Acid Rain or what?

[sahona]

I'm stuck in our garage trying to get rid of opacity on the wheelhouse cover windows. The boat got showered in "something" while up on the hard in Troon Marina in 2011 for repairs. Typically, it wasn't noticed until too late and I've been trying to fix it ever since.
The vinyl is actually pitted/eaten, so there is nothing to be 'removed' as such although I'd tried everything in the cupboards and shed -unfortunately before coming across this page...http://boatsheen.com/maintenance_clear_vinyl.html.
I have now sunk to the level of trying to polish the plastic down (with brasso and an electric buff) to an acceptable level although it looks as if I will always have to stick my head out of the window to identify anything interesting.
The burning question is, WTF was it that did the damage? It was definitely borne on the wind from fine on the stb'd quarter with the boat facing just North of East - so from the timber yard across the road? Don't tell me that vinyl can't live with sawdust!
Season's greetings to you all, and hope your projects are progressing better than mine!

[Telo]

Some wood treatment spray?

Just a thought.

[Silkie]

Oxalic acid? Some years ago I ruined a pair of specs with oxalic acid which pitted the lens coating in a matter of seconds.

[sahona]

Don't think it was that (oxalic), because I use it widely on anything that looks like it may benefit...(and it didn't help in this case)
I sympathize about the goggles though, as I ruined an expensive pair by zapping the non-reflective coating with isopropyl alcohol, which, up to that point, had been the cure for all evils (and I had lots of it salvaged from a former life).
The only replication (of the problem) has been acetone - I tried that and it is a solvent!!! but I can't imagine somebody spraying that around the neighbourhood willy nilly.
Anyway-we've now been told that lift-in is very close, due to crane bookings, so to hell with frivolities - all the underwater bits need dealt with NOW.

[Arghiro]

I once had my hull speckled with hundreds of small welding sparks by one guy working on his boat upwind of mine. Absolute beggar to get rid of them, there are still some turn up now & again, 20 years on.

[sahona]

We had the same problem in Troon a few years ago, someone grinding upwind of the marina.
Several boats had to be treated, but all looked after by the staff. Another great use for oxalic .