Thread subject: Whaler Central - Boston Whaler Boat Information and Photos :: Cleaning and detailing and pressure washing

Posted by jgortva on 01/10/17 - 6:10 AM
#3

I agree with Phil. Cleaning the surface is pretty much better served using Simple Green and a Hose with a decent nozzle. My experience with pressure washing bottom paint usually means you will blow off some of the paint no matter how careful you are and end up touching up or re bottom painting entirely. If you use a medium bristle scrub brush or boat brush lightly on the bottom paint followed by a spray with the hose, you will get nice results. After all, that is why almost all bottom paints are ablative, meaning they should wear away evenly kind of like a bar of soap. As for the topsides, no amount of pressure washing or hand waxing will shine up a chalky oxidized boat like a good buffing as Phil suggests. The key is having a good machine such as a Milwaukee or Makita with a higher RPM and a wool bonnet and some good 3M Cleaner Wax for Heavier Oxidation. If you search on youtube you will find many how too videos on the subject. This is a skill you will have to master if you stay in boating and want your vessels to stand tall as I have been buffing boats for almost my entire 30 year boating "career". You can also go to Harbor Freight and they have a Knock off copy of a buffer based on the Makita Model for around $60 bucks or so, it would make a great starter tool and you can graduate to something better later, but make sure to get ear protection as the cheaper motor really, "screams" at higher RPM's. I buff my 15 foot Dauntless and 36 foot Silverton Sedan Bridge at the beginning of every season and give them a heavy coat of West Marine wax and by the end of a 4-5 month season of being in the water with just seat cushion covers and the boats again gets chalky and needs to be buffed again before the following season. Your first time it may seem like a lot of work and it kind of is, or if you have more money than time you could pay the marina $500 or so and they would take care of it for you.

Jim G.