Cleaning the boat, in the lake?
 

Are there any cleaners that are truely acceptable to use to clean the outside of your boat while it's in the lake? I mean, scrub the deck and hull then rinse the soapy runoff into the lake. I see products like Simple Green that are marked as biodegradable, but that still produces a soapy looking runoff.
I have found that much of the dark slime at the water line and elsewhere can be washed off at a sand bar with a brush, lake water and no product. But, sometimes, there are areas that need a product.
I did search on 'Cleaning' before I posted and found a thread discussing effective cleaners, but none to be used in the lake.

Thanks, Tom.

Saw this on Ship Shape TV Aussan Natural Cleaners. When I watched it showed them cleaning the deck and then hosing it off into the water.

Touchy subject
 

Many boat wash are biodegradable. It does not mean that it is harmless to the plants and fish in the water. You will good stares and possibly a scolding or two.

Anyone who washes their vehicle on land will notice the soapy water goes into the storm drains and eventually runs into the lake! So where is all the vehicle and boat soap go? In the lakes or rivers.

So I guess it is OK to wash your boat on a trailer but it is not OK to wash in the lake. Go figure.

I notice the marinas wash boats and the water runs into the lake. In the fall the chemicals to wash the months of slime on boat bottom are caustic. Guess where that runs off to.

My thoughts.

No, it is not really a good idea to introduce any soap to the water by washing your boat in the lake. Nothing loves soap more that plants growing in the lake. Same for the fertilizer leaching in off lawns. The lable on the soap containers says it is biodegradeable but doesn't tell you the period in time in which occurs. Paper towels are biogradeable too but think how long they float around before they are gone.

http://i44.tinypic.com/1499wms.gif Shortstop, I just noticed that you are fairly new to the forum and glad you have joined us. Have fun and enjoy the Winni Forum while making many new friends. Think your best way of doing the cleaning is to pull the boat and take it away from the lake to do the cleaning that you want to do. I take my boat out onto the driveway and all the sud'z soap runs into the woods and the leaves which acts like a fantastic filter.:)

http://i54.tinypic.com/2e56yqf.gif

ShortStop,

Welcome to the forum... Please note you will get a wide variety of answers to the question you have asked.....

My personal opinion is that the only thing I do in the water is what can be down with out chemicals of any sort..... Other then that the boat gets pulled....

This cleaning question was asked on the (NASBLA) Boating Safety exam. The correct answer was: Hydrogen Peroxide. You can't make this stuff up. :D NB

PS: I've never tried it. :)

There is nothing good for the lake about the word biodegradable. Actually they are the worst because they degrade into stuff that feeds the algae.

I use plain water and cleaners that don't make it to the water. A cleaner wax or black streak remover sprayed on and wiped off.

Sure I know the wax gets in the lake as the rain washes it off but we have a DES boat nearby and I don't want no trouble.

a MAGIC ERASER works wonders for cleaning your boat while it is in the water. I will typically let the kids swim and i will grab a noodle and a magic eraser and head to work.

DO NOT USE A MAGIC ERASER ON YOUR FIBERGLASS.... it will scratch your gelcoat! A friend of mine found out the hard way!

It is however awesome for the vinyl upholstery!

Woodsy

At our camp we always used a "pure-castile" soap in the lake. Pure-castile soaps are made from vegetable oils. You can even brush your teeth with it but make sure it is 100% pure-castile. There is a nature store in Center Harbor that sells a 100% pure-castile named Dr. Bronners.

I remember reading somewhere that's it's not legal but I've seen lots of folks doing it. You'll need to ask "the Authorities" to know for sure.

Good luck!

If you read the DES site technically anything considered "waste water", and washing a boat is considered waste water as noted there, you have to have a permit to dispose of in body of water. So I would not want to get caught doing so.

I've heard that the DES complains about people washing a boat with plain water using a pressure washer. Again using the waste water standard.

I never saw this happen and it could be BS, but it kind of fits.

Des
 

The DES appears to have a very loose standard. I know of many camps on the lake whose shower, sink, washer water drains into a dry well and the water eventually drains into the lake. The reason the owners get away with it is that DES normally puts the die in toilets. Toilets waste are usually treated through a septic system and thus pass. I know of a number of camps that use the old out house method.

So the dry well water has mega soap chemicals and it gets into the lake.

Bear Islander's castile soap may be legit, but I know someone on Glidden Cove who got fined for showering next to the lake with this soap. So what gives? :confused:

I agree ...
 

... except for "So the dry well water has mega soap chemicals and it gets into the lake." BH

In all fairness I would have said ...

"So the dry well water has mega soap chemicals and depending on season, water level and rain fall, could leach into the lake".

There are many boats on the lake that are clean.

After a week of being away, a buildup of bird poop, spider poop, pollen, and dust find their way onto our vessels. Some around the airport claim fuel descends on their boats. We should be able to clean and rinse. All of this crap finds its way into the lake with or without the boatd. By keeping a well waxed boat you can rinse off the natural buildup of crap without strong chemicals.

I purchase the recommended boat wash from my home base marina and use it sparingly. It is supposed to be safe for the lake. Sorry if this seems horrible but I will not have dried bird turds and crud ruin my pleasure.

slip renters/owners
 

I have to agree with Noregrets. Many of us love to keep our boat clean. Spider poops are dificult to clean off. Even with a pro polish layer, the poop are hard to remove.

Most marinas charge you to take out your boat for cleaning. Marinas allow you to wash your boat at the slip and many do. I never heard of DES giving a fine to a boat owner washing his boat in the water.

Worst of all are pine saps. I wonder if anyone has a 'safe' way to remove the saps. Tar and bug remover are very caustic to the environment and to the gel coat.

I've been on Winnipesaukee thousands of times (since 1983) and never left the boat in overnight, I always have trailered my boats. A boat and a kitchen bare something in common and that is ... "Little chores undone become harder to do big chores". Putting the boat in and taking it out every time I used it made it a lot easier for me to keep the hull clean. I pull the boat out and park it out of the way and give her a quick rubdown with a wet towel. After getting home I use a quick dry spray wax to clean the hull, gunnels, chrome and glass. I've often thought the boats left out in the open must be really hard to keep up. It's got to be awful trying to stay on top during pollen season.

NH laws regarding the health of the lake are incredibly lax compared to States like Maine. In the end its the lake and the people who own property on it that suffer. Weeds love soap, sewage and fertilizer. Keep feeding the lake those items and your always going to have weeds.

No need to worry about the weeds, we can always kill them with chemicals.

My boat stays in a covered slip. The birds in the rafters and the spiders are horrible. They do not respect any signs we place to curb their pooping behavior! Pollin and dust blow in with the wind. It's just horrible, horrible, horrible.

There have been weeds in lakes forever. Lakes eventually fill in with organic material over time unless a quick current is present. I was not aware that soap is the cause. Now fertilizer and sewage (another form of fertilizer) is a totally different topic!

What would be in a marine grade soap that helps plant growth? I am not sure but I have the pink stuff as well as some StarBrite brand soap.




I'll try to put soap on my grass but I do not think it will accelerate any growth!

I expect no one would bother you if you just used a rag or brush, with no cleansers, and dipped it into the lake as needed.

Washing vehicles
 

Interesting topics. My homeowner association will not allow you to wash your car in your driveway. They claim that detergent used in the wash damage the grass. Come on! The rule's were written back in the '70's. I'm sure biodegradeable soap made today are 'grass safe'.

Far more weeds in the lake now than there used to be. Never used to have blue green algae either. Thats one reason they are trying to kill them and why they have people sitting at boat ramps looking at trailers that enter the lake. Soap is not the only cause but it doesnt help. Any soap that contains phosphates promotes plant and algae growth.

We have always used just a mr clean pad, works great.

There's a class of people that live to tell other people what to do. HOA, condo boards, just about any guvmit worker, especially town goverments.

Actually maybe it'd not a class of people, maybe it's normal people when they get elected to something.

I mean banning soda pop based on the size of the cup, lawn watering bans even in towns in the middle of a flood, calling what we all exhale a polutant so they can restrict it, banning raking leaves and trimming bushes.

I need to stop reading the news. Why can't people apply a little proportion?

I've found that just a sponge, lake water, and elbow grease will take care of most of the stuff on the hull if done regularly. Full cleaning is done when the boat is out of the water.

It's perfectly all right to complain about over-regulation and no common sense rules. The other side of the coin is that we all need to take responsibility for the health of the Lake. Being anti-government is not an excuse for doing whatever we please including keeping our boats clean and shiny.

Just sayin'

I won't go so far as to say it takes care of the majority of my cleaning, but it does help.

Very interesting discussion and one I assume that is focused on inland waters as I see people cleaning their boats in the ocean all the time. They must have good sized onboard fresh water tanks as they are washing off with hoses,,,

Truth be told I have seen countless people washing their boats at their dock on Winnipesaukee, or on land and letting the rinse water and soap wash right into the lake. Never gave it a thought and honestly it seems to me that washing a boat mild soap is maybe the least damage we can do to the lake with our powerboats.



Sorry this just does not seem to be the biggest concern

I doubt that washing 100’s of boats compares to the chemicals leached into the lake from just one lawn that is fertilized even once a year.
Yup that is illegal as well but do you really think it has stopped it from happening?

The answer may be in my attic!
 

Short Stop:

BTW I am 5'3" and take offence!

In my attic I have boxes of Coast Guard pamphlets on many subjects. As I recall on of them is environmentally safe ways and products (like baking soda) to use to clean your boat.

I'll climb into that rats nest that I call an attic and see if I can find the stuff and if I do I will PM you.

Misty.

I spent 25+ years docked in salt water marinas. Everyone hoses their boats off with Fresh water..HOWEVER: The hoses are connected to a spigot on the dock. The idea is to rinse off salt crystals, which when dry can Scratch the finish..particularly where the fenders hang over the side and rub on the hull..

Bigger boats, ones usually used for serious fishing use Salt Water Washdowns when away from the dock. They don't use fresh water for this. Fresh water on a salt water boat is too valuable to use for washdowns and is always used sparingly. :look: NB

Hummm,,, sounds interesting, but then I'm sure someone-somewhere will still have heartburn over it,,, :D

It was horrible!!!
 

But I did it! I went up to the attic and found the following brochure...

TIPS to keep your boat in TOP shape.

It is from the Center for Marine Conserrvation
1725 DeSales Street, NW
Washington DC 20036
http://www.cmc-ocean.org
(202) 429-5609

And it is printed on recycled paper! Go figure!

Misty Blue

The PROBLEM is....it came from Washington, DC...:D NB

Its easy. Keep your boat waxed, use water and a soft brush at the sand bars for your waterline, isopropal alcohol for pine sap, and (thanks Woodsy for the great idea!) Magic Eraser for upholstery (can't wait to try it!).
PS...As Woodsy said, DO NOT use Magic Eraser or equivalent on your fiberglass! You will be sorry. Believe me, I know...
No reason to put suds in the lake. At least we can control that.

We've done this before. Not a bad idea and gets a good chunk of the excess slime if you're desperate.

I don't see much of a point mid-season. If you're boat is in the water another week, it's just going to build up again, right?

Amen. Amen. Amen.

This is about the cleaning of boats. Good cleaning agents, bad cleaning agents or no cleaning agents.

One NOT to Use:
 

I had a obsessive/compulsive visitor who asked for some "cleanser" for cleaning his 23' boat deck. I handed him Dutch cleanser, but in a brief absense, he had found some Pine-Sol. :confused:

You won't believe how many hundreds of feet of lake that can be turned opaque with Pine-Sol! :eek:

boat washing
 

I find a sandbar usually by the Margate,set anchor ,jump in and with a soft bristle brush I take off all the green slime that I can. Then go over it with a wet rag. Works great and dumps nothing into the water. Usually do that a couple of times throughout the season.

Simple!!

http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?A=2705&Q=399202

a little baking soda on a course scrub pad

I go to West Alton. Got there early, 9am. Washed it with just water and a brush, dried it and waxed it all while standing in waist deep water. No complaints.

It's the best I'm going to do with the boat in the water all summer long.