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I bumped into an old man this afternoon at the boat ramp. He had a 80’s Mako that looks brand new. He said that he always uses vinegar to flush the salt off of his boat. Seems like that would be harsh but he’s been doing it for years and waxes every 6 months. Are any of you guys doing this?


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Back when I drove for Mckenzie tank lines we picked up chemicals at the paper mills and our trucks would be covered in lime from the steam in the air, we used lots of white vinegar to wash the trucks off and they were mostly fiberglass (hood & fenders) never hurt it at all. salt water has lime in it. I have never thought about it for a boat but I think it would work great.

Vinegar is a good solution to use on poling platforms, T-tops and other aluminum to reduce water spots caused by calcium. So a diluted solution would probably work very well on fiberglass, too.

Nice to see you back, FRP.

Scalawag, small world. My wife was the office manager for the Pensacola terminal in the mid-80s and I worked there as graveyard dispatch while going to UWF.

i will have to try that
I used it to clean my tankless hot water heater it works great on that hard water we have at the river

silverking wrote:
Nice to see you back, FRP.
.

Thanks old buddy. I missed being around.


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silverking wrote:Vinegar is a good solution to use on poling platforms, T-tops and other aluminum to reduce water spots caused by calcium. So a diluted solution would probably work very well on fiberglass, too.

Nice to see you back, FRP.

Scalawag, small world. My wife was the office manager for the Pensacola terminal in the mid-80s and I worked there as graveyard dispatch while going to UWF.

Hey SK, I have been to that terminal several times, I lived in Mexico beach and worked out of the South port terminal during the 90's

Been using white vinegar for years to spray down the boat and trailer. Use it to flush the engine as well, and mixed with dish soap to degrease the bilge.

Are you spraying everything and letting it sit before washing with soap and water? Or what's your procedure?

I starting using a chamois after rinsing to remove the water spots. So much calcium in the water down in St. Marks. The little extra time it takes to wipe it down saves elbow grease and rubbing compound later.

I read years ago that vinegar dissolves salt. I always put a little in my wash bucket. I also keep a spray bottle with a mild mixture and spray my tackle with it before rinsing after each use. It really reduces spotting, so I assume the salt is being removed.

silverking wrote:Are you spraying everything and letting it sit before washing with soap and water? Or what's your procedure?

I starting using a chamois after rinsing to remove the water spots. So much calcium in the water down in St. Marks. The little extra time it takes to wipe it down saves elbow grease and rubbing compound later.

I just use an in-line sprayer filled with vinegar attached to the hose, I don't even bother with soap. When things get a little grimy I get out the pressure washer.

Thanks for the info. I'm going to start adding some to my soap bucket. I'm too obsessive about washing the boat to not us soap.

A few years back when I had my two oceanpro's I had the drives taken off to have them serviced, the mechanic told me i should descale the engines while they were off. we used an aerator pump in the bottom of a five gallon bucket with a hose hooked to the water pic up pipe and a return hose hooked to the engine where the pee hose hooked up, a brick held the pump down in the bucket. five gallons of white vinegar. I let this recirculate for 12 hours on each engine then run water mixed with dawn thru them for 30 minutes, it was amazing how much junk came out of each engine. the mechanic told me how to do this. PS the thermostats were removed for this

SCALAWAG wrote:A few years back when I had my two oceanpro's I had the drives taken off to have them serviced, the mechanic told me i should descale the engines while they were off. we used an aerator pump in the bottom of a five gallon bucket with a hose hooked to the water pic up pipe and a return hose hooked to the engine where the pee hose hooked up, a brick held the pump down in the bucket. five gallons of white vinegar. I let this recirculate for 12 hours on each engine then run water mixed with dawn thru them for 30 minutes, it was amazing how much junk came out of each engine. the mechanic told me how to do this. PS the thermostats were removed for this

Once or twice a year I run my Yamaha F150 in a 55 gallon drum filled with water and a couple gallons of white vinegar for 15 minutes or so, instead of flushing it on the hose muffs. Water gets nice and warm as it recirculates in the drum and you'll be amazed at the salt and deposits cleaned out and left behind in the bottom when you're done. For an extra thrill, pull out a thermostat afterwards and take a look... will be just like factory-new inside the block.

Easy as pie.