Pontoon Spring Cleaning, pics from round 1, and a question.

[calvinator]

Just bought this pontoon a month ago. 29' Crest Sundecker. It is in good shape, but needs cleaning, repainting, and new decals. Not much cleaning was done to it in the past few years. I want to get this baby ready by mid May.

First step was to get the outside cleaned up and sanded. The toons had caked on stuff. Other challenges too. Ohio weather in March is cold and rainy. The pontoon is 60 minutes from my house. The marina where the pontoon is at is closed. Even if it was open they have no facilities -- power or water. So cleaning was going to be a challenge.

Getting power is easy. I have a Champion generator.
Water for powerwashing is more challenging. After looking at many options like plastic drums and renting a water trailer, I bought a 70 gallon water bladder from a "survivalist website" for $29. Just a big plastic bag!

Here it is in my Suburban. 70 gallons of water ~ 600lbs. DON'T BREAK !

My pressure washer is a 2000PSI electric, but it needs an incoming water pressure to work. Water in the bladder isn't enough, so I bought a garden pump. Water goes like this bladder-->hose-->pump-->hose-->pressure washer. This solution worked out great. And the bladder held up great and will be re-useable for several more trips.

On my cleaning day, it was pouring rain, and the storage "field" where the pontoon is was a mud pit. Dirty Suburban, and it took every bit of the posi-traction and 4.10 gears to get through the mud pit to the pontoon ! ! ! ! Suburban is 2WD.

 

[calvinator]

Re: Pontoon Spring Cleaning, pics from round 1, and a question.

On to the cleaning.... I used a gallon of citrus degreaser on the railings and sheet metal. Then sanded all the sheet metal and got rid of any crusty decals. I didn't remove the decals because I am going to just decal over the old stuff.

On to cleaning the toons.... I was armed with 3 toon cleaning products..... 4 gallons of coil cleaner, 2 gallons of Napa Aluminum Brightener, and 2 gallons of Toon Brite. The coil cleaner attacked the gunk really well. The Napa and Toon Brite just cleaned up the surface left behind by the coil cleaner.

Before

After

 

[calvinator]

Re: Pontoon Spring Cleaning, pics from round 1, and a question.

At this point, I still have work to do on those toons to get that crud off.

ANY SUGGESTIONS ? Muratic acid is what I'm thinking about.... Maybe some of those oven cleaners.... And a whole lot of pressure washing in round 2.

After I get them clean, I'll hit them with Toon Brite metal polish and a woolpad & polisher.

That was round #1. I will probably have 2 more cleaning trips, 2 more painting trips, and then one engine pre-season test.

 

[calvinator]

Re: Pontoon Spring Cleaning, pics from round 1, and a question.

I'm going to repaint the sheet metal a metallic silver, like this one:

Then add a vinyl graphics set like this one:

Still a lot of work to do ! ! ! ! ! But all fun ! ! !

 

[Bamaman1]

Re: Pontoon Spring Cleaning, pics from round 1, and a question.

When you've gone at the aluminum with coil cleaner and acid based pontoon boat cleaners, you've gone about as far as you can go.

Then it's time to go after the toons with 3 progressive grits of sandpaper, eventually working your way into a good quality metal polish. The questions is what grits to start with to avoid deep scratches in the soft aluminum. You don't want to get rougher than needed to clean the toons.

 

[MH Hawker]

Re: Pontoon Spring Cleaning, pics from round 1, and a question.

I have found on mine that plain pressure washing will get the crud off, but I hit mine at the end of the season before it drys out and I jump in and hit it with a scrub brush a time or two during the season, mine is kept on a wet slip most of the year.