Do Any of You Use a Pressure Washer to Clean your Boat?

[frantically relaxing]

Depending on the boating you get yourself into, sometimes you got no choice!

Bayliner was a bottom growth pig after sitting in our water for a few weeks. Not to mention calcium up the wahzoo. If you're going to clean that off with a bucket & brush, plan on days! But the second pic was a week before we sold it 4 years later, I'd power washed and acid washed it at least twice a season, no gelcoat, paint or stripes were ever harmed...

And the Skipperliner, no wimpy 3000psi washer, let alone a brush, was going to cut thru that crap! Fortunately for me I have a friend with a steam cleaner, 4500 psi, up to 220° temp @ 4-1/2 gallons a minute, serious cleaning power! The only paint that came off was paint with rust under it. It WILL however, strip the clearcoat off a Ford pickup with no effort whatsoever!

 

[frantically relaxing]

[No message]

 

[Leardriver]

I use one all of the time. It is a strong 3500/3 gal per minute. After soaking the bilge with Simple Green solution, it cleans out that area to a spotless condition. At home on the trailer, of course. Use a little common sense on the outside. Keep the blast a couple of feet away from stuff that you don't want to fly off.
Cleaning trailer wheels and brakes, and knocking the dust off of the outside prior to buffing works much better than doing it by hand on a larger boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Hey old ironmaker remember when the mnr use to be at certain docks with washers to clean off boats going in and coming out of ramps.I have no issue using a powerwasher if that's what you chose to do.just be carefull that's all.My boats small enough I just use the brush and garden hose.Also spay down boat with ZEP fast 505 degreaser which works fantastic .

I trailer the boat to a small lake east of Perry Sound every Walleye opener. I don't want to be the guy that transferred those Zebra Mussels there. So I have to make sure she's as clean as a whistle, I hope. Power wash fall and a spring tune up to get what I missed. I haven't seen anyone from the MNR for over 30 years, the last was a guy that went through a few hundred pounds of Silver Bass caught at Nanticoke when the Hydro plant was running. Plenty of OPP here but no MNR guys, or gals.

 

[82rude]

Lot of times we have students doing creel surveys and the zebra patrol.but not always.My home marina is on the st marys river which is the connection between superior and huron.One of the top steelhead fisheries in north America along with a hundred other species.

 

[QBhoy]

Jesus no. Just in case.
I once pressure washed an old bayliner of mine and got that little bit too close whilst someone talked to me. Left swirl marks right through the gel coat. Also blew the paint right off the drive on another occasion. Never again.

 

[DouglasW]

It's just a tool. Use it properly or don't use it at all. I suspect that we have all learned the hard way how to abuse any tool.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

It's just a tool. Use it properly or don't use it at all. I suspect that we have all learned the hard way how to abuse any tool.

Exactly Douglas. A bricklayer would never use a scalpel as a trowel nor a Surgeon would use a trowel rather than a scalpel. I see more damage done by homeowners using a power washer improperly on their siding than damage would be done on any boat.

 

[Old Ironmaker]

Lot of times we have students doing creel surveys and the zebra patrol.but not always.My home marina is on the st marys river which is the connection between superior and huron.One of the top steelhead fisheries in north America along with a hundred other species.

I know the area well. I did some work at Algoma years ago and played ball vs. The Steelers for Stoney Creek in the NFC way back. (I have a nice big ring from beating the Steelers in 78'). As soon as we left the Steel plant we hit the St. Mary's, well maybe a bit after we rehydrated. Great fishery you have there Sir.