saltwater sailors, what all do you clean after sailing.

Apr 1, 2010
398
Cal 33 and Sea Pearl 21 . Crystal River, FL
Just got back from 4 days on the gulf and spent the ENTIRE day washing the whole boat, flushing the motor, washing and hanging the sails to dry, washing the dink, washing the life jackets... this gave me ALOT of time to think about people who moor in saltwater...

what do you do after returning to port??

 
Feb 26, 2004
23,082
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Depends on how much ya got splashed! :):):)

Really. I always do my standing rigging and dodger. When I'm sailing I clean up the cockpit as I go along.

When I hose the rigging the deck gets it, too. When needed I soap and rinse the deck with Simple Green.

Good question, I'm in the process of servicing my winches this week, so am somewhat conversant with how the boat looks when I get there.

I hate dirt. :)

When I left today, I even put all the parts neatly on the saloon table along with the tools, all lined up.

I'm a tad crazy!!!:eek:

My first wife said I was PA.

My current wife appreciates how neat and clean I can be. But wonders why I only do it on the boat and not at home. :doh:

My only answer, which I cannot, of course ever say out loud is: "Because I have no one on the boat to clean up after me!" :dance::dance::dance:
 

BarryL

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May 21, 2004
1,074
Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 409 Mt. Sinai, NY
Um, nothing.

My boat is on a mooring. I don't have access to fresh water. It's a boat, it's designed to be in salt water. About once a month I'll pull up to the dock and wash the decks and topsides, but that's about it.

The rain usually keeps the decks, sail cover, wheel cover, and the rest rinsed enough. I would love to use more fresh water, but that's not going to happen.

Barry
 
Feb 20, 2011
8,062
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
I suspect that, once a year (or thereabouts), wash your running rigging.
 

Dan_Y

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Oct 13, 2008
519
Hunter 36 Hampton
I give her a quick rinse with dock hose but also flush the yanmar 2gm20f with fresh water. A tee in front of the raw water strainer allows me to quickly suck in water from a bucket. Because I time how long it takes to empty the bucket at idle, I can watch for changes and problems. I was able to see my impeller cover needed to be replaced (impeller was fine). One day the raw water pump stopped pulling water at idle but would pull enough when at motoring rpm. It's impressive how shallow the wear groves were in the cover to inhibit suction at idle!
 

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Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
The friend who introduced me to sailing washed his boat when he arrived at the marina before he used it and washed it again before he left the boat to go home. I'll admit that part of the "sailing disease" I did not catch, but we do wash the boat as needed because of birds or just dirt/grit from whatever source. I rinse outboard engines after every time I use one in salt water. I have not rinsed an inboard engine, but I like the idea of the fresh water rinse at the dock.
Dan_Yuchnovicz.......any pictures of the attachment you made to rinse with fresh water?????
 

rfrye1

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Jun 15, 2004
589
Hunter H376 San Diego
Fresh water rinse.

I've thought about that for several seasons. Sometimes my Hunter sits for 3 months. On a closed system does it really make a lot of difference?
Your thoughts.
Thanks. Bob
 

PGIJon

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Mar 3, 2012
856
Hunter 34 Punta Gorda
Luckily here in Florida during the summer we usually have 10-60 minutes of hellacious downpours combined with 30+ knot winds every few days. So that pretty much takes care of the boat during the summer! If you hate cleaning your boat.. come visit us here for the summer... though some may think it's a tad warm..... -Jon
 

Gunni

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Mar 16, 2010
5,937
Beneteau 411 Oceanis Annapolis
Salt dries on the boat and then continues to attract moisture (like a salt shaker left in a humid location). This fosters the growth of mold and mildew. Especially in the humid coastal locations. A freshwater rinse is a sensible action.
 

zeehag

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Mar 26, 2009
3,198
1976 formosa 41 yankee clipper santa barbara. ca.(not there)
my boat loves salt water. i do not wash it off, but use it to protect my wood.
 
Jul 27, 2011
5,134
Bavaria 38E Alamitos Bay
I wash/rinse the boat thoroughly with fresh water at the slip after each trip, even if only a daysail, and biweekly, at least, while it's in the slip. There's a lot of grime here in Southern California if slipped near the big cites (e.g., Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego). Around Ventura and Channel Islands harbors there's sand, dust, and bird poop, etc. Salt corrodes, leaves deposits, and can set up galvanic potentials on the metals, etc., that can cause electrolysis. I rinse every metal part of the boat that can be reached with the hose sprayer while trying to spare my neighbors water splotch on their own dirty boats! If it's been a particularly salty trip, I'll also thoroughly rinse the mainsail plus lower the (roller-furled) jib for a rinse as well. I've seen others do everything listed above but brush scrub with soap every stanchion, rail, cleat, winch, etc., along with all of the deck, canvas, and topsides after every trip, no matter how short!
 

CarlN

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Jan 4, 2009
603
Ketch 55 Bristol, RI
I hardly ever rinse the boat (although it's a great assignment for bored children).
If the boat's dirty, I give it a proper cleaning with soap and a brush -- about three times a year. I'll clean up bird droppings and such with a rag as soon as possible. I don't know anyone who leaves their boat in the water who flushes their outboard. They seem to last just fine.

As you've probably noticed, maintenance on a boat is never done. You need to prioritize your maintenance hours. I put rinsing salt off near the bottom of the list.

But do rinse that trailer carefully. They rust.
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,305
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
Your trailer probably suffers the most. After you drop your boat in the water and before you leave for the weekend, it helps to rinse the trailer, especially at the wheels and axle. I used my ski boat very infrequently in salt water many years ago and found one axle frozen from corrosion after a weekend. It broke free after scrubbing some tire rubber off on the pavement, but the damage it does to a trailer isn't pretty. When I had to repair my trailer, the guys in the shop said that much of their work is due to trailer abuse from salt water.
 

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,463
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
Good Californians work to preserve every drop of water we can. We can go 7 months between rainy days. I have been seen out scrubbing the decks during the winter rains. In between I wipe down the dodger and cockpit with a bucket of water and a soft rag. When we go up into fresh water we haul up buckets of water to clean the boat.

To avoid putting detergents overboard I try to make do with just elbow grease.
 

pateco

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Aug 12, 2014
2,207
Hunter 31 (1983) Pompano Beach FL
Fresh water rinse on everything when we return, Boat soap and brush on the deck when it gets dirty.

Good job for the kids



Last weekend I noticed my ports were looking dirty. I may have to clean them this weekend. What do others use for cleaning plastic ports?
 
Oct 26, 2008
6,305
Catalina 320 Barnegat, NJ
I was gonna say ...

Good Californians work to preserve every drop of water we can. We can go 7 months between rainy days. I have been seen out scrubbing the decks during the winter rains. In between I wipe down the dodger and cockpit with a bucket of water and a soft rag. When we go up into fresh water we haul up buckets of water to clean the boat.

To avoid putting detergents overboard I try to make do with just elbow grease.
Don't you guys need to be conserving water for the asparagus crops or to make sure the Colorado River actually makes it to the ocean?
 

Johnb

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Jan 22, 2008
1,463
Hunter 37-cutter Richmond CA
Don't you guys need to be conserving water for the asparagus crops or to make sure the Colorado River actually makes it to the ocean?
Not to mention the almonds and the cows.

The Colorado has more to do with Nevada, Arizona and Southern California etc. than us Northeners

I don't feel to guilty about pulling up buckets of water and pouring them over the decks because the only thing going overboard is the dirt that would have been in the water if my boat wasn't in the way.
 
Feb 26, 2004
23,082
Catalina 34 224 Maple Bay, BC, Canada
Rain???

Don't you guys need to be conserving water for the asparagus crops or to make sure the Colorado River actually makes it to the ocean?
Scott, the Colorado stopped being "water" once it reached the Mexican border in around 1934!!! That's kinda Old News. Our brethren in So. Cal. still haven't figured out there's a drought. :eek:

The ONLY good news is that around here 99.45% of boats in slips NEVER GO OUT and the owners NEVER show up. So, no water is being wasted to clean their boats. It gets a little grungy by September, but maybe it'll start raining again in November.

We can only pray...:eek:
 
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
For the rich to water their lawn and fill swimming pools

Scott, the Colorado stopped being "water" once it reached the Mexican border in around 1934!!! That's kinda Old News. Our brethren in So. Cal. still haven't figured out there's a drought. :eek:

The ONLY good news is that around here 99.45% of boats in slips NEVER GO OUT and the owners NEVER show up. So, no water is being wasted to clean their boats. It gets a little grungy by September, but maybe it'll start raining again in November.

We can only pray...:eek:
http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-gard...s-were-not-all-equal-when-it-comes-water.html

The 1 percent has the 1 percent rights !!!!!! What a bunch!
 
Sep 25, 2008
1,096
CS 30 Toronto
Re: For the rich to water their lawn and fill swimming pools

RANCHO SANTA FE, CALIF. — Drought or no drought, Steve Yuhas resents the idea that it is somehow shameful to be a water hog. If you can pay for it, he argues, you should get your water.

People “should not be forced to live on property with brown lawns, golf on brown courses or apologize for wanting their gardens to be beautiful,” Yuhas fumed recently on social media. “We pay significant property taxes based on where we live,” he added in an interview. “And, no, we’re not all equal when it comes to water.”