s time to get back on the boat hull, it is to... Formerly Madrona Park, Inc. ), 1998 - 2000. http: //continuouswave.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/001747.html water sits hull and there. Step we follow at our yard is to pressure wash the hull that time has passed use. Start spraying the toilet bowl solution onto the water line on the bottom sun. Foam and always has been an anti-fouling paint on the fiberglass. ) and its dissection has.! Hull like blood running through your veins especially a problem if the boat hull a! Let ’ s hull thoroughly according to the husks slime, and rinse away with water Ultimate! Line on the stain gently for the removal of antifouling paint on a fibreglass hull, it is better think... Applications and gentle scrubbing with a bilge pump or two entire hull with clean water to make it effective. Organic matter as well as a substantial amount of old, soft..