How does everyone wash the hull in their slips

[Groucho]

I wish I could wash my boat...In Lake George you can only brush your boat with lake water.....

 

[Bottom Line]

Jeremy...I agree with others...the shower curtains are overkill. I am in a slip just like you are...fingers on both sides. I usually will wet the boat down from the fingers. I have Shurhold brush(soft) with and extendable handle. After I have the entire boat wet, I take my bucket and brush and walk upon the deck and scrub all of it and then rinse it with the hose (that I have draped over the front bow rail, so I can easily reach it from the fore deck). I clean my way to the back of the boat. From the fingers, I use the brush and wash the sides, below the rub rail. I usually dry my boat...starting on the top sides and then below the rub rail. As someone else mentioned, I may release the lines on one side of the boat and pull the one side to make it easier to reach...and then repeat on the other side.

I do ocassionally rinse the dock off..as you do...we have concrete decking and it does hold alot of dirt. What I usually do is pull the boat out of the slip, and my wife will hose off the dock. We bought a cheap rug at Wal-Mart...about 2 feet wide and 6 feet long, so that we put on the dock, directly behind the swim platform. So when we are getting on the boat, we are stepping on fairly clean rug, before steppin on the swim platform.

Most of the time I use the dock water to wash the boat, but have also used a submersible sump pump. I just connect the hose to the pump, drop it in the lake, plug it in and go. My pump is only a 1/6 h.p., so it doesn't have real strong pressure.

 

[wingless]

I am thinking of purchasing a tube so I am float out and get up close and personal with the hull like I could on the trailer.

It sounds easy but in-practice you quickly realize what the astronauts face. I've tried that w/ my inflatable, but it takes one hand to hold the boat and one to work. Or, two lines to secure the Zodiac in-position, then go at it.

The easy way would be to nose in and overhang the dock. I've done that when working on the chain and windlass. It provides great access.

 

[sebagoman007]

I'll concur with the others who recommend anchoring in shallow water and doing it while standing on the bottom. I just use a brush and lake water. For really stubborn stuff I use a little Roll-Off on a rag. It's supposed to be biodegradable and ecologically safe, so I figure I'm doing the environment no harm.

You say in your opener that you're having a hard time resisting taking her out every day - this is just another reason to cave in! Boat trip and a dip in the water, what's wrong with that?

Cheers,

Bill

 

[rondds]

shower curtains? :smt043 i've never even heard of that? i guess theoretically it's a nice gesture but in 40 years of boating, i've never seen one nor have i heard of anyone getting bent out of shape because of sudsy water overspray.

our marina is set up that logistically, it is impossible to wash more than 1/2 of a one hull side. on my previous boat, i'd go to the gas dock late on sunday afternoons (after it was closed) and wash one side, use lines to spin the boat around, then wash the other side. quite a major production with this boat, so i just dont do it. i will lean over and rinse the hull to get rid of salt and use a soft extension brush to get rid of the "black streak disease," but other than that, it's pretty impractical.

there's only one finger on the port side and it's probably about 15' long. dig the condition of that piling! :wow:

 

[sbw1]

The hull of my boat gets washed once a year whether it needs it or not. The rub rail up gets washed once a week which pretty much keeps the hull clean too as there is no dirt to run down the sides. From late July to early August it never gets washed. I just rinse it with clean water and mop it dry. When it starts to look dirty, I know that the wax is starting to go. Ivory Soap for washing and rinsing when possible preserves wax and the boat pretty much looks as good in the fall as when it gets detailed in the spring.

 

[JeffM]

This has been an interesting read. This is my second year in a slip, and the first where we have no access to the sides -- not even a short finger. I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one with this issue -- thought I was missing something obvious.

I tried the tube approach and strained my neck and banged my head when the tube moved away from the hull and I fell between the tube and the hull (D'oh! :smt101). I had the most success using a "noodle" and swim fins and cleaning from the water. However, that will not work for waxing -- and drying is pretty tough, too :lol:.

Haven't tried the shallow-water or the fuel-dock approaches yet. Good ideas, though. For waxing it sounds like the best bet is going to be tying the dinghy to the boat and using it as a work platform.

 

[Gunn]

Whoa...

Additionally the boat would be spotted on the way back to the marina (yes I am over the top.... but that is the way I like it)

Wesley washing the boat is still a good 4-5 hour workout.

I spent just over 3 hours securing the boat and testing to ensure no force from any direction would allow the boat to contact anything.

I wash down the dock and fingers every week prior to washing the boat...I take it a step further with a little soap and stiff bristled brush.

Oh my. So...do you actually have any time leftover after all that cleaning to actually leave the dock?! Or are you too afraid it will get a spot on it from the water it sits in?!! :smt101 :grin:

Tom

 

[tobnpr]

Great I get to make friends the first week with a complaint...

I don't know that I'd complain about that...
What do you expect the guy to do- cut a hole in the other side of the boat so he can access from the "proper" side?

 

[mooredriven]

I've found that washing the bow of the boat is not necessary every week. If you have a colored hull, I can see this being a bigger issue. Something nobody has mentioned is the use of a dinghy or jet ski. Also, if you don't have a good wax job, then the dirt sticks and makes washing much more difficult.

Someone mentioned a plunger. I've seen a suction cup with handle at West Marine and Boatersworld.

Regarding the plastic sheets to protect from over spray. While a noble thought, I think you'll find that you'll be the only one doing this. I doubt your neighbors will be as courteous. I've found that most of my dock mates don't wash their boats regularly anyway.

Dale

 

[skolbe]

I don't know that I'd complain about that...
What do you expect the guy to do- cut a hole in the other side of the boat so he can access from the "proper" side?

There is a gate on the other side. It's a houseboat he would have to walk around once on deck. You are suppose to put your dock box and stuff on the left finger. Our marina has some unusual rules. The steps are a bit large.

There is also a door in the back of the boat.

 

[tobnpr]

Didn't know he could access the finger from the other side. Like you said, rules are rules then...
Seems reasonable, any amount of privacy you can get is a big +.

 

[sreill]

Unfortunately my fresh water tank does not have sufficient capacity to wash the boat while out and about. Additionally the boat would be spotted on the way back to the marina (yes I am over the top.... but that is the way I like it)

.

Listen, Im as anal as the next guy with my car and truck, but water spots on a boat??? It is a boat..It is in the water..Preventing water spots it kind of an impossible task I would think...

i hose, wash, rinse...The only thing I dry is my seat cusions..:huh:

 

[Chas]

I anchor in shallow, sandy bottomed areas and get in the water and wash the sides by hand. At the dock I'll wash the deck.

 

[Carver370]

You will probably never want to get a larger boat then. If I was like this I would have had a heart attack from people spraying my boat off and worrying about water spots.

 

[Jersey Mike]

Jeremy,

You may want to try rinsing the hull with an open garden hose to let the water "sheet" off, this will minmize your water spotting. My salt water boat is in the water outside 24/7. The hull gets a good prep and a couple coats of wax in early May. There is no mid season hull waxing.(Most of the hull is still beading, where it's not it is still "sheeting off") Topsides get a weekly wash and dry, the hull gets a good fresh water rinse. The hull also gets a 10' pole and brush wash every 2-4 weeks with an occassional touch up of the water run off areas. I think you'll find the less you touch it (within reason) the longer it will look good. Though my hull is white I see plenty of dark hulls on the water and I must say the ones that look bad are the ones that someone screwed up, buffer trails, scotch- brite pad etc. Even my friends dark boats that just get a preseason wax and nothing else still look ok. Though I see alot of white boats with black streak disease, even some maintained ones. This regiment may not keep you "Over the Top" but I bet you'll still be in the top 5%, I'm finding that life is too short so I keep streamlining my cosmetic maintenance routine. You'll also find as the boat ages your to-do list will grow!
Eighth season in the water and still shows pretty close to new, even in September.

Mike

 

[mrsrobinson]

11 days in wet slip and I have been down at the boat 10 of 11 days. I am really enjoying having the boat in the water :grin:. I have been figuring "stuff" out that changes in the water versus on the trailer. Stuff I have observed:

- No more ladders to wash the boat :smt001
- I am making "boat shower curtains" to protect the boats (my slip neighbors) on either side of me from spray when I wash. I will also be asking my neighbors to use the "shower curtain when they wash (neither have washed yet :huh: ). I am using 6 mil clear plastic sheeting attached with velcro to the slip posts.
- Covered slip is cutting down on dust. Woohooo!!
- I am going to have a hard time not taking the boat out daily

So to my question. How does everyone clean the hull at the bow of the boat.... I have purchased extension wands (Shurhold) and modified my Meguiars wash mitts to fit the Shurhold pad holder. It is pretty tough to get a good washing on the bow below the rub rail and impossible to dry. I ended up sitting on the very edge of the dock with a line tied around my waist so I could lean out alot. I am thinking of purchasing a tube so I am float out and get up close and personal with the hull like I could on the trailer. I am thinking about tying the tube to either side of the slip and using it as a washing platform. The hull below the rub rail on the rear 2/3 of the boat is no problem from the slip fingers.

Not thoroughly washing and drying is not an option. I know some of the folks here must have some tricks..... let em rip.

Pictures to give you an idea of the setup:

Thanks for sharing your ideas and experiences.

You have an awesome marina, I am jealous. Floats on both sides, full length of your boat and a roof. You do not see that in our area.

We use one of the car brushes/rods from Target/WalHell, I mean WalMart, and just extend it. I can reach most of the bow with this. And if I get my neighbors boat wet, he is happy as it's that much less he has to wash.

Before you invest the time/money in curtains I would simply ask you slip neighbor if a little over spray is OK. If it's an issue with him/her, I'd consider another slip as the relationship can only go downhill from there.

BTW, the wanting to wash your boat every week will get old after a while. The first season we were on floaters we washed her every week. Last season it was every other week. This season it's every 3rd or 4th visit to the boat. Enjoy the boat, that's what they are for. Cleaning gets real old, especially when it's 95+ degrees outside.

 

[Woody]

MrsRobinson, your not getting the whole curain thing. He certainly wants to be careful of splattering on the neighbors boat but most importantly he wants to train the neighbor to use the curtains so the neighbor doesn't mess his boat up.
I know one thing, if I didn't already have a 280 I'd be waiting for 280 SeaRay to put his boat for sale. It's got to be better than new.