Boat cleaning and polishing
1. Wood cleaning
There is always a lot to do at the beginning of each season. To give the boat the finishing touch, you can finish the surfaces that have suffered from salt, sun and water.
2. Cleaning smooth surfaces
The first step in the preparation for polishing the hull is the classic cleaning with water. If it is allowed in your state, you can clean the coarse dirt with a soft cleaning broom or brush with the help of water from your berth (sea water, fresh water from the lake / river). In this way you save fresh water from the shore supply.
However, if you have very heavy soiling that requires cleaning with foam cleaners, it is usually not permissible to clean on the water berth. For this, it must be ensured on shore that the dirty water is collected and does not get into the harbor basin.
Tip: Please inform yourself in advance at the environmental office of your federal state, as there are different requirements. For the Baltic Sea area in Schleswig-Holstein and the waters in Hamburg, for example, it is permitted to use the water from the berth for cleaning without chemicals.
Work procedure: Apply the cleaning agent either pure or diluted with a sponge. Please follow the manufacturer's instructions. After the recommended exposure time, it must be washed off thoroughly. Please make sure not to use pot sponges with the black, hard side, because they cause scratches. For particularly stubborn stains, such as tar or rust stains, as well as furniture dirt, we carry special cleaning agents at awn.
3. Surface polishing
Again, for smaller areas, manual labor is still best. Polishing work with rags, absorbent cotton or cellulose is exhausting, but in the end it is gentle on your boat and the material.
Polishing is of course not recommended for the entire boat, but only for freshening up and for smaller areas.
If you want to bring the whole boat to a high gloss, you will not get around a polishing machine. The machines are available in different versions and for various requirement levels. You can get entry-level models from us for under 50 euros - depending on the requirements and demands of the work, there are also more professional tools. Grinding and polishing machines are often offered in sets, which include grind wheels in different grits, polishing adapters, rubber discs, etc. Usually, the discs are attached with Velcro and then rotate in a circle, just like a flex.
It is important that the speed of the polishing machine is effortless and infinitely variable. If the machine spins too fast and too long on one spot, the surface can be damaged due to high temperatures between the polishing wheel and the gelcoat. It also requires practice and a steady hand to work at an extremely high speed.
As with window cleaning, polishing should not be done in direct sunlight, as such a heated surface will cause the polish to evaporate too quickly and the result will not be optimal. Apply the polish to an area that is not too large, about half a square meter, and polish in evenly. Remove any residue after a short drying phase with a clean and lint-free cloth.
Tip: Please test the polishing process on a spot that is not immediately visible, and gradually work your way over the entire boat using different "quadrants".
Please pay attention to this:
If you only want to polish and not remove any of the surface structure, the polish should not contain any abrasives, otherwise scratches will occur. But if the surface is heavily chalked, abrasive particles are essential to get a smooth surface again.
You can also make the first polishing attempts with conventional DIY equipment, but we advise polishing/sanding machines only. We advise against using an angle grinder because it simply revs too high and might do more damage to the gelcoat/paint than repairing it.
Tip: Make sure that no polishing agent drips into the harbor basin, as this is prohibited! If you keep to this, you may polish your boat even if it is already in the water. Before the start of the season, however, we recommend polishing on land.
4. Cleaning boat seats & upholstery
During the season you usually don't even notice it, but when you look closely, upholstery or even synthetic leather surfaces often look dirty. Of course, we offer a range of new helm seats, cushions and upholstery. However, if you want to set sail with your existing covers, or even boat seats, we have some care products for you.