Boat Bottom

route66detail

route66detail

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Question about the hull. If the boat bottom is not painted, are you detailing right down to the bottom. Or is compounding, polishing and waxing left to mainly ABOVE the water line?
 
I wash / scrub the entire hull, but limit compounding / wax pretty much to whats visible. I have laid on the ground to work the bottom of them before...not fun. I will still do at customers request for an additional charge. I have also had some owners NOT want me to do this, they say it makes the boat a bit squirrelly when turning. Any boaters experience this?


Mike
 
The boats bottom doesn't get beat up by sun, so compounding is usually not nessisary. Sometimes a good coat of wax will help prevent marine growth. The wax alone will make boat faster, but keeping growth off helps that much more.
 
Putting a good coat of wax on the bottom will certainly help once it's out of the water. I know for our boats, we wax all of it as ours are on a lift when they're not in the water. That being said, the sun hits it all the time. Any bit of protection we can get is helpful.
 
I have read that waxing the bottom is pointless as it will wear off after a couple trips. I waxed the bottom of my boat once and never noticed it being squirrelly, and it doesn't make any difference in speed. I probably won't do it again as its a pia for something that might last a week. One instance I would wax the bottom of my boat is if I was going to leave it in the water for a week or so.
 
The bottom, when out of the water will not see the direct rays of the sun like the sides and top, the areas that will get oxidation and need compound. Wax on bottom will only last a short time, like a week as stated above. We do it to boats that will be slipped a week or less. If the boat is going to be in longer than that to maybe 2 months, I use a product called SCATT. It's a clear antifouling coating you apply with a spray bottle and will last a few months and will wear itself off. When the boat is pulled. Any growth on boat is easily cleaned off. If a boat stays in water for a season, it needs a barrier coat and antifouling paint. That's an entirely different subject.
 
With my boat, that stays in the water (fresh water lake) the entire summer, I use Marykate On&Off (make sure you use appropriate PPE) to get the majority of the grime off. I put a garbage bag over my driveshaft, rudder and prop. From there I wash the boat with a good pH neutral soap.

It is very difficult to reach all the way to the bottom of the boat, while it is on the trailer. I do the best I can, but normally will not crawl underneath to get everything. I wax as much as I can reach with Collinite Fiberglass Boat wax.
 
Great help! Amazing. I believe I will quote my details down to the waterline and charge accordingly for below the bottom. Thank all of you!!!

Rob- Route 66 Mobile Detail
 
Usually for a fiberglass hull I'll use an acid based cleaner to spray from the scum line on down to wherever is reachable while it's on the trailer, let it sit for 10-15 minutes and use a soft brush to remove all of the fouling.

As others said, I'll usually just detail down to the waterline on the hull.

Be careful with whatever you do to the bottom, make sure it's not coated with an anti-fouling paint or anything that, with detailing, could remove it.

A great product for the scum is Hammerhead Hull Cleaner
 
Muratic acid sold at Home Depot can be used on bare boat bottom. Get a small pump sprayer and dilute accordinly. Be carful if boats on trailer, it can stain galvanized and strip paint off painted trailers. Rinse off the trailer ASAP.
 
Not sure if its old wives tale or not but, I have heard you should not wax the bottom of your boat if you want speed as it will cause additional drag. Supposedly its better to have the water stick to the bottom not bead off it because thereticly there is less friction between the layer of water that touches the boat and the rest of the water under the boat than there is between the waxed surface of the boat and the initial layer of water. I do know for the fastest runs you do want a chop on the water not a dead slick surface, as you get less water actually in contact with the bottom of the boat and more air pockets under it. a nice 3-9" chop works perfect for freeing the boat up and letting it really air out with out getting rough enough to get scary at full trim.
 
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