3 Steps to a Sparkling Clean (and faster) Rowing Shell Hull

I’ve written at length about the importance of keeping your shell’s hull clean. And along that line, I’ve just received the following email:

Mike:

Maybe you can help with this one. We have a 1 year old Vespoli light 8, painted white. It’s shell was pristine until our last race, when the boats were parked on the trailer underneath an oak tree. It rained heavily all night and was over 90 degrees F the next day before the shell was taken off the trailer and re-rigged. The part of the shell that was under the tree now has dark blue/black spots on it, and you can clearly see where the straps were because that is the only part of the boat that is still white.

We think the blackish residue, which would not come off unless we used our fingernails, is sap from the tree. We scrubbed the boat with soapy water for an hour without result. Have you heard of this before, and what cleaners or brushes should be use to take it off?

Coach asks a great question, and there are three distinct reasons why a clean hull is important. First, the boat will look better. As our coach noted in the email, hulls do get dirty. Happens all the time. And when they are dirty they don’t look happy. And when a boat is not happy you won’t get the most out of it that you could if it was happy. Sounds rather strange, but it often works that way. Second reason is that the boat will last longer. There are numerous things that can attack a hull and age it prematurely. Keeping it clean can keep it young.

And probably, for many of us, the most important reason is that a clean hull is much faster than a dirty hull. A clean hull will have less friction on it, and that is a good thing. We like to go fast, and in that aspect friction is not our friend.

How to clean a rowing hull
There is a priority system I use when cleaning a hull, all depending on how dirty it is—and what the so called dirt actually is. It boils down to using one (or all) of these three choices:

• soap and water
• chemical solvent
• abrasive compound

1. Use water and soap. For example, if the hull is covered with slime from the water, or dust, mud or dirt, I use simple soap and water. I’ve had much success with a biodegradable laundry detergent, such as Arm and Hammer. Make up a mixture of about 1 part soap to 10 parts water, get the hull wet with water, apply mixture, scrub with a sponge or soft pad, and that usually takes care of about 80% of the dirty hulls I see.

We make a habit of cleaning our hulls (inside and out) once a week, with soap and water.

2. Use solvents. If the contaminates on the hull are things like tape residue, sap from trees, dried pollen, or other sticky stuff I use a chemical solvent, such as mineral spirits (in Europe it is known as white spirits). It is not very toxic, will dissolve many things, and then washes up with soap and water. I only have coaches who know how to handle chemicals use mineral spirits. (Use as directed and only in well ventilated places.)

Friends at Pocock Racing Shells highly recommend Gel Gloss… for everything. It is very easy to spray on and wipe off with a soft cloth. Although I have not tried it, they swear by it, which is a strong recommendations from a boat builder. They also use it on riggers to clean them. For algae and water stains they recommend Rowing Solutions Waterline Stain and Algae Cleaner… it is sold by Bruce Weick and available by emailing him directly.

3. Use compound. If the hull is covered with something that the first two steps won’t handle, I then revert to an abrasive solution, such as rubbing compound. Rubbing compound is a common product found in many stores. It comes in a multitude of abravisvesness, called grits. Bob Klinger, at Klinger Engineering, who is a whiz at repairing boats suggested a compound from 3M called Medium Duty Rubbing Compound. Although I have not been able to get that specific brand I use a similar compound that has about a 1500 grit. However, there are much less abrasive grits, such as 4000 that will probably handle most situations you run into. I’ve found compounding to take care of most of the hull contamination that I’ve had, including paint splatters and very small scratches.

There are a few tricks to using rubbing compound

• Use only as directed
• Do small areas at a time
• Apply with gentle motions to a wet surface
• Use a clean cloth to apply
• Wipe off when dry

A word of caution about rubbing compound—it is a form of liquid sandpaper—meaning it will scratch the paint on a hull if you are not careful. So go slow, and carefully, using only the pressure and grit you need. Again, only a coach or experienced person should be doing this step.

These three simple steps should be able to help you get your hull clean, and hopefully a little happier—and faster.