tried barkeeper's friend for the 1st time today. My boat is a 1997 208. I bought it in June, and basically dropped it right in the water. It was reasonably clean when I bought it, but not great. Today, I spent 3 hours with barkeeper's, several magic erasers, and some soft scrub. I used an entire can of barkeeper's - I can't believe how much cleaner the boat is. I left one access panel dirty just to see the difference, and it's like night & day. I also got all of the grime off of the pinkish fake leather console. Magic eraser was good on the vinyl knee bar, and on all of the vinyl/rubber trim around the cockpit. soft scrub was great on the cutting board in front of the transom. Overall just an amazing job with a few products. Next I plan to add a coat of protective wax so hopefully it doesn't take me 3 hours next time.
Cleaning Gradys..
- Thread starter magicalbill
- Start date
Woody Wax Customer Service
Thanks for the recommendation. Turns out I have some on the big boat. I emailed the company to ask if its still good after being on a obat year round in the Northeast. The company's response was incredible!
I got a call (not an email) from Melissa at Woody Wax with in a few hours. I expected to be told scrap the old bottle and buy a new one (they are in the business of selling it right?). Nope, Melissa spent the time explaining to me how to determine if the wax went bad or not. She emphaisised that it should still be good.
She also gave me some great tips on restoring the pipe work on my Grady (some of which are not on their website) and made it very clear that I shouldn't hesitate to contact her if I have any questions what so ever.
Customer service is a big issue for me. I love my Lowrance Global Map chartplotter on the big boat, but due to their horrendous customer service I'm not even considering them for the Grady. If there are any Lowrance (or Navico) people monitoring this site....contact Woody Wax...thats how its done right.
OK ... I'll step off my soapbox now
Thanks for the recommendation. Turns out I have some on the big boat. I emailed the company to ask if its still good after being on a obat year round in the Northeast. The company's response was incredible!
I got a call (not an email) from Melissa at Woody Wax with in a few hours. I expected to be told scrap the old bottle and buy a new one (they are in the business of selling it right?). Nope, Melissa spent the time explaining to me how to determine if the wax went bad or not. She emphaisised that it should still be good.
She also gave me some great tips on restoring the pipe work on my Grady (some of which are not on their website) and made it very clear that I shouldn't hesitate to contact her if I have any questions what so ever.
Customer service is a big issue for me. I love my Lowrance Global Map chartplotter on the big boat, but due to their horrendous customer service I'm not even considering them for the Grady. If there are any Lowrance (or Navico) people monitoring this site....contact Woody Wax...thats how its done right.
OK ... I'll step off my soapbox now
Takes us about an hour to an hour and a half from the time we pull in the slip with a full crew of six guys with one cleaning the fish. Since most of our trips are offshore, we do get some spray which needs to be cleaned from top to bottom. Never did get to wax the top side this year though... Just ran out of time.
So LIGRADY post up the woody wax pipe secrets that aren't on the bottle. Always looking for good cleaning tips.
I get yelled at regularly for cleaning my boat while I anchor or raft off with friends. I keep a small plastic trash can with some clean rags, a bottle of roll off (love that stuff), a dirty tooth brush, and some windex next to the pass seat.
Saturday I was sitting on the beach, having a few beers with my friends and I heard a guy walk by and say to his wife "wow, thats a nice looking Grady out there." Stuff like that and the personal joy of having a clean boat make it all worth it.
If they made an hour meter that showed time spent cleaning vs time used I'd hate 2 see the results for this summer...
Saturday I was sitting on the beach, having a few beers with my friends and I heard a guy walk by and say to his wife "wow, thats a nice looking Grady out there." Stuff like that and the personal joy of having a clean boat make it all worth it.
If they made an hour meter that showed time spent cleaning vs time used I'd hate 2 see the results for this summer...
oops
Sorry about. Melissa at Woody Wax told me that if there is a lot of corrosion/pitting on the pipe work (like mine has) coat the pipe with Woody Wax and leave it on for a week. Then go back and hit it with Woody Wax and a bronze wool pad. She said you can/should repeat this as often as necessary or until you no longer see a difference. I'm in the process of trying this out so I'll report back on it.
Also for winter storage she suggested putting a coating of Woody Wax on the pipe work and leaving it there before the boat is shrink wrapped. If not shrink wrapped then just re-coat every month or so since water (rain, snow) will remove the coating.
Sorry about. Melissa at Woody Wax told me that if there is a lot of corrosion/pitting on the pipe work (like mine has) coat the pipe with Woody Wax and leave it on for a week. Then go back and hit it with Woody Wax and a bronze wool pad. She said you can/should repeat this as often as necessary or until you no longer see a difference. I'm in the process of trying this out so I'll report back on it.
Also for winter storage she suggested putting a coating of Woody Wax on the pipe work and leaving it there before the boat is shrink wrapped. If not shrink wrapped then just re-coat every month or so since water (rain, snow) will remove the coating.
Cleaning Seats and bolsters!
I have a 2003 257 Advance. I have used several types of vinyl cleaners and I can't find one that will leave the vinyl clean. I know the boat isn't white. It's an off white but I'd like the vinyl to look whiteish. It just always looks dirty.
Please advise on vinyl cleaner. I use Roll Off for the fiberglass gunnels and floors. That stuff is $28.00 a gallon. Any ideas. The Roll Off is great but expensive.
Jim Tunney
I have a 2003 257 Advance. I have used several types of vinyl cleaners and I can't find one that will leave the vinyl clean. I know the boat isn't white. It's an off white but I'd like the vinyl to look whiteish. It just always looks dirty.
Please advise on vinyl cleaner. I use Roll Off for the fiberglass gunnels and floors. That stuff is $28.00 a gallon. Any ideas. The Roll Off is great but expensive.
Jim Tunney
Alright I'll "come clean" (excuse the pun) and expose myself as a closet clean freak!
Listening to all your stories made me feel much better about my compulsive cleaning disorder CCD.
I believe this paranoia has various forms. Mine is only boat specific, whereas listening to some of you it is obvious that you have the more severe 24/7 form.
I hate being rushed to clean my boat and if we get home late will flush the motors (on a trailer) and the brakes and maybe , if it was a wet trip, rinse allover , then wait till the next day to wash thoroughly. If it's been a long and dirty trip I can easily spend the next day doing this, then leave the boat to dry out another 24 hours at least before turning her round on the drive and covering her up.
Most of the products you have mentioned are not available in OZ, but will keep looking for improvements .
My pet hate is when someone , either a tech or mechanic has been working on the boat and leaves black boot prints on the deck and this time there was black marks on the coamings where they had dragged the black ruubber hose of the pressure cleaner over the sides to "clean" the boat after it being in their yard for 2 weeks.
I spent the whole next weekend on my knees and up a ladder detailing the boat.
Of course the really sick part about this........ is that I will have to clean her again (briefly) before taking her out again!
Listening to all your stories made me feel much better about my compulsive cleaning disorder CCD.
I believe this paranoia has various forms. Mine is only boat specific, whereas listening to some of you it is obvious that you have the more severe 24/7 form.
I hate being rushed to clean my boat and if we get home late will flush the motors (on a trailer) and the brakes and maybe , if it was a wet trip, rinse allover , then wait till the next day to wash thoroughly. If it's been a long and dirty trip I can easily spend the next day doing this, then leave the boat to dry out another 24 hours at least before turning her round on the drive and covering her up.
Most of the products you have mentioned are not available in OZ, but will keep looking for improvements .
My pet hate is when someone , either a tech or mechanic has been working on the boat and leaves black boot prints on the deck and this time there was black marks on the coamings where they had dragged the black ruubber hose of the pressure cleaner over the sides to "clean" the boat after it being in their yard for 2 weeks.
I spent the whole next weekend on my knees and up a ladder detailing the boat.
Of course the really sick part about this........ is that I will have to clean her again (briefly) before taking her out again!
vinly cleaner
Looney tune,
I use the Star Brite vinly ceaner/polish. it is the cream not the spray. I swear by this stuff. I was turned on to this stuff 10 years ago and have been using it ever since. gets out everything. I have seen this stuff get white seat covers that have turned gray clean. give it a shot.
Joe
Looney tune,
I use the Star Brite vinly ceaner/polish. it is the cream not the spray. I swear by this stuff. I was turned on to this stuff 10 years ago and have been using it ever since. gets out everything. I have seen this stuff get white seat covers that have turned gray clean. give it a shot.
Joe
Curtains- Insulator Wax
Aluminum Tower and Riggers- Insulator Wax and Spray spreaders with good lubricant
Metal Hardware - NeverDull or Noxon then Insulator Wax
Gelcoat - Collinite Fiberglass Cleaner on all gelcoat including non-skid then Collinite Boat Fiberglass Wax on evrything but non-skid
Windows - Rain -X
Vinyl Cushions - Fantastic and meduium yellow brush or rag
Cabin - Wipe down all surfaces with lots of paper towels and windex
- Vacuum cushions
Bilge - Any bilge cleaning soap
Rub-Rail - lacquer thinner then penetrol
Waterline stains - On-Off
Rust Stains - Rust Stain Remover in the brown bottle
Keys to keeping clean and not removing wax -
Wash cockpit everytime u go fishing. Rinse throughly and shammy everything after going out. Soap no more than once a week on gelcoat, preferably once every two weeks. Do not soap curtains, glass, aluminum until you are ready to put wax on again. There is no need to soap after going out, even if the boat is covered in salt, just rinse thoroughly and shammy. And make sure when u do wash the whole boat rinse and clean cooler edges and hatches. There may be some specifics missing. But keep a coat of wax on everything and try to keep it clean, but do not wash excessively, ur just removing ur hard work.
Aluminum Tower and Riggers- Insulator Wax and Spray spreaders with good lubricant
Metal Hardware - NeverDull or Noxon then Insulator Wax
Gelcoat - Collinite Fiberglass Cleaner on all gelcoat including non-skid then Collinite Boat Fiberglass Wax on evrything but non-skid
Windows - Rain -X
Vinyl Cushions - Fantastic and meduium yellow brush or rag
Cabin - Wipe down all surfaces with lots of paper towels and windex
- Vacuum cushions
Bilge - Any bilge cleaning soap
Rub-Rail - lacquer thinner then penetrol
Waterline stains - On-Off
Rust Stains - Rust Stain Remover in the brown bottle
Keys to keeping clean and not removing wax -
Wash cockpit everytime u go fishing. Rinse throughly and shammy everything after going out. Soap no more than once a week on gelcoat, preferably once every two weeks. Do not soap curtains, glass, aluminum until you are ready to put wax on again. There is no need to soap after going out, even if the boat is covered in salt, just rinse thoroughly and shammy. And make sure when u do wash the whole boat rinse and clean cooler edges and hatches. There may be some specifics missing. But keep a coat of wax on everything and try to keep it clean, but do not wash excessively, ur just removing ur hard work.
OK, I'm detailing her this and probably next weekend.
One thing I have to get is some mildew stain spots off of the inside front edge of the hardtop - there is some caulk there that has some mildew stain - also a little inside the cabin on some of the fiberglass.
What do you guys recommend for the mildew spots?
Thanks!
One thing I have to get is some mildew stain spots off of the inside front edge of the hardtop - there is some caulk there that has some mildew stain - also a little inside the cabin on some of the fiberglass.
What do you guys recommend for the mildew spots?
Thanks!
Jekyl..
Funny you should mention mechanics working on the boat and leaving it dirty..
That was one of the deciding factors in my purchasing my Gulfstream from Twin Cities Marine in Wisconsin. Not only are they real meticulous on their projects, but they throw rugs on the deck when they are aboard.
Two dealers which I won't mention left almost impossible-to-get-rid-of black oil/soot footprints in the nonskid, and the other dealer left the boat in the water the whole time it was there being repaired (6 weeks,) and DIDN'T power-wash the marine growth off the hull.
Those two dealerships lost a 6-figure sale because of that crap..
Funny you should mention mechanics working on the boat and leaving it dirty..
That was one of the deciding factors in my purchasing my Gulfstream from Twin Cities Marine in Wisconsin. Not only are they real meticulous on their projects, but they throw rugs on the deck when they are aboard.
Two dealers which I won't mention left almost impossible-to-get-rid-of black oil/soot footprints in the nonskid, and the other dealer left the boat in the water the whole time it was there being repaired (6 weeks,) and DIDN'T power-wash the marine growth off the hull.
Those two dealerships lost a 6-figure sale because of that crap..