Whether it’s high mineral content in Oklahoma City, algae in Seattle and California, or who-knows-what in Boston, rowing shells get stained. And it is not just Pocock boats. All boats get dirty; it’s just not as noticeable on colored paint. Wipe a colored boat with a white rag and cleaner and see what is on the rag – gunk. Importantly, even though it you can’t see it, it is slowing you down.
It’s funny that these boats are literally in the water for less than 10% of their lives, yet can get so discolored. We’ve done a lot of research on paint and keeping boats white, and have found that most of the discoloration is caused by algae or similar water organisms. You might assume that the only way to remove these stains is with some good old elbow grease and a can of rubbing compound. Not so.
We discovered and recommend a nifty product that is easy and quick to use– Captain John’s Boat Brite. You might find it locally but if not, you can purchase it from us. Spray it directly on the hull, and you will see the stain literally disappear. Then rinse with lots of water, wipe it down and you’re done with the cleaning step. Honestly, one person can do a whole 8 in 30 minutes. It kind of feels like magic!
We highly discourage the use of any product with oxycillic acid in it. Common trade names are FSR or Starbrite. These products appear to work like magic as well. However, if you use this stuff one too many times, or leave it on a bit too long prior to rinsing, it won’t take long for your boat’s finish to deteriorate.
After ANY cleaning, you must wax. Otherwise, it will get stained again – but this time twice as quickly. That’s because when you clean the boat (regardless of what material you use: compound, dish soap, or algae remover), the pores in the paint are cleaned out and opened up. If it is not waxed, they fill right back in with the dirty stuff, and discoloration comes back with a vengeance.
Applying wax post-cleaning fills in the holes and keeps the gunk out. You’ve heard wax is slow? More on that later. If you clean, you must wax.
For the wax step, we like a 3M product called Scotchguard Marine Liquid Wax. This stuff is loose and easily squeezed out of the bottle onto an applicator rag. Rub plenty of it onto the clean boat, and let it dry for 20 minutes or so. The only step that takes any effort at all in the whole process is the removal of the wax after it’s dried. All in all, this step goes pretty quickly.
Now, for those concerned about wax versus no-wax racing surfaces, the bottom line is that a clean boat is the optimal hull surface for speed. A grease-removing detergent, like dish soap or Simple Green, works best. Wax, oil, and impurities are removed. The open, clean pores in the surface of the hull can now be filled with water, and water-on-water is the slipperiest.
The practice of wet-sanding takes this theory another step by sanding grooves down the length of the boat, theoretically so more water can “stick” to the side of the boat. Don’t get me started on this one. Just consider this: there’s a reason why the Empacher boatmen at the Olympics are obsessively buffing and shining all of their hulls: shiny and clean is fastest.
While a waxed surface is not the fastest surface, it is desirable and advisable. The benefit in terms of protecting and maintaining your hull far outweighs the (minimal) compromise in speed of a boat that has been waxed.
A recommended cleaning cycle would be something like this: through the fall and winter, clean and wax when the boat shows discoloration – once, maybe two times. Get into your spring racing season, and again clean and wax as needed. When championship week rolls around and you want every bit of boat speed you can, clean the heck out of your boats, open up all those little pores, and race.
When you get back to the boathouse, do your annual year-end cleaning and waxing. A pattern similar to this will keep your boats shiny as new.
