What’s your wash down procedure?

[Letterkenny]

For those that sail with a home base and are often more day, weekend, or week long sailors versus full time cruising, what’s your normal wash down procedure when you are back at the dock and what are you washing down? It will be partially dependent I assume when you plan to go out again but say you are putting your boat away for a week or two after a days outing, what do you like to do? A quick rinse down, soap and rinse, foam cannon, spray the boat with salt away and rinse? Do you rinse as high up the mast as you can? What about the furlers for downwind sails? Again, there’s a lot of ways that you can do this but curious what the go to methods are for most.

[sailorboy1]

Rain, is there a procedure

[nightowle]

rinse down.

[BugzyCan]

I always do the motor flush after salt water, but the rest of it, I am usually too lazy to bother. Should really hose off the axle wheels and hubs, do bottom of boat and trailer. Unless there is mud on the deck or something, not really needing to clean that. Twice a season do a soap wash of deck. I have never cleaned my mast, but might do that this year.

[Snore]

Living in Florida, and having a good relationship with The Almighty- I sail, He rinses her off every day or so.


On a delivery, unless the owner beats me to the hose, I rinse the accumulated salt off the boat before handover.

[Tomodore]

We spent 8 months last year not Todd to a dock in the salty Sea of Cortez. I was able to get fresh water by dinghy and every few weeks I used our wash down pump to fresh water rinse and wash deck. Our wash down system has a hose bib in and out at the bow so a hose over board gets salt water to rinse muddy anchor chain, or a hose in a fresh water filled bucket gives a pressure fresh water at anchor. When the dock water is high in minerals we buy 5 gallon water jugs and for a few extra pesos wash stainless with out spotting.

[PJS]

This is one of those things that identifies one's level of OCD...
From April into October we take the boat out multiple times a week. During the heavy use season I typically rinse the boat down and clean the windows before going out and wash down (mild boat soap) and finish with a good rinse with a deionizer once a week.
When I return the motors are flushed (express cruiser with twin motors) and hose off well with a deionizer. If I am out for several days I follow the same procedure.

Paint looks new, chrome shines and not a hard water spot anywhere.

For me, the effort put into having a spotless boat is part of the enjoyment. Learned to wash with a glass of wine/whiskey in one hand and a wash mitt in the other.

[MJH]

Originally Posted by Letterkenny

For those that sail with a home base and are often more day, weekend, or week long sailors versus full time cruising, what’s your normal wash down procedure when you are back at the dock and what are you washing down? It will be partially dependent I assume when you plan to go out again but say you are putting your boat away for a week or two after a days outing, what do you like to do? A quick rinse down, soap and rinse, foam cannon, spray the boat with salt away and rinse? Do you rinse as high up the mast as you can? What about the furlers for downwind sails? Again, there’s a lot of ways that you can do this but curious what the go to methods are for most.

It is always a good idea to hose down the boat after you return to the docks. Start at the bow and go back hosing everything (make sure the hatches are closed and dorads turn aft). Pay particular attention to blocks, furlers, winches, windlass, rigging, stanchions, sail/covers, any other equipment.

However, since my boat is moored to a buoy 24/7/365 I depend on the rain which can be relied upon most of the time here in Washington.

~ ~ _/) ~ ~ MJH

[joelhemington]

Originally Posted by Letterkenny

For those that sail with a home base and are often more day, weekend, or week long sailors versus full time cruising, what’s your normal wash down procedure when you are back at the dock and what are you washing down? It will be partially dependent I assume when you plan to go out again but say you are putting your boat away for a week or two after a days outing, what do you like to do? A quick rinse down, soap and rinse, foam cannon, spray the boat with salt away and rinse? Do you rinse as high up the mast as you can? What about the furlers for downwind sails? Again, there’s a lot of ways that you can do this but curious what the go to methods are for most.

A low end pressure washer can be very useful and uses very little water. This is not something I'd keep on the boat but pull out of the car when I'm docked. The electric Karchers can be found for about $300 - DO NOT USE ON TEAK.

[conchaway]

Rain, for regular washing. Bucket of sea water for fish guts.

[Letterkenny]

Leaning towards using a foam cannon on the end of garden hose or using salt away when I won’t be using the boat for over a couple week period and just a rinse down after using otherwise. I know some will do a lot more than others but was looking for a good baseline to keep it looking new.

[DEAN2140]

a good rinse with a deionizer once a week.

What is a deionizer? I get hard spots on my Awlgrip.

[PJS]

[URL="http://https://www.portablewaterdi.com/benefits-of-deionized-water"]
There are different manufacturers. Basically, the resin in the canister removes 90+% of all water chemicals and contaminants through an ion exchange process - reducing the number of salt ions in water (I'm sure the "exacting" geeks will correct me on the specifics).
The bottom line is I don't have to shammy my boat after washing. Wash and rinse, rinse a second time using the deionized water and dries spotless. If you are in direct sunlight with high temperature the results may be slightly different. I have used for 2 years now and makes a great difference in my climate (Puget Sound).

[Scrimshaw4]

Try using sudsy ammonia in your water instead of soap. No water spots. It's why the mega yacht crews use it. JMHO

[Hobiehobie]

When on board (6 months on 6 months off) we rise with water and soft brush every time we get back from sailing including up the sails, the furler, jammers, blocks, winches, the boom and the rails No soap coz it strips the wax. When it rains, which is most days in the Caribbean, we mop. So basically the boat gets fresh water wash, brush and /or mop every day. But it looks brand new and frequent washing keeps the grp and stainless shiny. We wax evry start, middle and end of season leaving the wax on the last time. Polish and wax stainless start and end of season. Our thought is that there is no way a mega yacht is going to outshine us, even if they can outspend us!