Removing the waterline off bottom paint

[Soul Mate II]

Morning,

I am in the home stretch before the winter wrapping. All winterized but am using a cleaner wax now to make it easier in the spring. I had a higher end bottom paint used last year (they won't let me do it) and it held up great. I am trying to get the water line off the side and don't want to screw up the bottom paint. I tried on off, did a little scrubbing with a kitchen sink sponge that has an abrasive side. It helped a little but would have to do it 3-4 times. Anyone have an easier way that will keep the bottom pain intact?

Thanks

 

[paulswagelock]

Scotch brite pad, but regardless of what you use, you will remove some paint thickness. Best to leave it.

 

[atrick]

Magic eraser, takes mine off

 

[fwebster]

Every time my boat is out of the water, I pressure wash the bottom then mask the bottom paint and clean the scum off the gelcoat and boot stripes with a 2000 grit clear coat safe compound followed by a sealer and polish.

I never use abrasives like Magic Erasers, abrasive kitchen, Scotch brite pads on my gelcoat. It is a whole lot easier to get over a hard day in the boat yard than it is to replace damaged gelcoat.

 

[Little Ducky]

Do you have a rusty water line?

If you do try Goof Off rust stain remover..... it removes that line above my bottom paint with out scrubbing.

It's seriously magic.

 

[Blueone]

If you talking about the waterline on the bottom paint. I have not really found a way to get rid of it entirely...Power washing helps but its still there...anything more aggressive takes the paint off which isn't ideal. What I have done every other year is just touch it up with left over bottom paint... after I wax the sides.

 

[sbw1]

i power wash the hull and bottom paint and then use muriatic acid on a brush to clean the gel coat and boot stripe. A little acid goes a LONG way. Too much and it runs into the bottom paint and turns it blue. The right amount and it works great. After it sits a while and works, I hit it with the power wash again. Here is a pic taken about a month ago when the boat was hauled. Bottom paint is two years old.

 

[JVM225]

i power wash the hull and bottom paint and then use muriatic acid on a brush to clean the gel coat and boot stripe. A little acid goes a LONG way. Too much and it runs into the bottom paint and turns it blue. The right amount and it works great. After it sits a while and works, I hit it with the power wash again. Here is a pic taken about a month ago when the boat was hauled. Bottom paint is two years old.View attachment 61998

My routine for doing the waterline is similar.
The sooner I get it when the boat is blocked up, the better.
I put on rubber gloves and use On/Off in a plastic Chinese take out type container applied with a disposable 2” paint brush.
I start at the stern and work my way to the bow on one side agitating it with the brush as I apply it.
Once at the bow, I rinse that side off with a hose then move to the other side where I repeat the above.
I get area under the swim platform, and then I’m done.
Takes about 5 minutes to do my boat.
One bottle of On/Off lasts a couple of seasons and that’s with using it on my kids 18’ bowrider and my Uncle’s 22’ fishing boat.
Nothing else gets the brown crap from around here off the waterline.

 

[sbw1]

My routine for doing the waterline is similar.
The sooner I get it when the boat is blocked up, the better.
I put on rubber gloves and use On/Off in a plastic Chinese take out type container applied with a disposable 2” paint brush.
I start at the stern and work my way to the bow on one side agitating it with the brush as I apply it.
Once at the bow, I rinse that side off with a hose then move to the other side where I repeat the above.
I get area under the swim platform, and then I’m done.
Takes about 5 minutes to do my boat.
One bottle of On/Off lasts a couple of seasons and that’s with using it on my kids 18’ bowrider and my Uncle’s 22’ fishing boat.
Nothing else gets the brown crap from around here off the waterline.

i do mine while it is still wet in the hoist. I work opposite of the guy doing the power wash and after it has had the bottom power washed. Then the acid goes on and sits for a few minutes. Then that side gets power washed. While that is being done, I hit the other side with acid. Then that gets washed. Hoist time is maybe 30 minutes Boat goes into the barn and I wipe the hull down with clean towels and then mop the topsides with a chamois on a stick. All this makes detailing the boat in January a lot easier. Boat actually looks like it does not need detailing when following this routine. However, once it is detailed, it looks factory new.Total time from driving into the hoist to leaving the boat dry and clean in the building is about two hours.

 

[WV 320 Dancer]

Good ideas here from everyone! I can’t wait till retirement so I have time to do these things. Half the time I am out of town on business when my boat gets hauled out.

 

[MonacoMike]

Bottom paint should be pressure washed and touched up.

MM

 

[Soul Mate II]

Thanks everyone - some great ideas here! Will start slow and go from there!