Monthly Archives: December 2015

Dec 15
3

How to Keep Your Boat Looking Great With an Excellent Polishing

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Even the most serious and dedicated sailor, has who purchased a yacht for performance rather than looks, does care for the looks. After all, who wants a yacht that has water stains, and looks dull and chalk-like? You can restore the looks of your boat with a little boat polishing. At Freedom Yacht Services we always encourage customers to hire professionals to polish your boat, but if you want to turn it into a DIY project, here’s what you need to do:

Clean

The first step to boat polishing is actually cleaning the boat. You don’t need to do much here. Just add a cup of mild detergent to a gallon of warm water and you’re good to go. All you need to do is use this solution with a sponge to clean the surface. You might need bleach ifs the boat has problems with mildew. More stubborn stains might also require specialized fiberglass cleaners.

Removing the Grease

Waxing or polishing won’t be as effective if you don’t completely remove the grease from the surface. Even the best detergent won’t achieve that. To remove the grease completely, you need to use either methyl ethyl ketone, aka MEK, or acetone. The former is preferred as it would give the best results for your boat polishing endeavor.

Polishing

After you’re certain that the surface is clean and non-greasy, you can proceed with the polishing. Most polishing solutions are abrasive, like fine sand-paper. You’ll need to pour the solution onto a soft cloth and rub the boat surface in circular motions. This would remove any unevenness or pits in the surface. After you’ve finished boat polishing, you need to apply a coat of wax.

Waxing and Yacht Detailing

It’s always a good idea to regularly apply wax on your boat. The boat is covered with a soft resin substance that’s called a Gelcoat. This is the coating that gives your boat high-gloss sheen. This coating can fade over time, but with regular waxing you can maintain that attractive glossiness for up to 15 years. From this point on, you only have to use a soft rag to wax the boat regularly. Read the instructions given on the wax packaging carefully to get the right coating.

If you have any questions and suggestions, or want to opt for our Yacht Detailing services, just give us at Freedom Yacht Services a call at 954.732.8916. We look forward to hearing from you.

Dec 08
3

How to Perform Quality Boat Cleaning

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Keeping your boat clean will extend the life of the Gelcoat and protect it from mildew and salt. In fact, experienced sailors will tell you that to keep salt build-up and corrosion at bay, you need to clean your boat after every use. At Freedom Yacht Services, we believe this to be vital but we also recommend developing a technique to minimize effort and maximize cleaning. Here’s how you can do that:

Equipment

You need to get the right equipment for your boat cleaning. Some people use the wrong brushes and end up scratching the hull, which can mar the shine of the Gelcoat. So you need to keep the following in mind:

  • Use a brush with medium-soft bristles. Avoid anything that’s too hard as it can harm the yacht detailing and soft Gelcoat. It’s a good idea to go for quality over affordability here. Pick a good brush that would withstand the salt, the sun, and repeated use.
  • Make sure you have a long, sturdy handle. This would ensure that you can reach difficult places that would normally be out of reach. It’s vital to do a thorough boat cleaning to ensure that there’s no possibility of damage in the future.
  • You will also need a bucket, a mop, some sponges, dry towels, and washing pads to do a thorough job.

Soap

Most boat owners usually use their ordinary dishwash soap for cleaning. We believe that you should use something that’s tough on the salt and the grime, but soft on the environment. Use a soap that has a neutral pH level and is biodegradable. You’ll also need to make sure that you sufficiently dilute the soap. Highly concentrated soap can damage the coating and finish, during boat cleaning.

Cleaning

Now it’s down to the most important aspect of boat cleaning. It’s time to invest some elbow grease. Our suggestion is to start from the top and focus on one section at a time. Before you do anything, be sure that the boat is rinsed properly. Using a brush on a dry boat would only damage the coating. The process is simple, lather with soap, scrub, and then rinse. That’s how you clean a boat.

If you have any questions about yacht detailing and suggestions, or want to hire our services, just call Freedom Yacht Services at 954.732.8916. We look forward to hearing from you.