prepping the boat for the first time

[DAVEWVU86]

So I'm supposed to pick up my new 2005M in two weeks. I've been reading how you guys are washing, waxing, and getting ready for the season. This is my first boat so I'm kind of lost on what I should do.

It's (haven't named her yet) a fresh water boat from Lake Michigian (one of Bill's boats) that I'm bringing down to the Chesapeake. It already has some sort of bottom paint but it looks a little rough. I'm going to sand it lightly to smooth it out. I'm still figuring out if I'm going to keep it on a lift or on the trailer. But, I figure I should at least wash and wax it.

What products should I use and what should I do? There's a WM down the street from work so any specific produt names would be very useful. Anything else I should be doing to prep it for the season?

Dave

[LOUIS B HOLUB]

(haven't named her yet)

Dave

Congrats How about: "First Boat"

[DAVEWVU86]

so far my friends have suggested a couple. Here's some of the ones I can remember...I have a list on my computer at home

thar she blows
aquadisiac
chaser
get 'er wet

[Timm Miller]

www.auroramarine.com

[Bill at BOATS 4 SAIL]

It's (haven't named her yet) a fresh water boat from Lake Michigian (one of Bill's boats)

Who did you buy it from, or hull number?

[DAVEWVU86]

It's (haven't named her yet) a fresh water boat from Lake Michigian (one of Bill's boats)

Who did you buy it from, or hull number?

I bought it back in January from Kai Schuler. So far the plan is to pick it up around the first weekend of May depending on the weather. It's up at Belle Harbor

[Mikebe]

Congrats on your new boat. You're in a great location at the widest part of the bay. You can go right up the Patomac, up the bay, James river, or out to sea, probably all in the same day. Nice.

I think I'd go for a lift slip if I had the option. You only really need the bottom paint if your boat is sitting still in the water for a time (like at a slip)...rolling stone gathers no moss, as they say. Mine is sitting still at a slip during the week, so I had it bottom painted.

[MSN-Travelers]

... But, I figure I should at least wash and wax it.

What products should I use and what should I do? There's a WM down the street from work so any specific produt names would be very useful. Anything else I should be doing to prep it for the season?

Dave

Like Dave, I have recently acquired a new (used) 26M (also one of Bill's). We will likely have her in dry sail storage at the Milwaukee McKinley marina (Lake Michigan) this season. The Admiral and I haven't settled on a name yet but are leaning toward "la dolce vita" (Italian for "The Sweet Life").

I have the same question as Dave on prepping the boat for a new season. I have read references to "compounding and waxing" the boat at the start of the season. I have run across a 26X that sat neglected for years and the surface was all chalky. I don't want this to happen with our boat.

Can anybody offer any product recommendations to clean up minor blemishes and help protect the surface from the sun and elements?

Paul

[Frank C]

... I have run across a 26X that sat neglected for years and the surface was all chalky. I don't want this to happen with our boat.

Can anybody offer any product recommendations to clean up minor blemishes and help protect the surface from the sun and elements?

Wash, compound and wax ... this is a time-honored tradition for "new" cars, trucks, boats ... it's a newbie compulsion, an imperative even. However, it's a band-aid, not a cure. It will work, protecting the boat for those 8 hours or 16 hours per weekend cruise. But then the boat sits in the sun for another 50 to 60 hours of weekly UV radiation.

It bakes. It burns. And it chalks.

I paid a detailer to "3M" my boat during April '00, following my first launching in Sept '99. He charged $10 per foot, but warned me as follows:

• Paraphrasing ... I'm happy to shine up your boat twice a year, but you are p!ss!ng into the wind. There is no chemical that can adequately protect your gelcoat from sunlight and time. I charge even more to detail the big land yachts, the bus-sized motor coaches. But the only ones that remain nice beyond the second year are those under cover ... either a quality fabric cover or a garage. Trust me, you really need to cover your boat!

I tarped my boat for the first 3 or 4 seasons, but grew weary of the effort. Every weekend it meant 15 minutes to uncover & fold the tarps. Two half-tarps are easier to handle than a single larger tarp, but it still requires two persons. We always had me folding on top (deck) and my helper helping to fold from down on the tarmac. Then it took about a half-hour, usually a windy Sunday dusk, to cover it again so the wind wouldn't carry it off. But for at least 3 years, people never failed to rave about how the boat looked 'brand new."

After one season without tarps, my gelcoat looked awful. I'm sick about it, I hate the way it looks, but I don't allocate the time to restore it, nor protect it. Here's my "free advice" to all newbie Mac owners. Get a boat cover! I haven't found the right one yet, but I WANT A BOAT COVER; and,

YOU NEED A BOAT COVER! I'm probably going to commission one somewhere ... maybe the guys at SofTopper. I like their carpets and we hear their other stuff is 'all good.' The objective isn't to prevent leaves or dust, it's to shade the gelcoat deck from UV. Properly designed, the same cover (2 parts) will serve for mast up storage, mast down storage, and as a nice rain and shade cover for anchoring out. The custom-made tent will be smaller than tarps, lighter and easier to handle, attach more simply to stanchions or lifelines, better resist deterioration, and hold better in winds.

Sorry ... no Off-the-shelf solution here. I'm just describing the inevitability of this problem. Wax your new boat, for sure. But that's only a band-aid for this quarter. Sunlight is predictable, calculable, and relentless. It WILL destroy your gelcoat, eventually ... written at Latitude 38.

[beene]

I wish you were wrong Frank.

But my experience with my other sailboat has proven exactly what you are saying. I have had it in the water every season from May to Oct. It is always dirty, chalky, bird sh$$ on it, spider webs, etc etc...

Every time I show up to go out, unless it's every day ( I wish ), I have to wash it down to be able to enjoy it. PITA

I wish there was a bottle of magic liquid that could protect the gel from spring to fall, but I think a cover is the only way. I see high priced houses on the water with drive in garages for their boats, what a sweet setup that is eh? They just drive up, hit the remote, door goes up, drive onto ramp, and they are pulled up and out of the water into the protection of the garage. Of course none of them have a sailboat, but it is still the sweetest thing I have seen to protect the gel.

G

[Moe]

If the boat hasn't been kept up with meticulously, you may need rubbing compound, especially on the deck, and especially on the black stripes. On the hull, you may be able to get away with just Meguiars Oxidation Remover. It's not as aggressive as rubbing compound.

That product is a good choice for keeping up with oxidation on the deck annually. To get the shine back, follow compounding or oxidation removal with their's or some other brand of polish, which is all you need annually on the hull. Polishing may be all you need on the hull annually.

I prefer using a pure wax product after a good wash after polishing, rather than a combination polish-wax. With the latter, you have the material removed in polishing suspended in the wax coat. Once annually is probably enough for the hull, but you'll want to wash and wax the deck more often than that during the season.

I'm not at all disagreeing with Frank about covering, but it's pretty important to have a cover fitted so it can't flap in the wind and rub on the boat. That can leave rub marks in the gel coat. And as UV resistant as Sunbrella is, it's highly susceptible to wear from rubbing. Most boat and RV owners don't use covers.

Another thing that UV kills is tires. Barb sewed some tire covers, including for the spare tire, we used when the trailer was parked. You can buy these through most RV supply stores.

If you use bleach for mildew abatement, keep it away from the stainless steel. We also use vinegar for water spot removal, but Meguiars also has a product for that. It's best if you don't use hard water in the first place, if you can help that. Our outside faucets don't have softened water, so I bought a garden hose adapter for the kitchen sink. The Mr. Clean wash/rinse attachment can also help fight water spots, but refills don't last long and can get expensive.

I remove the running rigging and dock lines annually, and wash them "manually" in the washing machine with Woolite. Don't use bleach. By manually, I mean not using the agitator, which can really tangle up the lines. I fill the tub on the soak cycle and wash the lines by hand, followed by 2-3 rinsings. I use the washing machine rather than the sink for the spin cycle between wash and rinses, and after the final rinse. The anchor line is usually muddy and gets washed in the yard.

You can fight mildew and mold developing in the bilge by propping up the cushions and taking the bilge covers off during storage. A 24x7 Nicro Solar Vent will also help. The most critical thing is keeping the bilge dry and the most frequent source of water in the bilge is around the chain plates. It's worth resealing them periodically. It's also worth checking the screws that hold the windows in place. Have someone with a screwdriver on the outside. It's critical they don't turn the screwdriver or let it turn while you're below tightening, which will tear the sealant around the screw. Then go inside, pop the screw caps off, and tighten the nut on the inside while they keep the screw from turning. Also check where your steering and throttle/shift cables go into the boat from the motor and make sure they're well sealed.

Hope this helps,
--
Moe

[captin5317]

Dave
I have used Automagic products for the cleaning, polishing and waxing of all of my toys, cars, boats, and motorcycles for years. Excellent product easy to use. Google Automagic for the your nearest dealer and product info.

I enjoy taking care of my toys and don't consider it a newbie compulsion <SMILE>. but pride in ownership. A clean car seems drive better, a clean boat seems to sail better. especially the blue ones!!! <SMILE>. No chaulk for me.

Bruce

[Frank C]

FWIW, I happened to notice a Meguiars booth at the Strictly Sail boatshow today. Stopped to describe my problem with chalked gelcoat and ask his advice. He grabbed precisely the "Oxidation" product that Moe suggested. The Compound is probably too abrasive, though he felt it might be needed for the non-skid, with help of a brush. He quickly followed with the proviso that after using either above, you MUST follow up with a coating of WAX, not polish, since the wax will protect the clean surface ... again as Moe suggested above. (Polish will "seal" the surface, but it's effect is very fleeting - mainly just for that 'wet look'.)

I asked how often the waxing process must be repeated. He said in San Francisco's 6 months of "sunny season" (latitude 38 ), the wax will last about 3 months. Hmmmm. He also warned that any detergents will shorten the wax's life cycle ... no surprise there. I forgot to ask for his advice regarding wax over the non-skid, though comments in this forum advise against it. I don't know how much "protection" Aurora's non-skid product conveys.

I've spent many an enjoyable 3 to 4 afternoon hours on the finish of a car. Most particularly these would have been a Corvette, Jaguar or Triumph. But that joy faded quickly when I first tried to wax my new pickup ... I found zero "joy" in that endeavor, since it seems twice the height and twice the square footage. I never even attempted it on my 26X. Since that ratio seemed to have doubled yet again, I just hired someone to do it.

Anyone who enjoys it - more power, knock yerself out! My compulsion's boating, not rubbing & scrubbing.

Regarding dirty mainsheet and jib sheets, I placed them separately in nylon mesh bags and ran the clothes washer on 'gentle' cycle with minimal liquid detergent and a bit of fabric softener. They came out great. My newly purchased main halyard was stiff to the hand, so I first soaked it overnight in a large sink with some fabric softener, then washed it too ... it helped some, but StaSet X is just an ornery beast.

[James V]

Bottom Paint - Find out what the previous owner put on it. Some saltwater bottom paints do not do well if left out of the water for more than 30 days. You will also need to make the decision if you a going to keep the boat in the water or not. I recommend "or not"

Naming - Make sure that you want to be called by that name.

Cleaning and keeping clean. Clean the boat after every use. It is best to do as much of this on the water before the ramp. Get a good cover. Wash off before you leave to the ramp. The rest depends on how much time you have. For me it takes about 4 hrs to clean out the boat after I have it in storage and another 4 hrs to clean and store before launch, single handing.

This book - Quick and Easy Boat Maintenance: 1,001 Time-Saving Tips (Paperback)

http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Easy-Boat-M ... 26&sr=1-11

Will give you a great deal of cleaning tips. Every time I look throught it I find something that I should have used.

[Moe]

He quickly followed with the proviso that after using either above, you MUST follow up with a coating of WAX, not polish, since the wax will protect the clean surface ... again as Moe suggested above. (Polish will "seal" the surface, but it's effect is very fleeting - mainly just for that 'wet look'.)

Frank, you will want to follow the oxidation removal with a good rinse and a polish application. The oxidation removal gets rid of the chalkiness, but leaves sort of a foggy shine. The polish will bring back the wet look or mirror shine. But as said, it offers no protection. I wash the boat again after polishing but before waxing to get rid of the stuff the polish took off. These products are also available in gallon sizes.

I can identify with the truck vs sports car maintenance... our 7 foot tall, long bed F250 vs my little Acura Integra GS-R... acres of difference! Maintenance, along with the slip fee being 1/3 less, was a factor in us downsizing boats.