Keeping your boat clean(er) Part 1

We all spend time cleaning our homes and cars, washing clothing and other stuff. So when we head for a day on the water, we try to forget the cleaning we need to do. But we must not forget the cleaning that needs doing on our boats.

Most boat owners don’t like cleaning their boats, often because it is wet, hard work and usually quite stinky. We often don’t like what we find when we clean, like that open candy bar you misplaced last week…here it is, covered in…something that resembles fur. Last week I was cleaning my boat and in an armrest cubby I found about two inches of rain water, along with indescribable bits of sludge. The smell was something similar to a chemical plant with a sewage leak. Not good.

I could have avoided this altogether by checking the cubby for leftovers before we left the boat for the week. Which is my first piece of advice – check your boat for trash when you leave. Having a designated place for trash is the best idea, and encourage its use by threatening violators with some traditional form of “indoctrination” like keelhauling (“Would you mind taking this brush and cleaning the bottom a bit while you are down there?”). Even so, some folks just don’t get it and stick their refuse out of the way somewhere. Get in the habit of checking storage cubbies, armrests, cup holders and any drawers and cabinets for trash, especially food products. Remove all trash from the boat at the end of the trip and you will remove a lot of the smell that you and your guests find objectionable.

Besides avoiding funk, when you take out the trash you remove temptation from night time critters like raccoons, possums and cats. These guys will climb into trailered boats and walk the docks at night like my relatives scouting the midnight buffet. If the animals' keen noses detect an odor that resembles food, they will search and destroy until they find it. That goes for any fish bait products as well. We store ours in zippered plastic bags, even if the bait comes in its own.

A neighbor’s boat was vandalized by a pair of raccoons and it looked as if a couple guys had a chain saw fight onboard, and then had some digestive trouble. Believe it or not, your boat policy may NOT have coverage in such an event – good idea to check yours to find out.

After neglected trash, mildew is the biggest cleaning issue for your interior. Mildew grows anywhere it is damp – pretty much anywhere on a boat, even more so for those kept in a slip or a lift. But you can do a few things to reduce or eliminate mold and mildew from taking over.

Mildew needs two things to live - dampness and darkness. Storing wet things in a closed cabinet or under a seat is just planting a mildew farm. With fertilizer. Don’t store wet items, dry them first. On my boat the biggest offenders are neoprene PFDs, personal flotation devices. These vests are very comfortable in the water, providing flotation and retaining body heat. They are very popular with tube riders and wakeboarders. The down side is they take a long time to dry and often get stored away while still damp.

I try to solve this by hanging the vests on the railings of my pontoon where the sun and air can dry them. We look kinda funny sometimes with our “laundry” out to dry as we fish, but it beats being moldy!

Sometime we get to the end of our day and we still have wet gear to stow. What to do? Sometimes we take it home and let it dry there. Another option is to place the damp (not wet) stuff flat on the deck or other open area where they can dry and have access to fresh air. Another option is placing the items in their usual places, but keeping the lids open so that sunlight and fresh air can get at them. The ultraviolet rays in sunlight kill mold spores, so it can’t grow. This may not be your best plan if wet weather is forecast or if theft is an issue.

I know not all of these suggestions will apply to everyone’s situation, but if you adapt one or two to your particular situation, you will find you have a cleaner boat with LESS work!