A Guide to Washing Your Boat

Each time you take your boat on the water, it gets dirty. Spray from waves leaves water spots on the windshield. Grime from the waters clings to the sides of your boat. Sand from the beach leaves shoes and litters your floors. You’ll need to engage in regular cleaning to keep your boat looking and performing well. Fortunately, that’s easy to do! Check out our guide to washing your boat below.

Prep Work

A little prep work will make your cleaning process go smoother and faster. This starts with rinsing your boat after each excursion. This is even more important if you cruise out in saltwater since the saltwater buildup can corrode aspects of your boat. When you do frequent rinsing, it reduces the buildup, which means less to clean off later. Then do a quick rinse before you start cleaning to clear off loose grime or debris.

Clean the Outside of the Boat

After you rinse your boat off, gather up a marine boat wash and soft-bristle brush. While you wash, clean in small sections. This is because you’ll need to rinse the soap off before it dries. Otherwise, you’ll be stuck with unappealing streaks that could damage your boat’s sensitive finish. Begin at the top and work your way down. Remember that the better you clean now, the better protection you’ll get when you wax your boat later.

If you are in a time crunch, you can let the water air dry. This is fine for your boat, but it will leave water spots. To remove the excess water before it dries, you can use a leather or synthetic chamois or squeegee blade.

Finishing Touches

Waxing is an important part of washing your boat. It makes it much harder for dirt to stick to your vessel. It creates a protective layer against debris so you’ll need to detail less often. It makes your boat glisten in the sun. It takes effort, but it offers many benefits!

You’ll want to wax your boat at least twice a season. Many owners wax it before winter storage and then once they take the boat out of storage. You’ll want to use a special boat wax and not a car wax. This is because boats and cars are made from different materials and encounter different environments. After all, cars aren’t experiencing water day in and day out. Remember that cheaper liquid and spray-on carnauba wax products can offer a low price because they offer lower protection.

For all your boating needs, visit Rockingham Boat in Hampstead, NH. Our service department can get your boat running like new. If you are looking to buy, we offer a wide selection of boats for sale. We proudly serve all those in Manchester and Nashua, so stop by today!