Do you remember the excitement and breathtaking feeling of owning your first boat?
Slowly, that thrill and exhilaration frizzles and turns into neglect. Before you know it, your pricey investment is now a recipient of ugly stares at the Marina.
Just like any vehicle, your boat needs proper care.
In this post, I’ll show you how to keep it in remarkable shape to enjoy a couple more sailing adventures.
Okay, let’s get to it.
Wonderful Tips on How to Take Care of Your Boat
Get a marine cover
A quality cover will help protect your investment from dents, scratches, and harmful sun rays.
You can choose one depending on the size, model, and function of your boat. The exciting thing is that if you work with skilled sailmakers in Auckland, you’ll get a custom cover for the best fit.
Now, you can prevent the destruction of your boat’s gel coat and upholstered furniture from bird droppings, dirt, pollution, and harsh weather conditions.
Use proper storage
Unlike your vehicle, you won’t use your boat all the time. During winter, you’ll need to retire it and store it somewhere safe. You can go for either wet or dry storage. While storing it, having some great solar dock lights could improve the visibility of your boat at night, I’ve heard of friends using them and they love them.
Wet storage provides the convenience of launching your boat anytime, but requires additional maintenance due to water damage. On the other hand, dry storage preserves the exterior and keeps the upholstery looking new.
If you care about your watercraft, there are fantastic storage units in Christchurch where you can safely keep your boat and still have access to it for regular maintenance.
Indoor and exterior cleaning
Proper cleaning will help extend the life of your boat. For the exterior, always rinse with fresh water to remove dirt and scum.
Your choice of detergent or wax depends on the type of exterior, be it fiberglass or aluminum. For the interior, use metal polish on aluminum poles.
Next, use a fabric cleaner on seats and upholstered furniture. Then, clear out gunk and sediment from the bilge. Finally, wipe clean all rubber and plastic surfaces.
Keep the interior dry
To decrease mold cover, maintain a dry interior. Apart from unwelcomed microorganisms, a wet interior has great potential of damaging electrical, carpeting and upholstery fabrics.
With proper ventilation and a dehumidifier, you can fight off mold and mildew.
Always open hatches and portholes to allow ventilation. To ensure all moist areas are dry, use an electric heater for best results.
Flush the engine
Saltwater will kill your engine. As a result, use fresh water to flush the engine after every outing.
If not, you’ll have to endure cooling blockages and ultimately a corroded system. Flushing isn’t just for salty water; you can do the same if you operate the engine in muddy, silty or sandy freshwater.
For a boat with an in-built flushing attachment, you can flush the engine without turning it on.
Alternatively, you’ll have to do it old school where you require flush muffs attached to a garden hose and have the engine running for a few minutes.
To sum it up
The fun of owning a boat boils down to how well you take care of it.
If you treat it right, you’ll enjoy fantastic sails while you soak in the beautiful view of the water.
Now, go ahead and use these tips to make your watercraft gleam in the sunlight.
