Oil spill cleanup tips for contaminated boats

Marine Fabricator | July 2010

In the aftermath of what could be the largest oil spill in U.S. history, leading yacht paint manufacturers Interlux and Awlgrip have released several tips for cleaning contaminated boats.

For hard polishing and ablative antifouling paints with heavy contamination, use a paint-stripper to remove all the pollution and the paint. For light contamination, powerwash and then use a household detergent with water to scrub off any pollution. In both cases, you should then scrub the substrate using Fiberglass Surface Prep YMA601 and a coarse cleaning pad before rinsing with fresh water.

Contaminated topcoats should be cleaned as soon as possible to minimize the damaging effects of the crude oil. Always test a small area before cleaning the entire boat.

With heavy contamination, wipe down with T0016, T0170 or mineral spirits followed by power washing, and then clean with a household detergent. Each area should be rinsed with clean water.

In all cases, contaminated waste water should be collected per local marina guidelines, local authority regulations and Clean Water Act requirements. Visit www.yachtpaints.com/usa and www.awlgrip.

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