You’ve finally been able to buy your dream boat in San Diego. After all the hard work that went into such a purchase, keeping your boat in great shape is one thing you’ll certainly want to do! Boat maintenance is an ongoing activity that all first time (and veteran) boat owners need to be familiar with to ensure the quality and longevity of their vessel. That said, depending on the materials found aboard your boat, there are different things you’ll need to use to care for it.
Don’t know where to start? Ballast Point Yachts in San Diego offers our top tips for keeping your boat looking as shiny as the day you bought it.
- Freshwater Spray-Down: One simple way to keep your boat in tip top shape is to spray it down well with fresh water when you return from a day of boating. This keeps salt deposits from forming, which will make your regularly scheduled cleaning a quick and hassle free process. You can choose to either let the boat air dry, squeegie or towel dry on the glass and fiberglass. Also, any leather seating you’ve sprayed down should be dried to keep the leather in good condition.
- Fiberglass: Whether you bought a used San Diego powerboat or purchased a brand new yacht, all fiberglass portions of your boat should be washed and waxed on a regular basis, similar to caring for a car. For some, this means seasonally, while for others it may mean monthly or weekly. Your individual cleaning schedule will depend on the location of mooring, and the presence of things like gulls who have a reputation for quickly dirtying boats.
- Wood: Wood portions of a boat can be cared for by keeping the underlying wood well-oiled and protected with a spar varnish that contains a variety of UV inhibitors. The traditional care for wood was oil-only, however this process requires many hours of repeated care. Gaining popularity is varnish as it gives an owner a few years between reapplications, while still protecting against UV damage, bleaching, and rot.
- Glass vs. Eisenglass: Glass and Eisenglass can be regularly sprayed down after a boat trip to keep salt spots off of them. However, when it comes to caring for eisenglass, it is important to use special cleaners designed specifically for cleaning it. Also, stay away from ammonia-based glass cleaners which can pit and deteriorate the material.
It’s never too late to start employing good boat cleaning habits. And if you haven’t made a boat purchase yet, know that all of the above maintenance activities are necessary and will need to be done on a regular basis. Click here for an inventory of used boats in San Diego or head down to Ballast Point Yachts today to check out our stunning powerboats and yachts firsthand!