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We are leaving our Monauk in the water at a marina this summer. The bottom is getting stained from the muddy water. The guy who works on the motor calls it a Fish River Beard (g).


Is there anything I can do to minimize the staining of the hull? Some special spray or something I might could apply before I put it back in the water?

Thanks!

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Older hulls are more succeptable to this. The gel coat becomes porous with age. Keeping it waxed helps and Mary Kate On Off will usually remove the stains.

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Also, just to confirm - the marina is located on a body of freshwater, correct? Otherwise, you will need to apply antifouling bottom paint...

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Which body of fresh water matters also. If it's attached to the Great Lakes the boat will need antifouling paint to prevent zebra mussels from attaching.

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Any boat left in the water more than 1 month should have bottom paint, a recommendation I hate to make since I don't like bottom paint at all. But many do not have a choice if that is how they plan to use their boat.

The only way to avoid the paint is to pull the boat out RELIGIOUSLY every two weeks, and clean it up with "Instant Hull Cleaner", either sprayed or wiped on. Starbrite makes it, and you can get the same thing by SeaSense at Walmart. A coat of wax on the bottom and sides will help, but it's a lot of work, and each application of the hull cleaner (basically an oxalic acid misture) will remove the wax. Stay away from that MaryKate On-Off phosphoric acid stuff - way too strong for your gelcoat.

You do want to keep the bottom buffed out, since that smooths the gelcoat surface and eliminates a porous surface which will soak up water. Yes, any gelcoat will eventually absorb some water, and then you get blistering, etc. Not good. I would let the bottom dry out for a day before putting it back in after each cleaning.

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I assume you are talking about the Fish River near Magnolia Springs/Marlow?

Depending upon rainfall and your location on the river you can get sufficient water from Weeks Bay to make the water brackish. Do you also fish in Weeks Bay, the Magnolia River and Mobile Bay?

I concur with the earlier recommendation to apply antifouling bottom paint to your Whaler. Nothing else will keep growth off the bottom. I recommend a good quality ablative water based paint carefully applied to a properly prepared hull. I use Petit Hydrocoat for my Whaler used mostly in Little Lagoon and other salt water around Gulf Shores and Orange Beach.

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Actually it's a brackish river down here in what we locals call LA (Lower Alabama)

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Yes sir...we are keeping it down at Big Daddy's for the summer (right at the 32 bridge). My wife and daughters hate fooling with launching it...and it is nice to just step in it and go. They have fuel right there at Big Daddy's.

Actually, I tend to fish down at the beach more than up this way. I've gotten interested (well, obsessed might be a better word) with tarpon. I do fish in Fish River (and the reefs and rigs in the bay for trout with a slip cork some. I've gotten really interested in flyfishing and those opportunities are better down at the beach.

How about yourself?

I had to get a power pack replaced on my motor and, when I got a good look when putting it on the trailer, was shocked to see how much "junk" accumulated in just a month. I'm really getting cold feet about leaving it down there.