I spent the weekend at Fairlee Creek/Jellyfish Joels and boated the Northern Chesapeake for the first time. Found the water to be very dirty, is this the norm or is it due to the lack of fresh water running down the rivers? After having the boat in the water for 3 days, it looked like I was in the ocean bay for a week!!!

Is is usually a lot cleaner, just a bad year?

It is tannic acid in the water, happens due to the brackish water and vegetation, same thing that makes tea and coffee brown. You have to use an acid based cleaner like On and Off to get it white again.

My boat is never in the water for more than a few hours at a time. Even after a single 1-hr run it comes out brown. I've just learned to live with it and clean it once a year.

-g

I'd been out in the Kent Island area a few times in past years on friends boats and have went swimming, just never remembered it being so dirty looking. I thought maybe this year was especially bad due to the low water flow from the rivers as I live up here in PA where they start and the rivers are barely running.

same thing on mine, clean it once a year now, went swimming to see ted with a white shirt, now it's tan as well

What kind of wax can repel that brown stain????????

Some waxes will give you a little more time, but none will keep it off for more than a day or so.

Don't use On/Off, it's TOO strong of an application. Once used your boat will yellow again alot faster time & again.

I simply use Mequire's Hot rim & Wheel spray on cleaner from Advance Auto. Simple, quick & cheap. Contains only one mild acid as opposed to three strong ones in On/Off. Plus no mask or gloves required.

Reckless, Thanks for the tip!!!

What else can you use??