Clean your own boat? Try this.

luckydude

luckydude

GreatGrady Captain
Joined
Jun 5, 2020
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Age
63
Location
Santa Cruz Mountains, CA
Website
mcvoy.com
Model
Seafarer
I'm new-ish to having a nice boat and I started with just hosing it off, that wasn't enough, then I got some cheap home depot brush, that didn't really work, then for a while my goto was a stiff bristle hand brush, that worked but boy, was it a lot of work. Forget all of that.

Go to West Marine (or whatever is like that where you are) and spend the extra money and get this:

www.westmarine.com

Admiral Deck Brush, Coarse Bristles | West Marine

Check out our Admiral Deck Brush, Coarse Bristles and more from West Marine!
www.westmarine.com www.westmarine.com

and a handle. It's under $100, I get it, it's a lot for a brush, but it works so, so well. And it is seductive to use because it works so well. About the only improvement I could imagine is if they had an option for a very light weight water hose so it washed away the dirt as you were scrubbing.

I washed my kids very dirty car today with it just because it was fun to see the difference and the brush worked. Be sure to get the coarse one, that's the one in the link. I wish I had done this a year ago, would have saved me so much time cleaning.
 
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A good brush and handle is a must. That one looks nice.

To add, Bar Keepers Friend is great at getting blood or leaf stains off non skid areas without scratching.
 
I have the Shurhold deck brush on the telescoping handle. I've had the same brush and handle for several years now and it's fanstactic. The brush lives in a rod holder on the inside gunwale.
 
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"An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure", applies to boat decks. Get them in good shape, and treat regularly with Woody Wax, Star Brite deck treatment, etc. Use your washdown, and your brush, all day. Letting blood dry, and trying to clean it back at the dock is just making more work.
 
I don't use a coarse bristle brush for routine deck cleaning or hull cleaning for that mater. Some brushes can scratch gel coat. I prefer to use a soft one. If there are stubborn stains, I use a separated stiffer bristle hand held brush and deck soap. For tougher, bar keepers non abrasive works well. I have mentioned in the past that for some strange reason, a rag works better at removing stains from diamond patterned non skid decks than a brush
 
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seasick said:
I don't use a coarse bristle brush for routine deck cleaning or hull cleaning for that mater. Some brushes can scratch gel coat. I prefer to use a soft one. If there are stubborn stains, I use a separated stiffer bristle hand held brush and deck soap. For tougher, a keepers non abrasive works well. I have mentioned in the past that for some strange reason, a rag works better at removing stains from diamond patterned non skid decks than a brush
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Now you got me worried but I've been using that West Marine brush on the hull and the deck and I've seen no problems. Is it possible that West Marine labeled it "coarse" but it isn't as coarse as the ones that caused problems for you?

For hard spots, there are little white sponges, sometimes called erasers, I can't remember the brand, but they are magic.
 
I ceramic coated the non skid. It’s a bit more slippery than the chalky non-skid but no more than new non-skid. It’s so easy to clean. Hose off and go over with a microfibre cloth and mild detergent. No scrubbing required.
 
luckydude said:
Now you got me worried but I've been using that West Marine brush on the hull and the deck and I've seen no problems. Is it possible that West Marine labeled it "coarse" but it isn't as coarse as the ones that caused problems for you?

For hard spots, there are little white sponges, sometimes called erasers, I can't remember the brand, but they are magic.
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Yrs it is likely that "coarse" is a relative term. If you just 'crush' the bristles on various grades you can easily tell how stiff each is.
My advice is to use a soft as does the job. There are times when you need something more abrasive.
Regarding Magic Eraser; With those you also need to go easy. They are more abrasive than you would think just looking at them. It is quite possible to wear away gel coat. It is also easy to wear off the UV protective coating on vinyls.
 
luckydude said:
Now you got me worried but I've been using that West Marine brush on the hull and the deck and I've seen no problems. Is it possible that West Marine labeled it "coarse" but it isn't as coarse as the ones that caused problems for you?

For hard spots, there are little white sponges, sometimes called erasers, I can't remember the brand, but they are magic.
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Magic Erasers. Combined with Spray Nine will remove scuff marks, mildew and just about anything else from upholstery and all other surfaces. Rinse with plenty of water though because Spray Nine will streak full strength and allowed to dry.
 
Only one review and a 1 star on WM website. Let us know if the bristles stay in the head...
 
Go to Lowes or Home Depot get a $10/20 hard deck brush and use Star Bright deck cleaner you can't go wrong. Stuff is amazing keeps whitening after use
 
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Father's Day said:
Go to Lowes or Home Depot get a $10/20 hard deck brush and use Star Bright deck cleaner you can't go wrong. Stuff is amazing keeps whitening after use
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If it keeps whitening after use, it may contain chlorine or similar bleach. Chlorine bleach can yellow gelcoat.
 
rocketguy88 said:
I have the Shurhold deck brush on the telescoping handle. I've had the same brush and handle for several years now and it's fanstactic. The brush lives in a rod holder on the inside gunwale.
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I bought a Shurhold system also but I got the blue "Soft" brush head, too soft for blood n' guts. I was thinking about the red combo brush with the stiff center.
Which do you use?
 
I try not to let blood sit and dry. It's best to rinse off as quickly as practical. A waxed deck is also a lot easier to keep clean.
I really like Garry's wax for the deck. Apply it as directed and it 'dries' nicely and once dry, it is not slippery. During the recommended application though, you have to be very careful. It is very slick!

Updated. I meant Woody wax
 
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Woody wax works great for keeping the deck "non stick" easy to apply maybe twice a fishing season. Does a good job of protecting all stainless parts.
 
trapper said:
Woody wax works great for keeping the deck "non stick" easy to apply maybe twice a fishing season. Does a good job of protecting all stainless parts.
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My bad.. I meant to sat Woody wax:) I noted that on earlier post.

I use Gary's wax on the hull.
 
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