boatcleaning

Question
I have a badly stained sunfish.All efforts to clean the brown stain have had barely marginal success. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer
Bill, thank you for choosing the undersigned to respond to your question.

In order to determine a suitable cleaning product, the cause of the staining must first be determined. If it is stained from prolonged exposure to the water, and imbedded into the gel coat, it may very well be a permanent problem. In that case, appropriate refinishing would be required. On the other hand, if it is stained from lay-up while overturned, perhaps fall leaves have created the discoloration. Depending on how deep the stain has been absorbed by the gel coat, I suggest you consult a local marine store or hull repairer to seek their recommendations as to which particular product might be most effective. Water sanding will likely not produce effective results, but first test to see how deep the staining exists. Not knowing your geographical area (Can. vs U.S.), it's difficult to suggest particular product names, which may not be available in your partical region.

Regards,
Ron Blanchet