Power wash fail?

Jul 13, 2010
1,097
Precision 23 Perry Hall,Baltimore County
Borrowed my brother's pressure washer for the weekend to clean the boat in my driveway. Power washed so far: front porch, porch railing, porch furniture. Back porch, back porch rail and sidewalks around the house between front and rear porch. Management had just hinted that the screen porch across the back of the house is looking a little rough. I can take a hint. Hope I get to the boat before weekend is done!
 
Mar 2, 2008
406
Cal 25 mk II T-Bird Marina, West Vancouver
don't use a pressure washer on your deck especially around any deck fittings or you will have water leaks for ever more. It is OK to clean the hull and top sides carefully.
 
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Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
Borrowed my brother's pressure washer for the weekend to clean the boat in my driveway. Power washed so far: front porch, porch railing, porch furniture. Back porch, back porch rail and sidewalks around the house between front and rear porch. Management had just hinted that the screen porch across the back of the house is looking a little rough. I can take a hint. Hope I get to the boat before weekend is done!
Yeah, well one time I went to a boat show with my wife and came home with a mop.
 
Sep 25, 2008
7,075
Alden 50 Sarasota, Florida
don't use a pressure washer on your deck especially around any deck fittings or you will have water leaks for ever more. It is OK to clean the hull and top sides carefully.
This has been debated a lot here and the consensus isn't so categorical. Pressure washers like most things come in different varieties. The experience I have had corresponds well with what many others here have expressed - that careful use of low pressure washers won't hurt fittings but that the use of high pressure (2000 psi or greater) can, if used improperly, may...

So keep it away from seals and you should be fine.
 
Jul 13, 2010
1,097
Precision 23 Perry Hall,Baltimore County
I'm using bare bones ,bottom dollar, electric from Lowe's.
 
Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
hahaha

Yeah. I purchased a pressure washer years ago. Once you have one... you just can't stop cleaning stuff. And your standards change ........and now that side walk has to be white.... a gray sidewalk just won't do. Don't get me started on ugly brick.... :eek::confused::rolleyes:
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
Unless a boatyard has a special drainage system, you may NOT be allowed to clean the bottom with one. Even then, it has to be in the special area with appropriate drain and separation from runoff water. Check it, because it's close to a capital offense in Maryland and Florida ;^))).

Also, the general rule is don't use it on woodworking. A bit too much and you will wash away stuff that you'll regret.
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I don't want to tell on anyone but while local boatyards don't allow boat owners to sand or otherwise prepare bottoms for recoating, boatyards can power wash the bottoms in or just out of the lift well where the paint residue goes right into the water. Just saying...
 
Apr 5, 2009
2,774
Catalina '88 C30 tr/bs Oak Harbor, WA
At our local boat yard there is no pressure washing allowed on bottoms because they do not have the special reclamation system to keep the water from going into the sound. When you ask how to get the junk off prior to painting they tell you that you have to hire a diver to scrub the diver before it comes out of the water. That is what I call logic.
 

SG

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Feb 11, 2017
1,670
J/Boat J/160 Annapolis
This is special.



o_O
In an increasing number of places, ablative paint is being refused to be serviced by divers because it clearly leaves a cloud of unhelpful stuff in the water. Most places will allow wiping down of hard bottoms.

If you have to chose a paint, and either don't have any ablative paint on the bottom, I wouldn't put it an ablative paint on. There are better, faster, and more environmental friendly options.

Unfortunately, if you already have ablative paint, you have to remove it to put a hard paint on.
 
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
All U Get.......I wouldn't touch that comment with a ten-foot pole! No ethnicity implied.

Dava390......We too used a pressure washer yesterday and this morning. House sparkles! The boat? Not so much.
Back in the day we scrubbed our deck with an old floor scrubber that my parents had used. It was bulky to maneuver, but it sure did beat scrubbing. Then along came pressure washers and we have used one frequently on the topside, although we have not recognized leaks at thru-deck fittings. Care will be used in the future, thanks for the heads up, Jalepeno.
 
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Jan 5, 2015
4
Catalina 36 mk I Seattle
I have used a low pressure, pressure washer on the topsides with no ill-effects; however I am careful around fittings...the power washer takes on the green slime really well :)
 
Jan 22, 2008
8,050
Beneteau 323 Annapolis MD
Yeah, well one time I went to a boat show with my wife and came home with a mop.
I was at the White House last Thursday just as the Prez was coming off the stairs from the chopper. He had a pig under each arm, so the marine guard said, "Nice pigs, sir". Prez said "they weren't just ANY pig, they were Arkansas Razorbacks. I got one for Nancy Pelosi, and one for Hillary Clinton. The guard said, "Excellent trade, sir". Chicka-boom.