Will Boat Scrub remove Sure Step?

Skipper June 19, 2017 Ask The Skipper

Tom Wiegand asked:

Hi Richard, I have a question about the boat scrub being used over sure step.

Does the boat scrub scrub away the sure step?

I have found on the cockpit floors I’ve had to use the boat scrub for cleanup after a charter.

The boat clean just doesn’t seem to do the job.

I’m about 45 days in from the first two coats of sure step that were applied and looked great.

I just hate to use a cleaning agent that’s going to degrade the sure step. Obviously it’s not cheap to get the decks looking as good as that product does.

Tom Wiegand
AllegroSailing.com

Answer:

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

Boat Scrub will remove Sure Step. Because you have a charter boat business and the cockpit floors take more use and abuse than a private boat, you may have to apply the Sure Step more often or even apply a third coat in high wear areas. Also keep in mind that salt and UV from the sun also takes their toll and will shorten the life of Sure Step.

Sure Step is only a few microns thick and because of its special non slip properties it’s elastic in nature instead of hard, therefore it’s subject to wear from constant scuffing and more frequent cleaning, sometimes with aggressive cleaners like Boat Scrub and scrub brushes. The first coat is a sealer coat and a lot of the material goes into the pores of the gelcoat to seal it and the next and subsequent coats go on top to give you the shine, easy clean up and non-slip properties. When you put on additional coats, be sure to allow a minimum of 24 hours between coats for the previous coat to cure. That way you’ll get a layering effect instead of one coat replacing the one underneath.

I know that sometimes, you have no choice but to get aggressive with clean up after an active day on the water with a full complement of excited passengers. When that’s necessary, just apply another coat to those areas.

You shouldn’t have to do the entire deck as frequently, just the high traffic and wear areas. I understand that it’s an added cost but considering the added value the clean shiny decks add to your well-kept boat and your charter business (no one want’s to charter a beat up, dirty looking scuzzy boat), the reduced wear and tear by eliminating the constant aggressive cleaning and the time saving on reduced maintenance and scrubbing, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s worth it. Aurora Marine sells Sure Step in gallons, which will reduce your cost by about 25%.

Cool Boat by the way; Next time I’m in the Jacksonville, Tallahassee area I would love to charter your boat and go out sailing with you for a day.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora
Richard Kittar