Going To Kill My Boat Or Myself With Kindness!

[DarkHorse]

G'Day Raiders,

Been using the new boat alot recently. Already has 30 hours on the clock and been doing a few upgrades/mods.

Washing down the boat the other day, I slipped off the trailer and damaged my left leg, shin and ankle the size of a football!

Put drill bit through the end of my thumb yesterday. Dislocated one of my fingers taking cover off. Taken skin off hands/fingers just cleaning it after being used.

Do you clean your boat gear down after EVERY trip?

I clean everything, from the lures used to rods/reels, electric motor, main motor and boat using soap and warm water, then fresh water and finally toweled off, phew.

It takes me at least a couple of hours after every trip. Hard work, but I know my gear is going to be maintained and working for years to come.

Is anyone else as crazy as me?

Regards,

Rob

[WANNAFISH]

You have to do it. Thats the fishos life. Unless you get your to do it. You bring the fish home anyway.

HEHEHE

[GregL]

To make things quicker buy a powered water pressure machine and a wet and dry vac from the hardware store.

35-40 mins tops for boat plus gear. Gets the deep salt out of carpet and bottom of boat to shells out of live wells.....

Carpet in fishing boats suck big time!

Specially non-hookless carpet that gets every lure caught in it and holds dirt, blood, slim and bits fish spew up when they hit the deck!

When your on the boat if crew get in the habbit of always keeping a tidy boat it's always a faster job when you get back. Little things like dead plastics, plastic packets, cleaning ANY blood straight away and never bring muddy feet or shoes onto the carpet! (pet hate with non boaters leaving a set of foot prints from front to back of the Skeeter when they first come on the boat off the beach starts.)

Current boat nothing, straight up non skid surface and have the boat done in 25mins and rods were done while in the rod holders while boat was washed. Snappering we only take 2 rods as you can only cast with 1 at a time.

My best is from longy to Hunters Hill, wash boat and then in the shower at Drummoyne in hour!

G

Edited December 19, 2009 by GregL

[Day's Fishin]

Hi Rob, the couple of hours you put in each time will pay off in the years to come. As for the injuries, I bet they pay off too as you will be more carefull now. It's funny how mates want to come fishing & help dirty the boat but don't want to help clean it up at the end of the day! I use a gernie for mine but you have to be carefull around any stickers or painted on names as it tends too blow them off. On a real good day's fishin, where theres blood every where from the catch, I stop at the car wash,as the soap they use seems top clean inside & outside the boat to the max. A added advantage is that you can get the others to help befor they run for home.

Regards Jeff

[Chris 55]

We always clean as we go on the inside especially blood

(jeez Tuna make a mess) any packets or rubbish straight

to the rubbish bucket and lures, hooks, sinkers ect into a

small bucket to be reused during the day or washed when

we wash the boat

have bottle of car shampoo, sponges and soft broom in the

car so if there are wash facilities at the ramp do it there

with 2 of us all washed and ready to in less than 20-30 minutes

boat inside and out, motor flushed, bait tank , rods and tackle,

bait board plus hose down the trailer for an 18.5 ft half cab

Chris

[pjbink]

A hose down should be sufficent for the boat and especially the trailer. Detergents or soap every trip is a bit of overkill. The shower is a good place to rinse rods and reel due to the low water pressure. Lures and rigs should be rinsed and left out to dry.

[bluebottle18]

DO it yourself car wash. SIMPLE and saves time. lots of room, take your time.

Just be organised. I help my mate and there is no trouble. I even flush the motor.

Leave a feed of fish at the counter.

UP TO you about how you clean your reels etc.

THE secret is organisation

Dont believe in carpet in fishing boat. JUST my opinion.

[Captin]

Im like you DarkHorse, everything has be be immaculate upon return of a trip. I recently invested in one of those long handle brushes instead of using a sponge and it has cut my wash time down to a third.

I don't enjoy it that much either but when we're out on the water, you can always tell who looks after their boat and who doesn't.

[Geoff-]

Washing down the boat the other day, I slipped off the trailer and damaged my left leg, shin and ankle the size of a football!

Put drill bit through the end of my thumb yesterday. Dislocated one of my fingers taking cover off. Taken skin off hands/fingers just cleaning it after being used.

certainly as crazy as you but not quite as accident prone mate

[Dusky]

G'Day Raiders,

Been using the new boat alot recently. Already has 30 hours on the clock and been doing a few upgrades/mods.

Washing down the boat the other day, I slipped off the trailer and damaged my left leg, shin and ankle the size of a football!

Put drill bit through the end of my thumb yesterday. Dislocated one of my fingers taking cover off. Taken skin off hands/fingers just cleaning it after being used.

Do you clean your boat gear down after EVERY trip?

I clean everything, from the lures used to rods/reels, electric motor, main motor and boat using soap and warm water, then fresh water and finally toweled off, phew.

It takes me at least a couple of hours after every trip. Hard work, but I know my gear is going to be maintained and working for years to come.

Is anyone else as crazy as me?

Regards,

Rob

Well as a One Armed Bandit I hope I dont do more to myself as you have done! - you are certainly in the wars I cant afford it. but I was planning to wash my boat down after each trip & rinse my tackle. As for my carpet its not glued down so I can take it out, hose it & put it back when dry.

Rex

Edited December 20, 2009 by Dusky

[DarkHorse]

I am glad I am not the only one! I also forgot to mention that I broke a toe, when the boat and trailer ran over it when pushing it around the drive way

Very clumsy when it comes to working with my hands just ask LOL.

Merry xmas crew, please be safe

Regards,

Rob

Edited December 20, 2009 by DarkHorse

[Davemmm]

Wash the rods/reels every trip.

Flush the motor every trip (unless it is going out again the next day)

Only wash the boat when it smells too bad!!

Dave

[suttonscurse]

Hi Guys

At the end of each trip I also use a pressure cleaner for the boat and trailer and use a wet and dry vacumn cleaner for the marine carpet interior. ( both bought on special from a large hardware store - under $200 for both)

Also wash down the rods and reels and always flush the motor , top up the Fuel tank / oil injection reservior and put the battery onto a trickle charge. After 5 years the gear looks like new and is someting I am proud of.

The arrangement with my wife is that I can have toys so long as I look after them. (only problem is since the revelations on Tiger Woods she has hidden my golf clubs?)

regards Bill

Edited December 22, 2009 by Suttons Curse

[Kruzenvax]

There is no more carpet on my next boat, that for sure, made sure that is the case. Any investment in speeding up after-the-trip procedure is money well spent. I use saltaway tp break these layers of salt and this also allows to flush motoer faster. Got my hose on the reel - also saves time. Will try pressure cleaner soon - should be great with saltaway mix.

[shayneh2006]

G'Day Raiders,

Been using the new boat alot recently. Already has 30 hours on the clock and been doing a few upgrades/mods.

Washing down the boat the other day, I slipped off the trailer and damaged my left leg, shin and ankle the size of a football!

Put drill bit through the end of my thumb yesterday. Dislocated one of my fingers taking cover off. Taken skin off hands/fingers just cleaning it after being used.

Do you clean your boat gear down after EVERY trip?

I clean everything, from the lures used to rods/reels, electric motor, main motor and boat using soap and warm water, then fresh water and finally toweled off, phew.

It takes me at least a couple of hours after every trip. Hard work, but I know my gear is going to be maintained and working for years to come.

Is anyone else as crazy as me?

Regards,

Rob

I hate to tell you this but with all your intentions of looking after your boat, you are killing it. If that is your boat in the the small pic beside your profile then it is aluminium, right!! (correct me if i am wrong). Sure, wash it out as often as you can ( fresh water only) after returning from salt water use but DO NOT use water aditives, ie, detergents, soaps. Detergents are the perfect substances that will eat the alloy right away. You might say, "i have been using it in the past with no adverse affects" but, the corrosion starts where you cant see. All those areas where the original factory spray paint could not reach, there is bare unprotected alloy that water and detergent will reach and surface sit until the corrosion starts. Once it starts, well its like rust and will continue to grow. If you are looking at keeping your boat long term, take my advice and change your cleaning habits. If you are anticipating on upgrading in future years, well, the problem will then be that of the unfortunate person that takes it off your hands.

Good luck, Shayne

[jewgaffer]

That's excellent information Shayneh2006 and by the way welcome to Fishraider

Being quite adament about what say in regards to not using soaps or detergents to clean an alloy boat, I think that everyone should take notice and treat this advice seriously.

Thinking about what you say, would using a high pressure cleaner too often on an alloy boat also cause problems later on perhaps by forcing water in where it's not meant to go?

Cheers

jewgaffer

[DarkHorse]

I hate to tell you this but with all your intentions of looking after your boat, you are killing it. If that is your boat in the the small pic beside your profile then it is aluminium, right!! (correct me if i am wrong). Sure, wash it out as often as you can ( fresh water only) after returning from salt water use but DO NOT use water aditives, ie, detergents, soaps. Detergents are the perfect substances that will eat the alloy right away. You might say, "i have been using it in the past with no adverse affects" but, the corrosion starts where you cant see. All those areas where the original factory spray paint could not reach, there is bare unprotected alloy that water and detergent will reach and surface sit until the corrosion starts. Once it starts, well its like rust and will continue to grow. If you are looking at keeping your boat long term, take my advice and change your cleaning habits. If you are anticipating on upgrading in future years, well, the problem will then be that of the unfortunate person that takes it off your hands.

Good luck, Shayne

Shayne,

Now you have me thinking. I have been looking everywhere for my stacer owners manual, I am sure it states wash boat with water a soap after use.............

Is there anything to use other than just fresh water obviously? I use soap on the external part of the painted hull only................. I wouldnt think that soap/detergent could cause aluminium to corrode!

Will have to look at other options then.

Regards,

Rob

[Mik]

Interesting point on the soap / corrosion.

Another issue I face & maybe some others do to. I travel ALOT to get to the briney stuff. When I had my clears made the guy gave me some basic but VERy good advice I'm sure I wouldn't have given a thought to until it was too late. Rinse clears as soon as possible after being on the water. DO NOT!!! Repeat, DO NOT wait till you get home. Salt on the plastic will act just like sand paper & while they sit in the boat, or back of your car or wherever you will be rubbing that lovely "Clear" finish into a nice opaque mess that renders the word "Clears" obsolete.

PS - You're not alone mate, I hate the idea of rusty, dirty, mistreated gear & do my utmost to keep everything to do with fishing & boating in good order. As sick as it sounds, there is a kind of pleasure in the pain of all that cleaning.

[Jewdreamer]

Hey Guys

Soaps and detergents are alkalis. The oposites of acids, but can be just as corrosive on aluminium as an acid.

Just get all the salt off the hull and the trailer.

What ever you do remember to thoroughly flush the inside oh the loader bar at the rear of the trailer.

We just relaced ours,,,, newarly rusted right out.

I am suremost of the damage acoored as follows

Launch the boat... loader bar fills with salt water...

Spemd the day out having fun... Trailer sits in the parking lot with the hollw sections full of salt water,,,

Rust rust corrode corrode steam corrode rust.................

You come back from the trip.... load the boat, tow it home amd spray the outside of the bar, when ya wash the boat and trailer...

Inside the loader bar .... rust rust corrode corrode/////

Whatever you do... stick a freshwater hose nossle into the loader bar drain holes and give it a good good flush

Unless you like buying new trailers or spending a couple of days redsigning your trailer cause the manufacturer doesnt do an exact replacement part!

Cheers

Chris