Cleaning Gradys..

[magicalbill]

I was at my dealer getting some work done on my 232 when I saw an Express 265 roll in..A 2000 or an '01, I think.

It was horrible.....

Even with a bottom job it had incredible marine growth on the hull. Engines were not tilted out so the lower units were just as bad. Apparently it was a normal storyline..guy had no time to use it so it sat in the slip,unattended. Topsides were dirty, but passable..A good cleanup, and it would be fine.

Anyway, I see lots of Gradys,(and other boats,too) that certainly lack for TLC.,so my question is, how many of you wash and/or wax your boats on a regular basis? How much time do you spend after a trip cleaning up? Seems to me like it would be worth it, not only on a personal satisfaction level, but for possible resale as well.
I can't understand how someone can pay 6-figures for a boat and neglect it...It's beyond me.....

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

My boats get waxed twice a year religiously. As far as cleanning, every time i come back from fishing it takes me and another guy at least an hour to clean the interior WITH SOAP not just fresh water and always do the outside of hull too. Once a month i go over all the aluminum and stainless with a nice wax and also all the plastics on the enclosure. When i had the bimini it would take us a little less than that. But before i leave from the boat the berths have to be nice and neat and the pillows in place.
The toilet cover always closed and the towels in place. Is it only me or the majority of us? Is this called clean freak?

 

[magicalbill]

Call it whatever;I'm just glad someone else besides me has to meticulously place the pillows and towels a certain way in the cabin.

Hey, I forgot about the 'salt factor." That would dictate even more cleaning, as you described above. Do you flush your Yamahas after every trip? When we do our once-a-year trip to Marathon, I flush them and wash the entire boat down every time I come in.
Three days in a row of that and I'm finding ways to stay at the dock for a day or two so I can relax and not clean the boat.

 

[Fishermanbb]

Pillows...I got that beat....I do all of the above AND FABREZE the fish box, livewell, and bait center after I clean them and air dry them. Wax 2x year on everything and that includes haul out to do the hull and engines mid season. Depending on how it was used it takes 1.5 - 3 hours to clean every time I come in...That's with at least two people.....I'm known at the marina as a "Clean Freak"...

 

[megabytes]

I must be related to FBB. They make fun of me at my marina and have suggested more then once that I will clean the gelcoat off.

As odd as it sounds, I love working on the boat when it is a nice day. Of course this is right out on the docks as opposed to a work rack. The ambiance and scenery are wonderful, some of which is not limited to land and sea. :lol:

 

[Southern Hunter]

Clean

You think you guys are bad, it usually takes me and 2 others 4 hours to clean both the inside and outside of the boat. I trailer my 305 Express so the outside gets a full wash and engines get flushed after every trip, I also dry the entire boat inside and out with a chamois when done cleaning to get all of the water spots off. I wax her about ever 4th trip and rain-x the windshield every 4th trip as well. To me this is a must on such an expensive toy......the least I can do is keep her looking good!!

 

[LI Grady]

Looks like you guys are the right group to ask this question. I've recently became the owner of a 1990 Marlin. The boat was on land for a few years and the previous owner wasn't as meticulous as yourselves. The fiberglass is no problem....a fast waxh and a coat of cleaner wax and she looks great. The hard top aluminium....well thats another story.

Lots of pitting. I know my options are limited but have any of you heard of or come across a decent product to clean up or at least minimize the pitting?

BTW on my Pacemaker I've found that Rupps Alumiguard works great as a protective and goes on fast. It's easy enough to wipe on weekly.

 

[megabytes]

Try Barkeeper's Friend to clean it up and AlumaGuard for protection. There is also Flitz and Collonite metal polishes.

 

[magicalbill]

Glad to know there are a few others that obsess...

I feel better now......

 

[LI Grady]

Thanks Mega

I've used Flitz in the past. Not overly impressed. Do you know if it works better with their polishing ball?

 

[CaptKennyW]

i wash mine after every trip with soap and water, i got the woody wax compound cleaner but i cant bring myself to do it. i will probally hire someone to compound it...but i keep it clean its not as clean as i would like though.

 

[Southern Hunter]

Rail

I second the Barkeeper's, I use it to clean my dive knife when it begins to pit and get a bit of rust build up....it all cleans right off.......however I wouldn't use it very often, I use it twice a year or so!

 

[striped bass]

Each spring and after fall take out the hull and topsides are compiunded and waxed with two coats. All aluminum and stainless steel are treated with cleaner protectorant. After each trip out the whole boat/motor gets a wash down and the cushions get treated with a cleaner protectorant. The aluminum and stainless steel gets treated with cleaner and restorer every two weeks. The windshield gets cleaned several times a day when traveling and Rain X every week. The boat sits on a mooring so bottom washing and hull waxing are difficult during the season. Probably takes and hour after each trip to clean the boat but I have a T225 which is probably smaller than what you guys have so it takes less time. The cockpit is endlessly washed and cleaned because the cormorants like to get out of the weather on the floor and poop on the cockpit sole. I am trying various methods to discourage them.

 

[Gary M]

I'm probably about in ther middle of the pack here. Professional wax once a year, wash 1-2 times a month and after every trip.

I know one thing, both my previous Grady's sold to the first guy that looked at them! People want clean boats where everything works!

 

[gradyfish22]

I spend too much time cleaning after a trip. I usually spend 45min - over an hour cleaning after a trip, even if we kept the boat fairly clean, which we try to. We use orpine boat soap and wash the boat after every trip, that means every inch of the boat, even the hardtop and hullsides. The soap cleans well and does not wear the wax off quickly either. I do not use a floor brush much, it only hits the hullsides where I cannot reach, the whole boat gets cleaned by hand so that nothing is missed and elbow grease can be applied where needed. I wash all the clear windows as well and the engines. The cushions and bolsters get coated in armoral before I leave as well. Every few trips I reapply my polish to my clear vinyl windows and apply rain x to the windows as well as my locable electronics doors and cabin door. The boat will get waxed every 2 months normally, unless it shows signs of needing it sooner or that it is holding up well, then I may put it off a little but every 2 months is a rough rule of thumb. I will spend a bit of time spraying an anti corrision spray to my electronics and connections as well as the engine every few trips. If I find a day where it is nice and sunny but too windy to fish, I may spend the whole day on the boat just cleaning. After an offshore canyon trip I will often wash it on the way in to get up most of the dirt, then rewash it at the marina, and then come down one afternoon that week and do some final touches. You would not believe where tuna blood can end up and how much cleaning can be involved after a 24+ hour tuna trip. A boat is a chore, but to keep it in top shape it requires work.

 

[LittleMrs]

I was at my dealer getting some work done on my 232 when I saw an Express 265 roll in..A 2000 or an '01, I think.

It was horrible.....

A neglected 265 - it breaks my heart.

Boat is on the side of the house, on a trailer. Exterior, including hull, gets washed (with soap) after every outing. Deck gets washed again if it gets overly dirty.
Interior gets wiped down after every trip. Bunk gets Fabreeze.
All pillows, blankets, etc are stored - no need to arrange them LOL

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

Forgot to mention also, that i always flush my motors after EVERY time i use the boat(i boat in salt water only) even though i haven't keep a boat to outlast the engine warranty. FBB, i'm also known as "clean freak" at my dock and usually get the"when you finish yours would you start with mine" thing from my buddies at the marina, but hey, i'm proud that i have one of the cleanest boat there.FBB, you got me on the Fabrize thingie, i got to try it,not that my fishboxes smell, but i bet they would smell better.

 

[okletsfish]

I don`t concider myself a clean freak when it comes to boats.I use them for fishing!!I do clean my boat up after each fishing trip and if it is late when I get home I will at least hose it down to remove any salt deposits and flush to engine then clean it up the next day.I have been on boats where the captain will follow the crew around with a chamos while fishing.
I`m sure he can`t be enjoying himself.

 

[wshackne]

Reality

I live on the Cape Fear...probably just about the harshest environment that you can work in. I've owned a boat since I was 14 and been on the water in one way or another pretty much my whole life. We have a 2006 Gulfstream 232 now and we use it probably 2-3 times a week during the summer and 1-2 times a week in the winter. The boat is located on a lift at our house.

I use Rejex on the hull twice a hear. I put Boeshield on the hardtop frame and motor controls twice a year too. I clean any pitting at that time as well. I keep a bottle of rainx on the boat and apply it when it stops working. I've tried Woody way on the deck, but it doesn't seem to last long.

We fish, and catch, so the boat get dirty. We hose off the blood with the raw water wash down while we fish and hit the floor with the brush when it gets slick. When we come back I wash the interior of the boat with a brush and Orpine w/ wax. I use Starbrite Deck cleaner with teflon whenI think about it. It seems to make it easier to get blog and guts off the deck the next trip. I make sure the get the fish boxes too. I try to avoid washing the live well with Orpine...we live bait fish for kings and I am kind of a scent-nazi...so I just hose the pogie slime off of it. I leave the fish box and livewell open for a few days to air out after most trips. I hit the outside of the hull with a brush and Orpine. I just hose off what I can't reach with the brush. I also really douse the motors with water and brush the cowlings. Unless we are running the next day, I flush the motors (I have some hose quick releases on them to make this quicker).

I don't do this for a living...I do it for fun. To me, cleaning is not my idea of a good time. My philosophy is not to make owning a boat and fishing it a chore. I can do my cleanup in 15-30 minutes if I hustle. If we don't fish it takes 10-145. Usually I am finished with the cleanup about the time the other guys have the fish cleaned and the tackle rinsed (I do rinse every rig and let it dry before I put it up, maybe I am a but nuts about this). Most of the people I know that fish their boats and have done it for a while are about like me. Some even less.

As for resale, I have never owned a new boat and probably never will. This Grady was the closest to new I have ever owned...year old with 23 hours...it has 400 after 8 months with me ;-). We ran the last boat for about 3 years and I sold it for the same as I paid for it (we had done some work to it of course). I agree that people want to buy a clean boat where everything works. However, a boat is a boat. After 2,000 hours/5 years it is going to have some dings and the gel coat will be faded in places.

Just my $.02 worth. I had just rather fish than clean the dang boat!

 

[NOTHING ELSE MATTERS]

I don't follow my guests with the chamois, but you will see me with raw water hose on my hands often. :mrgreen: