End of season boat cleaning

[kimbersleep]

Yet another newbie question! What's the normal cleaning care once the boat is out of the water? Any advice on certain products/procedures? I'm even unsure about bottom cleaning,...just water,...pressure sprayer?

[Joesaila]

Usually a marina will pressure spray it upon haul-out. Not sure if they add a light soap to the mix though. But, make sure you service any water lines w anti-freeze and winterize the engine.

[Warren M.]

My marina pressure washes the bottom of my boat when hauled. This takes off the slime and they scrape the few barnacles I may get below the waterline. But they don't do anything above the waterline. I have a molded-in waterline (H28.5) that really gets cruddy -- and the longer you leave the crud on the harder it is to get off. So I typically try to get to the boat a day or two after haulout and scrub the waterline with a Dobie or Scotchbrite pad. Ideally, this is a good time to wax the topsides, too. Yet I only do that if the weather is still warm enough. It all makes spring maintenance a lot easier and faster.

[Sabreman]

We do the following:

Of course, pressure wash the bottom.
Winterize the engine raw cooling w/non-toxic antifreeze,
change oil if not done earlier in the season
replace fuel filters if not done earlier in the season
inspect raw water impeller if not done earlier in the season
inspect engine belts
inspect trans fluid
winterize fresh water system w/non-toxic antifreeze
run non-toxic antifreeze through head
run non-toxic antifreeze through bilge pumps (auto & manual)
run non-toxic antifreeze through A/C unit
pull running rigging & replace with tracer lines, pull anchor line
wash all lines, dry & coil
put mineral oil on plastic compass bubble and cover with plastic bag; oil & bag all exposed winches
remove sails, fold, and bag
remove sail/winch/wheel covers, dodger, bimini (& anything else in blue sunbrella), leather-wrapped steering wheel
wash covers, bimini, etc. in laundry soap, hang to dry, fold & store
pull batteries and bring home; put on trickle charge for winter (flooded cell batteries)
cover boat with tarp
wax topsides (we should do this, but don't anymore because it's usually too cold and gets dark too early)
remove all linens, towels, toilet articles, food, cushions, & anything else that can get musty
open all interior storage drawers, hatches, compartments, doors for ventilation.

Takes about 8 hours total.

[RickQuann]

Kimbersleep,

As everyone has pointed out, the marina usually powerwashes the bottom of your boat and Sabreman has complied an excellent check list of things to do before winter storage. Additionally, one of the best products I have found for removing scum at the waterline is a product called "ON & OFF". Brush it on, hose it off and it really does a super job.

West Marine: On & Off Hull/Bottom Cleaner Product Display

[imiloa]

Nice list Sabreman, thanks. What's the thinking behind putting mineral oil on the compass bubble before covering it? I've never heard of doing that before.

Gary

[sailingdog]

May help protect the bubble if it is plastic.

Originally Posted by imiloa

Nice list Sabreman, thanks. What's the thinking behind putting mineral oil on the compass bubble before covering it? I've never heard of doing that before.

Gary

[Sabreman]

What's the thinking behind putting mineral oil on the compass bubble before covering it?

About 30 years ago, while I was in school, I worked as a parking lot attendant at a bank in Ocean City, NJ (don't ask - it was real boring). We used mineral oil to keep the outdoor SS drive-in hardware from corroding in the salt air. It was great and I've used it on our boats ever since.

Periodically, I put mineral oil on the plastic binnacle, the knotmeter face & bezel, etc. It keeps the clear plastic from crazing in the heat. It will even "heal" minor crazing, but certainly keep it from getting any worse. When I haul in the fall, I slather the the binnacle with oil and cover with a plastic bag and lots of duct tape. In the spring, I wipe off the excess and the clear plastic is as good as new. Throughout the summer, I add more mineral oil when it looks dry (a few drops go a long way) and cover it with a sunbrella with a binnacle cover. I've never understood why people leave the plastic exposed to sunlight when not in use. For the want of a few pennies worth of oil & sunbrella, a $600 compass can be destroyed.