for those who keep their boat in saltwater, what type of basic clean up do you do when putting your rig away for the night after use? Reason I ask is I just moved my rig from a brackish slip to a all salt slip. Does fresh water wash down and rinse suffice? Or do you break out the soap and bucket after every use? And do you flush your motors after every use?
basic question on basic maintenance
- Thread starter sickday
- Start date
I just rinse unless it was a good day of fishing or heavy dirt build up but always fresh water the engines after every use even if im going the next day
x2. i use starbrite seasafe wash & wax so that helps. ALWAYS rinse hardtop piping and eisenglass. eisenglass cleaned once a month with plexus. ron
Hi Sickday..
I soap down everything and flush the engines when I'm in Fla. on vacation. (The rest of the year, I'm in fresh..)
Even if you just rinse, be sure to get to places like underneath the hardtop along the sides. Salt spray gets everywhere.
I soap down everything and flush the engines when I'm in Fla. on vacation. (The rest of the year, I'm in fresh..)
Even if you just rinse, be sure to get to places like underneath the hardtop along the sides. Salt spray gets everywhere.
wahoo33417
GreatGrady Captain
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I use soap and water on the whole boat after each use. When I did just rinse and let it dry, I can feel the salt on the dried surface.
I fresh water rince every time the engine is exposed to salt water. I wash with soap almost every time I go out for any length of time. That said I am near a coal fired power plant.
journeyman
GreatGrady Captain
It depends on how wet I get. A lot of spray and I'm washing when I get back, smooth cruising and she just gets a good rinsing. Either way, I'm on the boat with a cold one and not working. 
General spit and polish when it's too rough to go out. At least several times a season. Again, I'm where I'd rather be...
General spit and polish when it's too rough to go out. At least several times a season. Again, I'm where I'd rather be...
I would think the biggest concern would be the aluminum pipework. Treat with rupp alumaguard or woodywax. Rinse with copious amounts of fresh water. Once the aluminum pipework pits there's no getting the finish back. Especially between the top and frame and the tracks for the canvas. Remember abrasive products will remove the clear anodizing, you should try to seal and protect before damage sets in. Good luck
http://www.ruppmarine.com/Aluma-Guard-- ... ay-64.html
http://www.woody-wax.com/woody_wax_cpr_system.php
Under the engine hood I have had good luck with boeshield t9 keeping things looking like new. In 12oz aerosol spray.
http://www.boeshield.com/rust_prevention/t9_spray.php
http://www.ruppmarine.com/Aluma-Guard-- ... ay-64.html
http://www.woody-wax.com/woody_wax_cpr_system.php
Under the engine hood I have had good luck with boeshield t9 keeping things looking like new. In 12oz aerosol spray.
http://www.boeshield.com/rust_prevention/t9_spray.php
I ALWAYS wash the boat with soap and water, i ALWAYS flush my motors ans i Always clean the pipe work. This year when i put the boat in the water and did the initial 2-3 hour cleaning i noticed my aluminum pipes are pitted ??????? WHY? When i put the boat away last year i can swear they were smooth as glass. I do wash them with soap and water every time i use the boat and i try every month to coat them with Collinites metal wax. I've been doing this with all my Gradys and all my other boats, on this one i think i have a problem or defective pipe work ????? Is that possible?
Local car wash with a pressure washer
I always wash on my way home at a quater car wah with a pressure washer set up for trucks and Flush the motor at the marina or ramp before I leave. My 1989 20' and my 1994 trailer always looked good and getting the salt off was so important. A few minutes on the way home and your dine. If you think you'll get ti the next day things can happen and your forget. Sitich in time save nine as Olde Ben used to say.
I always wash on my way home at a quater car wah with a pressure washer set up for trucks and Flush the motor at the marina or ramp before I leave. My 1989 20' and my 1994 trailer always looked good and getting the salt off was so important. A few minutes on the way home and your dine. If you think you'll get ti the next day things can happen and your forget. Sitich in time save nine as Olde Ben used to say.
Take care of your boat and she will take care of you....
Wash the boat and rinse out those engines as often as you can....
Wash the boat and rinse out those engines as often as you can....
boat care
I run my Marlin in the gulf. It gets covered in salt. I have it on a lift behind the house so it is exposed to lots of salt water. I have had 3 Grady Whites and all of them did just fine by taking care by washing with soap and fresh water, the entire boat, especially all the metal after every use. I always flush both engines well also. If I go more than 2 weeks without using the boat I wash it anyway. I use Zip Wax Car Wash, buy it at Wal-Mart, cheap, and does not spot. I also spray all metal on the boat and the engines every two months with CRC 56. Never had a problem.
I run my Marlin in the gulf. It gets covered in salt. I have it on a lift behind the house so it is exposed to lots of salt water. I have had 3 Grady Whites and all of them did just fine by taking care by washing with soap and fresh water, the entire boat, especially all the metal after every use. I always flush both engines well also. If I go more than 2 weeks without using the boat I wash it anyway. I use Zip Wax Car Wash, buy it at Wal-Mart, cheap, and does not spot. I also spray all metal on the boat and the engines every two months with CRC 56. Never had a problem.
journeyman said:It depends on how wet I get. A lot of spray and I'm washing when I get back, smooth cruising and she just gets a good rinsing. Either way, I'm on the boat with a cold one and not working.
General spit and polish when it's too rough to go out. At least several times a season. Again, I'm where I'd rather be...
Well said Jim! Thanks for all the responses. Sounds like I better use soap more often than not. Better stock up on lots of towls and beers, my crew is going to be buisy with all of that surface area.
As for the pitting, Nothing Else Matters; do you wipe down and dry your tower etc? I think water left to dry could cause issues. Anybody else have problems with pitting?
Yea, i do wipe dry after i wash the metal, that is why i don't understand it, i never had a problem on the previous Gradys and they all(pipe work) made by the same guy.
Wonder if it got wet while out of the water (condensation) ? piting comes from moisture,,,I always thought it was salt water. Guess I'm going to be more diligent about wipe downs now too.