boat vinyl issues

[motomadd]

I was wondering if any of the WW brain trust has seen this before and might know what it is. I have a 2001 Chaparral 205 SSE with Beautiful white and yellow vinyl interior. I keep it in premo condition and there is not a scratch or nick in it, it looks like the day it came off of the production line. I keep it clean and protected with a vinyl cleaner and protectant made by Boat USA and have been very happy with the product for the 10 years we have owned the boat. However, 2 years ago when I pulled the cover off of the boat after its winter nap my heart dropped when I seen the huge stain on the back of the engine cover vinyl. I tried everything that I could use on it but the stain was not to be removed. I went in and told my wife that our beautiful white vinyl on our boat now looked like something you pulled out of the dumpster. The next day when I got home from work my wife asked me what was wrong with the boat, so I took her out to show her and it was totally gone, back to a brilliant white like new. One day in the sun and it goes away. Since then I have tried putting towels under the cover in that area, elevating the cover, and so on but if the cover is on it for a week or more the stain returns, getting worse the longer I leave the cover on. Every time though, if I let it sit in the sun for one day it completely goes away. Have any of you seen this before, know what it is, and know what is causing it. See pictures of the stain and what the interior of the boat looks like after a day in the sun.

I have come to the conclusion that it might be a mold of some sort but I am very careful to make sure that the boat is completely dry before I cover it or store it for the winter.

Bewildered

 

[bubba]

This was a big mystery a few years ago with Mastercraft and other brands. It seemed to always be a tone of rust red or pink and pinking became its name. There is a national company called Keystone Brothers, an upholstery supply store, try calling them. It seemed to be isolated to boats using covers.

https://gestaltscientific.com/

 

[Pegasus]

I can't help you with your problem, but can confirm that this is a regular/normal problem with vinyl upholstery if covered and left in the sun. It becomes worse as the vinyl ages and also makes the vinyl become harder/stiffer/not as compliant as normal. I have not experienced or seen this problem unless the vinyl is covered AND left in the sun (i.e. covering is OK, but covering and sun causes the problem). Motomadd, is your boat left covered in the sun?

Unfortunately, my experience is that when it starts to "pink", it gets worse and worse over months/years, then finally ends up cracking in the same location as the pinking appears. I've reupholstered cushions in two boats in the past two years because of cracked vinyl - and both started with this 'pinking' problem (and both are rarely stored/covered in the sun). In both my cases, the vinyl was 15 and 20 years old respectively so I'm sure aging has something to do with it.

My solution is to use copious amounts of 303 UV vinyl protectant, but I can't confirm if that helps once pinking starts. I can confirm that the "new" vinyl does not pink at all. When you keep your boat as nice as you do, it might be worth the expense of new vinyl to keep it looking as new at the day you bought it - I know that worked for me and was much less expensive than a new boat!

 

[Lake Bum]

I had a stain in that EXACT location on my last boat. The prior owner told me it had been left in the sun, but I never believed that, because it was more like a stain, than fading from the sun. Mine never went away, and I tried numerous products. I sold that boat, and I've never had a problem before it, or since that one isolated stain on my Four Winns. I now own a Rinker

 

[motomadd]

I can't help you with your problem, but can confirm that this is a regular/normal problem with vinyl upholstery if covered and left in the sun. It becomes worse as the vinyl ages and also makes the vinyl become harder/stiffer/not as compliant as normal. I have not experienced or seen this problem unless the vinyl is covered AND left in the sun (i.e. covering is OK, but covering and sun causes the problem). Motomadd, is your boat left covered in the sun?

Unfortunately, my experience is that when it starts to "pink", it gets worse and worse over months/years, then finally ends up cracking in the same location as the pinking appears. I've reupholstered cushions in two boats in the past two years because of cracked vinyl - and both started with this 'pinking' problem (and both are rarely stored/covered in the sun). In both my cases, the vinyl was 15 and 20 years old respectively so I'm sure aging has something to do with it.

My solution is to use copious amounts of 303 UV vinyl protectant, but I can't confirm if that helps once pinking starts. I can confirm that the "new" vinyl does not pink at all. When you keep your boat as nice as you do, it might be worth the expense of new vinyl to keep it looking as new at the day you bought it - I know that worked for me and was much less expensive than a new boat!

yes, it was covered and in the sun. thank you all for the information. I have done more research now that I know what it is and it seems that there is no real answer on getting rid of it once it starts, except for the product shown on the website that bubba posted. at this point I think that my best solution is to either look into that product or let the vinyl run its course and reupholster when the time comes. I really do appreciate all of the feedback and once again WW wordlings were able to help.