If you recently purchased your first boat, there are some important things you need to do to ensure it stays clean and well-maintained. The following are some beginner boat maintenance tips to help keep your new boat in tip top shape.
The first thing you need to do is make sure to have all of the essential boat cleaning products on hand for cleaning and maintaining your boat. The following are the essential products and supplies you will need:
Boat wax
Fiberglass polish
Boat wash
Dry rag or shammy towel
Soft bristle brush
The first hose down your boat thoroughly using fresh water. Then use your soft bristle brush to liberally apply the boat wash. You can purchase a good boat wash online or at a local outdoor store. There are also environmentally-friendly cleaning products for boats that are available. Be sure to go over the entire boat. If there are any significant marks, you can use a stain remover to help improve the appearance of your boat. Once you have finished thoroughly cleaning your boat, rinse it down again to get rid of any remaining soap suds.
Make sure that you don’t use a household detergent like a dish washing liquid to clean your boat since that can strip the current layers of wax from your boat, and you will need to wax it more frequently in the future. Dish washing liquid was not intended to be used in a marine environment or on boats and can be harmful to waterways. So make sure to use cleaning products that are specifically for boats.
Apply boat polish to your boat by using a clean, dry cloth. After you have fully covered the boat, wipe it down using a dry towel or rag. This will help to remove dust from your boat before wax is applied. There are a number of good boat polish products that you can purchase online or in an outdoor store.
The final step to cleaning your boat is to wax it. Cover your boat with boat wax using circular motions. Make sure not to miss any sections of the boat, since it is the wax that will give your vessel a great shiny finish. After you are finished, use a dry towel for going over the wax. The result will be a clean sparkling hull that looks fantastic. You can find a good boat wax at the same places you found your boat cleaner and polish.
Follow the tips above to keep your boat well-maintained, clean and shiny at all times. All it takes is a few quality boat cleaning products and a little elbow grease to keep your boat in excellent condition.
