New rule NO soles on my sole

Peggie Hall HeadMistress · Sep 25, 2016

You have called your mom and apologized for all the times you did that to her clean kitchen floor???

thinwater · Sep 25, 2016

Is a boat for fun or to keep perfect? I chose fun and let the kids run.
And if they had been barefoot you would still have barefoot marks!

capta · Sep 25, 2016

When folks come aboard I want them to enjoy themselves. Beyond the really apparent things like street shoes and heels; whatever. Hey, our boat is even waterproof, so we don't get upset if they track water through it on the way to the shower after snorkeling. It only takes a few seconds to mop up.
To each his or her own, I guess.

woodster · Sep 25, 2016

jleblanc31 said:
No Peggie but I will be taking my shoes off next time I go over her house. She just had tile installed throughout the house .

Wrong answer

Skipper · Sep 25, 2016

Yeah! Only socks on my sole.

Gene Neill · Sep 26, 2016

thinwater said:
And if they had been barefoot you would still have barefoot marks!

Too right. Drives me nuts. I take my shoes off and the boat still gets filthy.

The only way to get her clean is give her a scrubbin' every morning, and don't go ashore for three days.

gettinthere · Sep 26, 2016

Try those new fangled things called a mat. They are square pieces of fabric you wipe your feet on, the dirt stays on the mat...its like magic! What will they think of next!

Ron20324 · Sep 26, 2016

Maybe the kids should do what skippers do : walk on water to clean off the footsie bottoms

thinwater · Sep 26, 2016

I've always found wet or sweaty feet to be one of the slipperiest things around. How will I feel if someone--even a child--falls down and gets hurt? I'd rather everyone tracked dirt on board and my gelcoat suffered the insults. The risk of injury isn't worth anything. Certainly cleanliness is at the very bottom of the list.

Mats and carpet. I have varnished soles. And they are all covered with removable carpets, which are vacuumed occasionally and removed for dockside cleaning occasionally. The cockpit sole is a grating which allows a lot to fall through, and that is hosed out every month or so.

Carpet is also easier on the feet, warmer in the winter, and saves wear and dings. Dirt-colored is best.

Siamese · Sep 26, 2016

If you require people to keep their soles off your soles, you'll likely succeed. It shouldn't take long for people to avoid your boat altogether.

DougM · Sep 26, 2016

Bought some mats awhile ago at IKEA (no assembly required) for about $.69 ea. fuzzy on top nonskid bottom. With one on the cockpit sole and on at the base of the companionway ladder, the majority of the crud stays out of the cabin. A throw rug on the dock helps too.
Kids are kids, they attract dirt. Let them have their fun and teach them to do a little houskeeping.

Justin_NSA · Sep 26, 2016

I just advise guests not to step on my (expensive) cushions and the conversation will politely evolve into proper footwear. That said, I would never buy Bottomsider cushions or anything like them. they came with the boat, They are not rugged enough for even a casual incident.

sailndays · Sep 26, 2016

Well, if the boat was out on the water where it belongs, there would be no tracking. Get thee back on the water!

H3newdog · Sep 26, 2016

Just be sure not to get a mat that's made of small hair like stuff. Had one on my engine cover that shed all over the boat! Worse than any pet.

Franklin · Sep 26, 2016

I have always had a hard time keeping the cockpit floor clean on my boat, even when I lived in a marina and had unlimited water supply. Living on anchor I try to keep it clean by leaving my 'shoes' in the dinghy but it still gets trashed albeit a little slower. I just try to find a good time to scrub it down with saltwater and joy/bleach/baking soda mix once in a while just before I leave or when I will be down below for a while so it can dry good.

I have thought about getting a mat, even as soon as yesterday, so maybe that is the next step.

Thomas Redd · Sep 26, 2016

Franklin said:
I have always had a hard time keeping the cockpit floor clean on my boat, even when I lived in a marina and had unlimited water supply. Living on anchor I try to keep it clean by leaving my 'shoes' in the dinghy but it still gets trashed albeit a little slower. I just try to find a good time to scrub it down with saltwater and joy/bleach/baking soda mix once in a while just before I leave or when I will be down below for a while so it can dry good.

I have thought about getting a mat, even as soon as yesterday, so maybe that is the next step.

I had some damage to the cockpit floor of my O'day 222 when I purchased it 8 years ago. To cover it up I bought some of the plastic imitation teak for the floor. The product is thick and the pattern is all the way through. It is wearing very well. It is easy to clean with just a hose off and best of all it is as safer if not safer than the non skid flooring. It is a consideration for sole replacement since it never needs refinishing.

flynhi4u · Sep 26, 2016

Boats just attract dirt. I gave her a bath Saturday night while Cindy motored us to our cove. Woke up Sunday morning and there were cobwebs and dead bugs everywhere. Plus there were all these blue green drops of some sort of liquid all over the top of the boat. Looked like someone flicked 2 stroke gas oil mix all over the boat. I knew I better get it off before it dried as something told me it was not going to come off very easily if I didn't. So I scrubbed the whole boat again. Still have no clue what the blue green dots were from. If it was blue green algae from the water we are in trouble!
As far as our cockpit sole goes, I have a nifty collapsible bucket that I break out and wash it down when it gets to the point that I think it needs it. The advantage of self draining cockpits. Still looking for the perfect rug to put down in the cabin to wipe our feet on.

Sam

capta · Sep 26, 2016

Franklin said:
I have always had a hard time keeping the cockpit floor clean on my boat, even when I lived in a marina and had unlimited water supply. Living on anchor I try to keep it clean by leaving my 'shoes' in the dinghy but it still gets trashed albeit a little slower. I just try to find a good time to scrub it down with saltwater and joy/bleach/baking soda mix once in a while just before I leave or when I will be down below for a while so it can dry good.

I have thought about getting a mat, even as soon as yesterday, so maybe that is the next step.

DriDeck is a great solution to keeping a cockpit neat and safe.

New rule NO soles on my sole

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