Why a Boat Wash Is a Critical Part of Spring Boat Maintenance

By John Funk, August 10, 2022

If your boat has spent time on the hard over winter, it’s just about time to launch it once again. The spring season is undoubtedly one of the best times of the year to get your boat ready with comprehensive cleaning and seasonal maintenance tasks.

With great excitement, you pull the boat cover off, only to discover mold and mildew on the seats, the faded gel coat due to UV damage, and rusting and oxidation of the metal fitting surface. While these can be a painful sight, the good thing is that you can breeze through them in no time and get your boat ready for the next family holiday by implementing these spring boat maintenance steps.

Why a Boat Wash Is a Critical Part of Spring Boat Maintenance

Many boat owners don’t wash their boats, thinking that if the boat is on the water all the time, then how could it get dirty? However, the harsh truth is that a boat can collect grime, dirt, and salt from a day out on the water, and over a certain period of time, this can corrode your paint, thereby ruining the appearance and function of your boat.

Let’s look at some reasons why a boat wash is a critical part of spring boat maintenance:

Prevents costly repairs. Cleaning your boat allows you to give a thorough inspection of your prized investment. As a boat owner, it is important for you to realize that the cleaner your boat is, the less likely it is to have a serious problem that needs professional attention.
Prevents corrosion. Boat washes can prevent corrosion that could do serious damage to the structure of your boat, thereby allowing you to safely operate your boat or yacht.
Protects your boat from hazardous elements. The coat of paint on your boat can be damaged by the elements such as rain, wind, sand, dust, and so on. Washing your boat will prevent these damaging elements from having the chance to destroy what you’ve worked so hard to keep pristine.
Maintains your boat in good condition. Ignoring the dirt, salt, and grime that your boat collects during normal use can be dangerous, as it can ruin how your boat looks, thereby affecting its resale value. A boat wash is one of the best ways to keep your boat looking as beautiful as it did on the first day you took it out on the water.
Improves the performance. An unclean boat can result in dragging, which is caused by algae or other biomass fouling that can inevitably slow down your boat. This decreases the speed performance, which in turn causes fuel consumption to go up. This can result in higher fuel costs, as a slower boat goes through its fuel supply more quickly.

Other Important Steps Involved In Spring Boat Maintenance

Along with a boat wash, the following are some other important steps involved in spring boat maintenance.

Loose residue such as bird droppings, dust, and sand can scratch your gel coat while scrubbing. Therefore, it is important to give a good rinse to your boat before washing it to remove any loose residue.
Waxing and sealing your boat is important, as it will add a layer to your gel coat, protecting it from damage caused by UV rays, salt, and grime.
A teak cleaner and brightener can rejuvenate the teak’s natural color and highlight the wooden grain. This is important as teak can fade and deteriorate into a dull gray color due to exposure to salt and UV radiation.
Oil and petroleum spills are a huge concern as they can pump any liquid containing petroleum that can be harmful to marine life. Bilge cleaning will ensure that grease and oil are dissolved and combined with the bilge water, thereby killing off any bad odors.
Minimal cleaning of ropes is recommended, as most chemicals and harsh cleaning methods can cause considerable damage to your ropes. You can soak them in a bucket of water for a few hours before letting them dry.

The Importance of a Top-Quality Boat Cover

As a boat owner, you know how tedious boat cleaning can be, especially if you’ve had a great week out with family and friends. It may be hard to digest, but the significance of boat cleaning cannot be stressed enough. Saltwater is highly corrosive and can cause considerable damage over time. Therefore, it becomes very important for you to ensure that all those pesky crystals are washed right off once you have used your boat.

It’s true that boat cleaning is probably the very last thing that you want to do when you moor up, jump aboard and get ready to disappear into the sunset with a handful of your closest family and friends in tow. A top-quality boat cover can easily reduce your burden as a boat owner. An adequate boat cover can tremendously help protect your investment. It can repel water and moisture, prevent cracking and fading to the interior caused by the sun’s rays, and protect your boat from the damage caused by tree sap, bird droppings, dirt, dust, and so on.

In a nutshell, an effective boat cover can reduce the need for frequent boat washing and help you save your precious time and hard-earned money.

Why Choose Our Reliable and Affordable Seal Skin Boat Covers?

Our smartly designed boat covers provide a tight fit that keeps water out, while also leaving breathable space for moisture to escape, thereby preventing mold, mildew, and rusting which can turn your boat into a greenhouse. We sell an extensive range of Seal-Fit boat covers that are very much affordable and also provide much better protection when compared to universal-fit covers.

You can call us at 800-915-0038 during our office hours (Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST) and we will help you find the right boat cover that fits your needs and budget. We will also help you if you have any questions about our products, shipping policies, and exchange/refund policies.