What do you guys do to your boat after riding?

Since the warm weather is now upon us (well at least here in Kansas!) I started thinking what I can do better after I'm done with my boat for the day to keep it looking better all the time!

Currently after I put it on the trailer I pull the plug, clean up the interior with a towel and put everything away. Then I'll wipe the whole boat down, inlcuding the platform, bilge bay and trailer. Then attach the tie downs to the back. Check everything over, check the trailer and the tires and then I sometimes cover it, but usually not so it can dry out on the way home.

I know some people use vinegar and water, some use spray wax. Just curious what everyone else does. Maybe we can all learn a new little trick or something!

My little trick is I fold the back seat forward and leave the observer seat open and flip the driver seat cushion over so everything dries underneath and mildew doesn't grow.

Let my fans and photographers off at the dock, have my driver load the boat on the trailer, then usually spend an hour or so signing autographs and taking pictures before my chopper takes me back to the pleasure pit to "relax" and get ready for tomorrow...

A wipe down if needed, tie down and trailer home.

I generally do a monthly cleanup, not one every time I take it out.

Everyone gets a towel and wipes the boat down. Then I 303 everything.......once a month I wax the top of the boat, and ever three I do the bottom.

I've heard that 303 stuff works well!

Brad,

I do about a 50/50 water/vinegar mix when I pull the boat out. Before I wipe it I pull all the plugs and make sure the ballast and bilge are empty. Nothing I hate more than kicking the ballast switch and it dumps on the side of the boat after I'm done cleaning it. I wipe it off with an Absorber chamois, they seem to work the best and I like it better than a towel because it says moist. I then wipe the trailer and wheels down with a different cloth. After that I get inside the boat and wipe the seats off and the windshield. Remove the CD player, keys, anything else left in the boat. I never cover it. If the weather is bad and we're going a long way I'll pull all the carpet and put it in the observer seat storage (gotta love the snap out). I usually look the whole boat over and make sure nothing is wrong (prop, engine, etc.) and then it's down the road.

I actually got the first coat of wax on the new boat yesterday while I was procrastanating studying for a Cost Controls test.

The 303 is awesome. I didn't like it on the side of the boat, couldn't get the smearing off, so I just use the vinegar and wax more often, but nothing beats it on the seats. I got a bottle of Meguiars from Dave at Xtreme the other day for the seats because they were out of 303 but it just doesn't seem to work as well. Hate the price though, about $14 for a small spray bottle. I think you can get a gallon for $50-52 on the net somewhere, forgot where. You're going to to yell at me this weekend though, I have been neglecting my deck. Always a problem, as I want it to look good but it makes me cringe thinking of all that oil on the bottom of my ski/board.

At home I'll open the compartment and put a fan on it sometimes.
(Message edited by kstateskier on April 10, 2003)

(Message edited by kstateskier on April 10, 2003)

i wipe down the inside with towels and if needed i use simple green. i then use the half and half vinegar and water and wipe down the outside of the boat. besides that, use 303 maybe once a month. when i get home, i open all the compartments and let the boat dry out the next day and then put it away.

I like the MeGuiars marine wax! It works well and is only about $10 a bottle at Wal-Mart in the Marine section.

I think I'm going to start using that 303 on my interior. I think I've see it at Wal-Mart too?

The mix is a squirt of dishsoap,20% vinegar, 80% water.

Tim

tim, do you rinse that. If not, doesn't the dishsoap leave a foam?

Brad, nothing like Meguiars wax!!

I don't particularly enjoy the smell of vinegar! But whatever works WORKS!

It sucks! The girls are like "ewww, why do you put that stinky stuff on your boat??" I've got Apple Vinegar now though, mmm good!!

Here's the link for 303..Pretty good deal on the Gallon/16oz combo. Cheaper than buying the gallon seperately.

http://www.303products.com/store/index.cfm

thanks Brandon

Nick:
Just a few drops of soap. No foam. Spray on, wipe off. Does't smell as bad as the folks using the 50/50 vinegar and water mix.

Tim

I bet not!

I checked the 303 web site - which product do you use? Just spray on the fiberglass and wipe off?

I spray 303 on everything on the boat including fiberglass (just not the window)every so often just before i wipe it down after riding. works great.

has anyone every used the wet wax stuff that you can spray on while the boat is wet?

Mark, the product I use the 303 "protectant" on the entire interior vinyl (every trip)and once a month on the fiberglass. Otherwise I do the 50/50 water/vinegar thing. I also use the 303 "fabric guard" on my bimini top and bow cover.

I have used the wet wax and it didn't work well I am not sure if it was just the type I bought or if the product just doesn't work well. I learned a little trick from a friend. I take a cheapo spray bottle and fill it with jet dry the stuff for the dishwasher that doesn't make your dishes spot and then before launching I spray a fine mist on everything and when I take the boat out I just wipe it down and viola its clean and ready to be put away. However I do make sure there is wax on the boat before I take it out I wax it two or three times a year. The jet dry is a little messy until its in the water but then it seems to disolve.

There is a new product that I heard about. Its basically a clear bra for your boat. It's die cut for your make/model. You squeegy it on. My friend who saw a demonstrtation says he couldn't find the area where a samll patch was applied until it was pointed out to him.

I've had excellent luck with Eagle One Wax as you Dry. I use it when I wipe down and it makes my 14 year old boat shine like new.

Why use vinger? What does it do?

Vinger? or vinegar it removes the hard water stains on the hull.

lets see,....uh,...uh,..oh yeah i walk down the dock into the marinabar and drink beer.

Here is my system here in hawaii. Pull my drain plug, hookup saltaway spray to water intake. Run motor for about 5min then open spray until soap runs out of exhaust. Disconect hose from flush system, spray saltaway in bilge and on motor, then rinse. Close engine box, saltaway then rinse from top of tower to bottom of rims (everything, wakeboard, vest, and ropes). Dry with chamois. Once I get home the motor and trans get a good spry of WD40.

aloha
paul

So I tried the vinager and water thing you guys talked about and it works great!

I have always just dried off the boat and waxed it once a month! My life just became easier.

Actually Craig, you'll want to wax just as often, as the vinegar is not only eating the spots away but your wax as well.

Paul , you do that every time out? Im another salt slug and the only thing we wipe down every time out is the seats with a wet cloth to get the salt and sunblock off them, salt away the inside of the motor and the outside of the boat and trailer. 303 the seats and dash's about once a month. Boeshield the block every so often, should do it more often but whatever. Salt is a pain in the arse, you guys in fresh dont know how good you have it. Oh yea dont forget to open up those new amps before they go in and spray a coat of boeshield on the circuit boards, just a light coating should protect you for a few years (if your a salt slug like me).

I put the boat on a lift, tip the cushions, cover it and walk away. Everything stays in the boat. Every 50 hours I pull the boat to change the oil, wax and clean. It only gets the full rinse of I run it in salt. Some of you guys are working too hard.

I tend to wait till I get home make sure no oness around.....then I just caress her softly and wisper sweet nothings to her until its time for me to go to bed

I get up in it deflate ne inflatables tuck them away under the seats, put up life jackets, pick up any looose cans etc in it..

I pulll the plug and then let it sit htere on the dock ramp (unless ppl need it) to drain some of the water, make sure the trims all the way up and then turn the batt switch off..

we dont' usually wipe it some times i will but not everytime.

also put the bimini top layed back and cover on it... I leave the cover off the boat tho so it airs out.

Tim,
Every 50 hours?? Social Services should come take that baby away from you!!

Bob, I do this every time I go out. I like the way saltaway dries. It's the only thing I know of that removes all the salt fast without scrubbing. Just had my daughter's friends polish the boat yesterday, since they slept on the way home from a whole day of riding. They ask me what can they do to help when we got home so I gave them polish and rags and told them to get hot. I will try to get some 303 and see how it works.

ps: Ryan, i know you going read this. It was good to see you at the ski club and tell Steve thanks again for the pull. By the way when are you going back to the mainland?

aloha
Paul

Hey Paul,
Funny that you knew I was going to read this. It was great seeing you as well at the club. Reid and I are taking the blue pro air out tomorrow since Dave Issacson's in town with his brother and they wanted to hook up to ride. I'm planning to be out with Steve again on Thursday night and maybe friday morning. I leave on Monday for the mainland so I'm trying to get as much riding in now as I can. My body is tired and needs a rest but can't do it since I won't get to ride for a few weeks after I'm back in the mainland. Hope to see you out there sometime this weekend.

Aloha, Ryan

Paul i meant the wd40 and spraying the motor every time with salt-away but i would definately recommend the 303. Seems like spraying the motor every time, even with salt away may actually cause more harm then good??

Bob, ok sorry for the miss understanding. After reading your last post, it got me thinking... do I really need to do the wd40 thing everytime? And here is my justifiction. I keep my boat on a trailer at a local marina with the constant tradewinds, salt is always in the air. Saltaway removes the salt and wd40 works as a barrier. It also gives me a good piece of mind when I have to leave my boat unattended for long periods of time. I'm not the only one here that does the wd40 thing, some use armoral instead of wd40. I would relook at changing my system if I kept my boat more inland. Kind of like what would be the lesser of two evils.

Aloha
Paul

yea i see now, that is one of the things that would worry me even if i has a slip with a lift, salt in the air. I do spray the block occasionally with something called boeshield, expensive but i think it leaves a better coating then wd, like a waxy type coating.
Oh i didnt mean spraying the motor with wd would hurt but maybe spraying it with water everytime might not be the best thing even though most parts are marinized. I have seen the inside of many engine compartments with rust on pulleys, engine mounts, bolts, not to mention what you cant see going on inside electrical connectors.
Hows the weather in Hawaii and what time of day do you ride, seems youd have alot of rough water around the islands??

Fantastic made by Johnson Wax?

Bob, for the last week average was about 80 for the high and 70 for the lows. I try to ride in the mornings before the wind blow, then I have a couple of spots I go to depending on which way the winds are blowing. If the winds are above 30mph then its time to breakout the surf board and hit the spots that is blowing off shore. There's nothing like wakeboading in the morning, then surfing in the afternoon then hitting one more session of wakeboading in the evening. That’s when you really have to be discipline on taking care of your boat. Its real easy to skip and do a half _ss job on your boat.

Aloha
Paul

and in the salt its a real bad thing

Boesheild is great stuff. Its got parifin (sp?)
wax in it. When the motor warms up the wax
actually starts moving and covers spots you couldn't reach. I also have sprayed my amps and one guy here takes his amps apart and loads
the pc board with boesheild. Every time the
covered item warms up the parifin wax somewhat
rejuvinates itself.