Water Spots

I must be doing something Wrong:

After the first lake trip this year I noticed I a lot of Water spots that did come off when I washed the Boat, so I washed it down with Vingar which seemed to take the spots off and then tried 303 over the whole boat looked great. Next trip 3 days a the river and again lots of water spots after washing figure that 303 doesn't work. So again complete Vingar bath followed by complete Wax job. latest Trip 7 days a lake Mead again total water spots after washing.

So What am I doing wrong??? I didn't seem to have this problem last year.

Help

Not your fault man. Try this 5% wash wax with carnuba, 25% vinagar, 70% soft or distilled water in spray bottle. Spray everything and wipe down when you take out the boat. No need to rinse. I keep 1 gal water, 1 gal vinigar, 1 qt wash wax in my truck and use todays wet towels when I leave the water. It did'nt cost me $10. Lasts all year. Saves a ton of time and keep the boat ready to go.

(Message edited by redsupralaunch on August 26, 2005)

Every time you take the boat out of the water, before you leave the lake, mist the boat down with a 50/50 solution of distilled vinegar and pure water, then wipe down with a damp towel. I use a towel that we've managed to get damp during our lake trip, it doesn't have to be pure water on it.

If you're using 303 to protect the gel-coat, you don't need the carnuba mentioned above.

You'll never have to worry about spots. I have a black boat, and it doesn't have spots at all once I learned this trick.

Whatever solution you use, here's the thing: if you don't wipe it before you leave the lake, the spots will harden and more aggressive methods will be needed to remove, like using CLR.

303 protects the finish, it doesn't remove water spots.

Is there anything else that you can use instead of vinegar? I hate the smell of vinegar.

2 ounces Zip Wax, 14 ounces vinegar in a 16 ounce spray bottle.

Oliver, you can use a commercial product like Ducky or Babes. They smell better, but accomplish the same thing.

I use vinegar/water (50/50) mix. works great but will take the wax of the boat after several uses. Another product i use is made by Driven. It is a water spot remover as well. Works great and smells good too!!!

I have heard talk about vinegar, Ducky, etc, etc. I find the best method for me is;

in order of importance
1. keep a really good wax on the boat
2. Wipe down after every use (right after you pull the boat oot
3. deep clean with Maguires Quick Clean Marine.

Do not apply the Quick Clean is the sun or will will leave behind a haze (sort of like Ducky). Apply when the boat is cool and rub firmly. I have started this with my new boat last year and still no spots...

Ok I understand Wipe down everytime I pull the Boat out on Single day trips. On the longer trips where I don't pull the boat for 4-7 days your stuck getting water spots.

What does everyone do to try and stop the Water spots on these trips?

If I Vinegar, Ducky, CLR or other after they are all going to strip the Wax.

So am a correct in just excepting that after every long trip I need to be agressive and then Re-wax?

newbie here...what are you guys referring to when you say "water spots"...what do they look like? Is it the brackish color film that can appear on your boat after you pull it out of the water?

Maguires Quick Clean Marine won't take off the wax. I don't think vinegar will renove wax either because I have tried getting spots out that are "burried" under wax and it won't remove them, so I am guessing it isn't removing the wax as well.

What I mean is, say you wax your boat before removing water spots. The only way you will get pre-existinmg spots out now is with a power buffer. You have to go through the wax you just put on to get to the deeper spots.

When I have my boat in the water for a few days, I simply wipe it down and then rub it down with the Quick Clean Marine. If you don;t have good wax, getting those dried in spots is really hard. Again, the only way is to use a power buffer with a boat\RV polish compound.

The secret is wax... and continual cleaning. I have been on top of new boat and it is working great.

I don't have any water Spots on the Raw Gel Coat, they are on top of a good wax and or 303.

I thought (hoped) the wax would make removal of these spots Easier. Same as my Truck, with a good wax the Dirt and Grime just come right off when I wash, I don't need to wipe down the truck everyday.

These Spot seem to Stick and a lot don't come off when I wash ( after a long trip) So everytime I end up going to Vinegar to remove them then re-waxing.

so the real question is the normal:

Even with a good Wax, Water Spots are going to stick and not come off when I wash?

There is a product called "duckie" that is the only thing I was able to get some hard assed Wyoming water spots off my boat with. It took the green grime off (from 10 days in the water) without much work, too.

My uncle that lives in WY says it seems to repel them for a bit after, too, but I'm back to soft water in Colorado so I can't say first hand.

Water spots are the results of minerals from hard water left over after the water droplets dry. On your car, and I would assume unprotected gel coat, they will etch over time. They will be there no matter what you put on the boat, the trick is to rinse them off with some solution or to completely dry the boat with dry towels before you leave the area of the boat ramp.

Boats are a lot of work...what can I say.

Eric