How to Remove Bird Droppings and Stains on Non Skid Deck

Skipper February 19, 2006 Ask The Skipper

Bob Pone asked:

I need your help!

I am on a mooring in Newport Beach, CA and sometimes my boat gets hit pretty hard with bird droppings. By the time I get to the boat I need dynamite to remove the unwanted excrement. Furthermore when the bird droppings get down into the non slip surface it’s impossible to get it 100% clean with out damaging the gel-coat. I scrub and scrub with little effect. This stuff sets up like cement.

I do have precautions on the boat like netting, mono filament line and other devices to try and stop the birds from landing and leaving their supper, but somehow these buggers know how to get around these precautions. There must be something out there that will break down this stuff so that normal brushing will remove it easily.

Questions:

Do you have or know of a product that will dissolve or loosen up the bird droppings for easy cleaning?

If not, any cleaning tips will be much appreciated.

Answer:
For your convenience, I’ve highlighted the hyperlinks. Click on the hyperlink to get more information about the selected product.

Aurora Boat Clean Plus will loosen up the bird poop. Spray it on full strength and give it about 20 minutes to penetrate and break it up, then just rinse it off. You may have to cover it with a piece of plastic (old shopping bags, without printing, work well) to prevent evaporation while it works. If it dries out, you will have to start over again.

If the birds have been in the berry patch and honored your boat with stains as well as poop, use Aurora Boat Scrub to get the stains out. Boat Scrub is also an excellent non-skid deck cleaner. Wet the decks with fresh water, apply a bit of Boat Scrub and give the decks a scrubbing with a deck brush. They should be clean and bright again.

To reduce the cleaning and maintenance problem, apply 2 coats of Aurora Sure Step. It’s a pressure sensitive polish made especially for non-skids. It seals the surface to prevent water and stain penetration. It gives you a beautiful, easy to maintain shine. It’s very slippery to light weights like dirt and bird poop. If you get to it before the sun really bakes it on, simply rinsing it with a garden hose will remove it. The decks will be much easier to keep clean because dirt, sneaker prints etc, just wipe or hose off. Scrubbing with a deck brush is eliminated and cleaning your decks usually consist of waiting for the next rain or if you have a lot of pollution in your area, you may have to run a mop over the deck from time to time with a solution of 1 part Boat Clean Plus to 15 or 20 parts water.

The best part is that Sure Step reacts to pressure, such as the weight of a boater. When you step on the deck, even in bare feet, your weight changes the coefficient of friction and gives you traction. When the decks are wet the traction increases even more. You get the best of both worlds, shiny, slippery decks that give you traction when you step on them. It also has UV protection to stop the chalking from the sun. Two coats should last 3 to 4 months in your area.

I think you will agree that this will be a lot easier on your boat than dynamite.

Thanks for your question,
Captain Aurora