Can't get these tiny black spots off my boat

[blacter]

I have a 2004 170CC that I bought in September. The boat was actually delivered to the dealer about a year earlier and sat outside, uncovered, for an entire Washington State winter. On most of the horizontal surfaces there's a black discoloration that looks like -- but isn't -- paint overspray. I've probably tried 10 different products, including straight bleach, Simple Green, Soft Scrub and Greased Lightening, to remove the spots with absolutely no affect. Do any of you know of a cleaner that will work? Here's what it looks like on the console (I removed the safety warning sticker to show the contrast).

[Codfish]

Hey Blacter,

You must have bought yours from Verle's in Shelton. I have an '04 210CC that has the same spots in some of the horizontal surfaces. I was told by a factory rep that it is tiny air pockets that form in the molding process. Dirt gets into the pocket and looks just like you described. The best way I have found to get the dirt out is to use a pressure washer. That can be problematic in some areas but I use great caution around the console. It really works on the deck though. I don't think there is any permanent fix. I use either Soft Scrub with bleach or Simple Green, both work well between pressure wash jobs.

codfish

[blacter]

Thanks, Codfish. Can't wait for the weather to warm up so I can try the power washer.

Good guess on the dealer. Did you buy your 210 at Verles? I'm in Bend, so I have a dealer only 45 minutes away in Culver. Problem was, they only do Honda outboards, which in that power range would have meant going with a carbureted motor, rather than EFI. So I went with Verles to get a Suzuki EFI, which I'd heard good things about. As it turned out, the 60hp Suzuki is a bit heavy for a 170CC, so I had to add a hydrofoil to keep the bow down. Kind of ticked me off that the guys at Verles didn't steer away from the mismatched boat/motor setup.

[blacter]

Okay, here's an update. I pulled the boat out of storage today and tried my power washer on the black spots. Worked like magic.

[Genelie]

well I guess i need to try it. I have the same problem, the boat came clean , but as time goes on ...those tiny black dots keep growing. I will have to try a pressure washer...do you think the ones at a car wash is strong enough??

[Codfish]

A power car/boat wash is usually what I use. There is one at the top of the boat ramp I use most of the time. I have learned to ignore the spots mostly. I don't like spending a lot of time on the detail cleanup but when I have the urge, the car wash wand is sufficient power to clean out the little pockets.

codfish

[Genelie]

Great!!!!!!!! I am a fedish on keeping things clean. But I also do not want to allway spend lots of man hours doing so. So maybe once a month I will do the car wash thing. Thanks for the reply

[profks]

I just received my 191 Fish & Ski yesterday. I live in Maryland and the boat was transported form Spokane Washington. It arrived with a lot of caked on dirt and some black grease marks on it. I called the factory and was told to try powerwashing it with a 25% bleach solution and some Green Away. I tried, but some of the marks are still on the hull and in the back. Does anyone know what types of strong cleaners can be used without hurting the Ropolene? Perhaps someone could suggest a process to loosen up this grime. Thanks.

Ken

[Codfish]

Ken, I have used "Soft Scrub" with bleach on the stubborn dark spots and stains. It works good and can be applied only where needed. It is thick enough that is stays where applied. I let it stand a few minutes, wipe off the excess and then rinse thuroughly. The black spots we are talking about in this thread are the tiny ones that appear in large numbers, mostly on flat surfaces.

Codfish

[Tygh]

Hey Genelie,
The carwash one didn't work well for me, so I bought a nice pressure washer. I am in Poway (just over the hill from you). Holler if you want to swing by and use the pressure washer. Works great and only takes a few minutes.