Boat Washing 101 - Spring is Here, Let's Go Boating
Author: Lance Winslow
Every boat owner knows the joy and stewardship that goes along with their beautiful watercraft. They know that in order for that floating cash box to stay beautiful, it must be maintained properly. Several aspects go into proper boat care from interior cleaning and dusting, oil changes and regular engine servicing, to the all too familiar swabbing of the deck and boat wash. The boat owner is not stupid, and knows the obvious benefits of proper boat maintenance, ranging form more money for the boat at resale, added peace of mind, to keeping up with the Jones’. Not everyone needs to keep up with the other slip owners at the marina; obviously this was not the case at a prestigious marina located in Kirkland Washington. The boat was so dirty it was ordered by the marina management it must be washed or lose its moorage space. The boat was becoming the flora and fauna and could have been mistaken for a moss bog. This sounds a bit extreme, but true. Over 13 years of combined boat washing experience has helped us learn how to save time and increase efficiency to keep boats away from becoming the grass. Hopefully your boat isn’t so dirty your moorage is at risk, so we want to offer a few basic tips and suggestions on how to wash a previously waxed and maintained boat located in a marina on the water. The traditional method of boat washing is with a bucket, brushes, soap, and lots of water. This works well for the majority of the time, but not in all cases when excellent results are desired. You’ll need a pressure washer capable of heating the water. The warm water can be helpful when removing moss and deep cleaning unpainted fiberglass non-skid decks and walkways. Hot pressurized water also works well to steam clean canvass. If you were to wash the dishes would you use cold water or warm water? Washing dishes works better with warmer water, because you are heating up surface molecules, which increases soil and grease removal efficiency, same principal here washing boats. For those with out access to heated pressurized water, you will need an extension pole with a soft bristle brush, stiff bristle brushes, a wash mitt, squeegee, Shammy, cotton towels, good low ph boat soap (we use Monster Bubbles with Carnauba wax), hose, nozzle, clean water, and lots of elbow grease. When selecting good boat soap, find one that doesn’t strip the wax. Avoid dish soap like Joy or Ivory, these products strip the wax and dull the gel coat which makes the shinny surfaces oxidize more quickly leading to more headaches and expense to remove it. Pour boat soap in the bucket while on the dock and leave the bottle on the bow; fill the bucket with water when on the boat, not on the dock unless your morning work out wasn’t enough. Remember physics and gravity, and how it affects water. Begin on the highest point of the boat. This is usually the fly bridge, but first set the brushes, wash mitt and Shammy up there, and hang the water hose on a reachable area near the bridge to minimize dock stepping. If you have to step on the and off the dock repeatedly, you’re creating more work for yourself because you’ll have to wash off your dirty footsteps. Remove canvass covers and seat cushions. Wet all surfaces to be washed with water first. This helps loosen dirt to make scrubbing easier. Always work front to back. First, soap down the brow with the soft brush on the pole. Next, wash the windscreen and dash using the mitt, and rinse. Wash down the house side of the boat opposite of the dock with the extension pole and soft bristle brush, then rinse (wait to wash the dock side of the house of the boat because it’s more easily reached from the dock.) Continue to wash outside house surfaces aft, then inside house areas above the deck forward to the dash. Next, if applicable, wash the radar arch and instruments, then the seating areas closest to the helm, rinse all water aft. Clean forward scuppers and drains with the mitt, then use the stiff bristle brush and scrub the non-skid deck and rinse. Use the mitt to wash metal railings. Finally, Shammy the dash, instrument panels, and the windscreen, then move to the bow of the boat. Refill the bucket with soap left on the bow, but don’t wet the deck yet unless you really want a soggy shirt. Wash the hull opposite the dock. Yes lie on all fours and begin working font to back. Next, wet the deck, windshield, and other areas. Wash the bow pulpit, and exterior toe rail above the gunwales aft. Lift all hatches and clean water trays and anchor chain box. Wash the deck from the front of the bow to the windshield. Wash the windshield and work to the side opposite the dock working aft, and rinse. Wash the metal bow railings with the wash mitt and rinse; finish brushing the deck on the dockside and rinse, squeegee the washed windows dry, then hop on to the dock. Standing in one position reach from the front of the bow, washing the outside toe rail then the hull and waterline before moving footing, continue this process aft, working top to bottom, front to back, then squeegee the windows dry. Move to the stern of the boat, wash the entry doors, ladder, and interior vertical surfaces, then wash the deck, and rinse. Lift engine hatches and wipe drains with a towel (if its been a while, this can be nasty, so wear gloves if desired.) Be careful not to direct water into the engine compartment when washing about the drains. A 29-foot Sea Ray at Carillon Point marina in Washington nearly sank when its washer left the water running on the open engine compartment while cleaning the dash, batteries were dead, good thing for the dock masters’ bailing bucket and water pump. The final step is to wash and rinse the transom, and swim step, then squeegee the windows, and you are done. You did it! Great job. Come and wash my boat By Lance Winslow