Keeping your boat looking clean and working at tiptop condition is a lifetime commitment. Every trip on the water means exposing your boat to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, to the sediment, salt, and mineral deposits in the water, and to the constant action of the wind. No boat is tough enough to withstand the assault of the elements without a little maintenance from the boat owner every now and then.
Cleaning your boat should be top priority before and after every marine adventure
if you want to make sure that your vessel will continue to work well for the rest of its lifespan. To really get the most out of the your boat and to showcase its curvaceous shiny lines, you should also think about applying wax on the deck, the fiberglass hull, and the superstructure regularly.
The waxing your boat dilemma
If you’re not schooled in the art of DIY boat detailing, you might be wondering about how frequently you should wax your boat and which waxing products you should use for the job. Fortunately, you can find a lot of online boat detailing guides to turn to for useful tips on how to wash, detail, and wax every part of your boat properly.
“How often should I wax my boat?” is actually a trick question.
There is no hard and fast rule for this. The frequency of your wax application depends mostly on how often you take your boat out into the water and for how long, as well as the conditions in which you sail your boat in.
Boat waxing is a vital cleaning procedure that you have to perform at least twice a year
if you want to prevent your boat from fading, chalking or hazing from constant sun exposure. There are at least three steps for you to engage in the wax-and-buff ritual:
- Clean, clean, clean your boat. There is no better way to wax your boat than to start with a perfectly clean finish first. If you rinse your boat thoroughly with freshwater after every trip, you’ve already put in enough initial work to keep your boat looking good. A more meticulous washing is necessary if you wish to apply wax and seal in that freshly-cleaned goodness. Eliminate all the crud, salt and mineral deposits, marine growth, grease, and mold stains on your boat with a commercial cleaning agent or marine soap.
- Polishing: your gel coat is never completely clean unless you buff and polish it with a protectant. Gel coat is that thick invisible layer over the paint job on your fiberglass hull, which protects it from nicks, scrapes, and the sun’s damaging rays.
- Waxing: you can choose either a polymer sealant or a natural wax substance to lock in your boat’s good looks. Natural wax will give a deeper, darker, healthier shine that will make your surfaces look three dimensional. On the other hand, polymer sealants are plasticized, which means that it will keep for longer and save you the trouble of applying wax more frequently.
