Aluminum cleaners?

My Klammath is getting to be @30 years old and the aluminum hull shows some pitting and corrosion. I was thinking of using Penetrol to condition it. Any suggestions or products you used? Thanks.

get some sharkhide metal polish and then get the clear coat that is in the kit and it will make the boat look like brand new just don't miss any spots when putting on the clear coat or it will eventually make a black mark where you missed coating it at. This is the best stuff on the market for your boat!

I'll check it out, thanks 9/0.

Have to say it was way more work than I anticipated. The Klammath has 30+ years of saltwater under her belt. The corrosion, or gray rust, was deep. Terribly pitted, rough to the touch. None of the cleaners even touched the shit. I realized shortly after starting there was no way it would ever be like new again. I settled for just removing it all as well as possible, so it wouldn't continue to corrode.


After some experimenting, started the wet sand with 150. That's really rough, but, it would have taken forever with a finer grit. I sanded in only one direction at all times. After the 150 I took 220 to it. I didn't go any lower than 220 grit paper because some of the pitting wasn't coming out, it would have been a waste of time. Final sand was with the 3M pads, and a quick buff with some medium-cut compound. That evened out the fine sanding scratches to a point it looked ok. Not good, just ok. I estimate that process took over 50 hours. Incredibly hard on the arms and shoulders.

I found a decent aluminum polish/protectant, and buffed it out. Too bad there's really no way to show you all how much oxidation came off the hull. There was no freekin end, it just kept coming off, more and more with each step. At the end of every day I looked like a coal miner, covered in gray/black deposits from head to toe. Got in big trouble for what my clothes did to the washing machine, not good. What a mess, never again. Still looks like ass. Some areas look like new, some look 30 years old after the polish. I may have to scrub it with a 3M pad to blend it one last time.

Bottom line, keep your aluminum hull maintained annually. Don't let it go for 30 years or you'll be a sorry ass mofo with a hull that looks like ass.

On to the topside, had to gut that too.

i cant stand polishing aluminum anymore thats why i put full side vinyl on my boat, just wash it and your done and its not hard to put on.

That's a good solution for you, not sure if it would be for me. My boat is chined all the way around. Would it go over uneven surfaces boater? I couldn't see having a painted surface, it's more work than the aluminum. Might consider the vinyl, especially if it was pigmented. I know it's allot of work and money to put into an old boat, bit I feel about how DJ does with his Lund.

This hull is also double thickness on the bottom, an option from the factory. I considered a new boat, but it's got another 30 years left at least, and a new Klammath hull is the exact same in design, $10K, without a double bottom hull. I can take this boat anywhere inland, I doubt any other 16' boat would navigate bad water better. The most practical advantage of this boat is the launch factor. I'm the guy that launches and trailers his boat without getting his feet wet, by myself, in less than 5 minutes, even at Redondo(launch HELL). Gotta love it.

I take it that you didn't get the shark hide? That stuff works great with a buffer! I have pitting on my new north river because someone left it in the water for 9 months but I did a little spot and it took only a minute or 2 to bring it out to a fine shine.

9/0NASTY wrote:I take it that you didn't get the shark hide? That stuff works great with a buffer! I have pitting on my new north river because someone left it in the water for 9 months but I did a little spot and it took only a minute or 2 to bring it out to a fine shine.

I looked for it. Nobody stocked it, or had it in stock. But thank you for the help.

Bringing out a fine shine wasn't an issue for this older boat. It was too far gone for that to be an option, had to wet sand.

You have to get the stuff on line, Your boat is not to old for that stuff. I am telling you it will make it look new again. i will post pictures of mine when I actually get some time to do the whole boat.