Keeping The Shine Alive!
- By BBX Admin 1
- 1
Protecting Your Investment the Simple Way - Keeping the Shine Alive
Just off the Water
For some freshwater anglers, keeping their boat clean after their fishing trip is a routine step of each trip to the lake. For others, it’s an afterthought for next time; “I’ll, make some time to clean it up later”. For the latter, that may be weeks or months after the initial thought (like we all have a ton of extra time to wash and wax our boat – HA!). I have participated in both of these theories during my boat ownership years, and only in recent years have adopted the practice of taking just a few minutes after each trip to clean up my investment – to enjoy during the next trip without worry. This practice eliminates immediate washing and waxing, and in some cases and gets you back on the water in a clean and attractive boat. I mention “investment” in the title, and even though some of us have dreams of having the ability to catch fish for a living, the reality is that most of us fish to simply enjoy the outdoors, rid ourselves of stress, and simply catch fish. Others, like myself, not only catching fish and relieving stress, but also enjoy the excitement that comes from fishing a local tournament circuit. In either case, you have spent indispensable money on your fishing investment.
I have found that taking a few simple steps after removing your boat from the water can maximize the life of the gel coat on your boat for years to come. Taking precautions beforehand and not having to repair faded or damaged gel coat will save you a lot of money in the long run, as well as keeping your investment in good shape if you ever find yourself in a position to sell it. As the saying goes, a little preventative maintenance goes a long way. Not only mechanically, but also cosmetically. I also mention “simple” in the title because some boat cleaning techniques are relatively quick and do not require a ton of effort to protect your investment once you remove it from the water. However, “simple” is relative from one boat owner to another. My opinion of “simple” consists of a practice that extends no more than fifteen minutes of my time once the boat comes off the water and is secured to the trailer. Keep in mind that the tips below are based on my past experiences, and are also based on a boat with good to excellent gel coat condition with a clean and pre-waxed surface. We will explain in further detail in a separate post on gel coat that is scratched, worn, faded, or in some cases – nonexistent. Those tips are not so “simple”, but can be completed by a professional and in some cases – in the right conditions - by you. Your boat is off the water… now what? You could let your rig air dry as you drive home at 60+ mph, but in lieu of all the water lines and hard water spots left behind, I prefer to take a few minutes and first wipe down the hull, trailer fenders, and motor down first. I keep a “the absorber” brand in my boat due to its durability, strength, and overall cleaning ability, but a large microfiber towel or leather chamois will also do the trick. I’ll spend the next few minutes making sure I wipe the entire boat from top cap to the as much of the bottom of the hull I can reach, then focusing on trailer fenders, then the motor- including the motor cowl, midsection, lower unit, and prop. Keep this or a similar progression as part of your post-trip cleaning routine moving forward.
OK - It’s wiped down, LET’S GO!
Not yet, as step two involves keeping a bottle of quick shine protestant readily available and subsequently applying it to your boat. There are plenty of “mist and shine” products on the market. I prefer either TurtleWax brand Ice, Pro-Tec brand Showroom Conditioner, or Lucas Oil brand Slick Mist. If you are in direct sunlight, the TurtleWax brand Ice is great, as you can apply and use it in direct sunlight. Others may work better on your boat, but may need to be applied in indirect sunlight, such as Pro-Tec brand Showroom Conditioner. Depending on the situation of sunlight, I apply the product as recommended on the bottle, wipe evenly across the surface with a microfiber towel. I then follow up with a separate and clean microfiber towel to remove the haze and/or residue- hand buffing in a circular motion. I follow the same procedures for wiping down the boat as listed in step one for wiping the boat down – boat from top cap to reachable hull areas, then trailer fenders, then motor. It is important you remove any residue from the product you have applied. In most cases, the longer the product sits on the applied surface, the more difficult it is to remove later on. Keep in mind that some “mist and shine” products can be applied and used on an already wet surface, which is why you would find a product like Lucas Oil brand Slick Mist in my boat for night fishing, or TurtleWax brand Ice for trips during the day. Using a product like Lucas Oil brand Slick Mist eliminates step one entirely, as you can apply, wipe down for step one, then remove the haze and/or residue immediately after.
Alright, the exterior is good to go – I’m OUT!
Not quite yet. Spend a couple minutes gathering up any trash, lures, hooks, or other tackle left behind in the interior of your boat during the trip and find the appropriate place for each. Place rods laid out on the deck in their respective rod boxes. Store tackle, black lights, bow and stern lights, and life jackets in the appropriate storage compartments. You will thank yourself later for spending time doing this, as it takes less time organizing items before you next trip to the water. Make sure your live wells are open and drained. Check the tires on the trailer for adequate pressure, verify trailer to transom straps are on and tight, and make sure you trailer lights are in good working order before heading home. Keeping your investment looking good doesn’t take much time after a fishing trip is over.
I've made it a practice to make the above steps part of my fishing routine each trip to the water and I thank myself for doing so each time. Keeping an organized and clean interior ensures you know where everything is before your next trip. Appropriately cleaning your boat exterior, trailer, and motor after each trip ensures you have removed most of the debris and contaminants from your investment - and in most cases, applied valuable UV ray inhibiting protectant to the surfaces of your boat. Making this a routine part of each trip will assist with increasing pride of ownership and resale value for years to come.
Good fishing!
~ Mark B
June 10, 2016, 5:36 am
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