Re: Grime off?
Do yourself a big favor and just bottom paint it. There is NOTHING that will keep the growth off the bottom like bottom paint. Regular wax DOES NOT stay on the bottom of a hull for more than about 4-5 minutes at planing speed. Complete waste of time to wax the bottom of a hull. There is a denatured wax product, sold in Overtons catalogue, call Super Slick, that helps, but the growth still attaches to it. Then you'll be hauling the boat every 2 weeks and pressure washing it and SCRUBBING the heck out of it. And just scrubbing it in the water WILL NOT WORK, like others are telling you. It's the bottom that's important, and you can't scrub the bottom without SCUBA gear. Even with Super Slick, the growth will attach, you won't get it off, and it'll slow you down.
The slowing you down thing is not the worst problem you'll have. Please read this next part:
Here's what happens when you don't use bottom paint
1. Your hull gets growth on it
2. That growth slows your boat down, a lot.
3. You use more gasoline
4. The lower MAX RPMs of the engine makes it "lug".
5. Lugging an engine causes overly high combustion chamber heat
6. High combustion chamber heat causes tulipped valves and detonation.
7. If you catch it in time, and all you damage are the valves, you'll only spend about $175 per head to have them reconditioned, $200+ for all the Mercruiser gaskets to put the motor back together, and if you are mechanically inclined, and have a full time job, you'll need about 3-4 days of work, after work to complete it all.
8. If you have a professional do this, it'll cost you a MINIMUM of $2000.
So, paint the bottom for $1000 now and avoid the headaches.
Ask me how I know!
