Boat Detailing - Diagnosing Gel Coat Surfaces
May 31, 2007
Determining Oxidation Levels on Your Yacht and how to deal with them:
Gel coat is an extremely tough porous surface applied to boats. It is best to preserve the original surface as much as possible just like cars, trucks, etc. You will come across boats that have been improperly sanded, washed, buffed, boats that have been neglected for years, and boats that will require intensive reconditioning because of these flaws. Without question for most boats to look good requires the touch of a professional. To make them look great it is definitely required. First, you must diagnose the level of, if any, oxidation. Do not be intimidated if there is absolutely no gloss, and a chalky residue appears on your hand if you touch the surface. Even this can be redone. Gel coat is tougher than automotive paint and 15 to 20 times thicker. More often than not, you will be able to machine buff out most oxidation and other blemishes. These cloudy surfaces can be remedied and repaired.
Levels of Oxidation
Boat Detailing - Stainless and Chrome Cleaning
May 30, 2007
Good quality deck hardware of stainless steel or chrome is highly resistant to corrosion and the marine environment, but it still needs some maintenance if you want to keep it looking good. Make sure you offer this service if you notice small streaks of surface corrosion due to oxidation of the fasteners. This type of corrosion can be easily removed with a good metal polish. After you are done, protect it with a light coat of marine wax or a light coat of moisture displacing corrosion resistant lubricant. The wax will last longer. On aluminum fittings, polish until the applied polish turns black. Sprinkle Arm & Hammer baking soda on a rag and wipe the black right off or use mineral spirits and squirt it on and wipe it off.
Believe it or not, if you use a lemon peel, it will cut down on grime that other cleaners miss. If you think that is too strong use lemon oil that you use on cabin furniture as a substitute for stainless steel cleaner. Rubbing alcohol also works on stainless steel. When cleaning aluminum look for a grain direction. If you look close you will see it. Rub with the grain. Real bad stains can be rubbed with the shiny side of aluminum foil. Do not polish aluminum when it is 50º F or less outside as it may scratch. Do not use cleaners containing ammonia such as window cleaner as they can cause pitting.
Boat Detailing - Final Process in the Reconditioning ? Applying the Protective Sealant on Gel Coat
May 30, 2007
It is often recommended that you do not use any natural or pure Carnauba automotive waxes as they will tend to yellow the gel coat over time and not properly seal the boat from environmental marine contaminants, however we do not always agree with this. It is not recommended that you use any paste waxes except we do strongly recommend using 3M Ultra Performance, which is a paste wax. Do not use any acrylics, nor any Teflon products (Teflon yellows over time) as most of these products are gimmicks and they can be difficult to remove or properly apply.
Some, but not all silicones can tend to burn gel coats, which can heat up and cause quicker oxidation because it magnifies the suns rays on the surface. By hand or orbital polish, apply Meguiar’s #55 premium marine sealant and let set up for at least 15 minutes or use Blue Magnum 80% Carnauba. It is a toss up, which will last longer, but both claim longevity in actual tests. To see if the sealant is ready to be removed take your finger in a well-lit area across the sealed area and if it streaks, then it is not properly set up yet. If it does not streak you may proceed and remove the sealant as necessary.
Boat Cleaning Business - Bilge Clean-up Tips
May 29, 2007
These areas, like any other car engine and compartment that you may come across, can either be very clean, or be extremely greasy, dirty and grimy. Remember to mention the difficulty in locating fuel, oil or water leaks on a dirty leaky bilge. You will need to take extreme caution when doing in the bilge area as there are extra switches and wiring, like you might find underneath in a car engine. It’s critical to avoid damaging any of these as they are extremely expensive, roughly two to three times the cost of a comparable car part. You’ll also have to be cautious of getting any of the waste water spilled out into the fresh water if you’re doing it in open water. If this happens you’ll be violating The Federal Clean Water Act of 1972 and your City, County and State’s NPDES permit.
At the Boat Ramp
May 28, 2007
The weekend is finally here. You’re all loaded up (well, the car is loaded, you’re not) and it’s time to head for the lake. You get to the ramp and take your place in line. When your turn comes, you back and fill until the trailer is absolutely straight on the ramp. You back up to the water’s edge, untie the cover and start transferring fishing and ski gear plus several coolers to the boat. You back into the water and launch the boat, then pull out to park while your wife and kids hold the boat. You come strolling back, jump in the boat and take off. You’re happy - on the water in only 45 minutes.
Then your wife tells you that unless you find another lake to go to, she’s staying home. While you were parking the car, all sorts of people hollered at her and the kids. They were really upset and made the kids cry. And the language they used!
I hate to tell you this, but they were right. At least partly right. I certainly don’t advocate abusing women and children, and the ones who unloaded on her but couldn’t face you are cowards. They should have unloaded on you! You were about as inconsiderate as you could be without trying.
Simple Things for the ?Sailing Life?
May 27, 2007
Owning a boat has an oxymoronic quality to it. "The simple life" can be pretty complex–I think of it as having a plane, a car, and a house compressed into a very small space. This specialized environment calls for specialized equipment and tactics…sometimes. In spite of what marine retailers would like us to think, there are a number of ‘normal’ (and inexpensive) items that we can put to very efficient use aboard our boats. For example:
Yacht and Ship Registration in the Isle of Man
May 26, 2007
The maritime history of the Isle of Man dates from the eighteenth century and the Island is recognised internationally as an efficient and well- run centre for both registration and management. It was ranked third in the world by Port State Authority in September 2004.
The Marine Administration was established in 1984 and offers 24 hour cover for both yacht and ship owners. Local legislation has also been amended to adopt the "Megayacht" code and enable commercial yachts exceeding 24 metres to be registered on the Island.
Benefits of registering a vessel on the Isle of Man include
? A zero rate of tax for shipping related activities
? No annual tonnage dues
? A low registration fee
? Attractive VAT arrangements
? Security of mortgages registered on the Island
? A Demise Charter Register, both in and out
? British Flag and support of British Consular services
? Flexibility in the requirements for registered owners including limited partnerships
Merchant ships to be registered in the Isle of Man should be registered with one of the approved Classification Societies and it is a requirement that functions of effective management are undertaken by a ship management company, resident in the Isle of Man, having responsibility for the ship.
Exploring the Exotic - Antarctica Cruise
May 25, 2007
Antarctica is one of the great unexplored areas of the world. It wasn’t until the last fifty years that there has been any appreciable exploration or study of the vast frozen continent. Now the tourist with sufficient money can actually view and set foot on this unique part of the earth.
The tourist season for Antarctica is restricted only to the months of December through February when it is the peak of summer in the southernmost part of the world. Only vessels equipped for the icy waters cruise to one of the coldest areas of the earth. Three major cruise lines offer Antarctic cruises: Celebrity Cruises, Orient Lines, and Radisson Seven Seas. Smaller specialty expedition companies also offer other trips to this destination.
Celebrity Cruises travels to Antarctica with the polar icebreaker Kapitan Khlebnikov, a refitted 1980’s Russian polar research vessel. This ship takes a fortunate 106 passengers to the polar region with the amenities expected from Celebrity Cruises such as pool, sauna, and gym. Accommodations are small by comparison to a cruise ship; staterooms can be as small as 135 square feet while a suite with private bath is only 285 square feet.
Boat and Yacht Detailing - Teak Reconditioning and Care, Detailing the Deck
May 25, 2007
If you find your boat with gray and weathered teak, you may use any of the variety of products that are recommended from Nauticaleze. You may also wish to clean it with Snappy-Teak-Nu.
If you apply a fresh coat of varnish or sealer as soon as the finish starts to dull or show signs of wear and touch up nicks, your work will be very easy and your profit margin sustainable.
You’ll want to wear a nice set of protective gloves, long pants and a long sleeve shirt. Some of these products will have some strong acids in them, which are used to de-clean the teak.
With a very stiff brush, do not use a wire brush, or try using bronze wool or stainless steel wool but not steel wool, begin usually with the step one cleaner. Apply on a wet surface, the wet teak, scrub in thoroughly, rinse, and let dry for a couple of minutes.
You can either progress onto the last step after letting this dry thoroughly usually taking several hours, or you may proceed to lighten the teak wood as some people like it with a step two product which kind of bleaches the wood out.
Boat Washing 101 - Spring is Here, Lets Go Boating
May 24, 2007
As a boat owner you know that washing the boat can be time consuming. You also know that the longer you put it off the harder it is to clean. The ideal time to wash a boat is after it has been used. In an ideal world we would have someone waiting for us after each use who would spend an hour cleaning it up and putting another coat of wax on it. If you have a pressure washer on the dock it behooves you to spray off the waterline before and after each use. It would also make sense to put a quick coat of wax on the hull. There are many products, which can quicken the boat cleaning process if you choose to do it yourself. There are many tools you can also use to assist you. One excellent tool is a roto-scrubber, which provides agitation and saves your muscles and back. Let’s face it even a relaxing day on the water can make one fatigued. Under ideal conditions you would use a pressure washer with warm De-ionized or reverse osmosis water and a roto-scrubber and spend a ten minutes to fifteen minutes per side. This should be enough to get you through 40 to sixty feet.
