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Keeping Bu Clean In The Water


JamieDrew&theBu

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Ok I wasn't sure where to post this. We secured a slip at Bullards Bar for the 2012 season :rockon: However prior to this we have always towed our Bu to and from the lake every time we've used it. This will be our first season with the Bu sitting in the water full time, I am anal about keeping it clean, and usually wash and detail it after each use. With it docked at our slip this season I know that wont be an option.. I have a great new custom cover for the boat that is waterproof and well ventilated so I am not too concerned there, what I am really concerned with is how to keep the hull from getting a nasty scumline and or any discoloration of the fiberglass? Anybody out there have any suggestions on how I can keep her looking awesome while still remaining in the water?

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MalibuNation

:welcome:

Good couple of coats of wax and take it out every once and a while and clean it well, re-wax. Also I would towel dry the hull above the water line after each use. We can give you some cleaning recommendations if need be.

Edit: if it was me I'd take it out mid season between outings and let the fiberglass really dry out. Do you have a place you could park it?

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:welcome:

Good couple of coats of wax and take it out every once and a while and clean it well, re-wax. Also I would towel dry the hull above the water line after each use. We can give you some cleaning recommendations if need be.

Floating lift ???????
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We leave ours in weeks at a time once in a while, and it gets that nasty brown line around the water line. I usually take a terry towel and just wash the hull while in the water, (its easy at our dock since I can still touch bottom) I just walk around it and wash it like I normally would but with no soap. It does still get the line around it after a few days but it doesn't get slimy or grow scum like the other boats left in the pond do. The rest of the boat is the same to clean, with the babes boat bright its easier then actually waxing it in the water.

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I'd be more concerned with gelcoat blisters than the scumline. You definitely want to pull the boat out every 2-3 weeks and let it sit out of the water for a week to dry out.

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jkendallmsce

I'd be more concerned with gelcoat blisters than the scumline. You definitely want to pull the boat out every 2-3 weeks and let it sit out of the water for a week to dry out.

Blisters can be a major problem. Removing the boat from the crystal clear delta water will enable you to look for any signs. And a minor PITA will be spider webs, spiders and dust...the delta and all the ag work generates a LOT of dust.

And as others have pointed, that's why they make "lifts".

Edited by jkendallmsce
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I'd be more concerned with gelcoat blisters than the scumline. You definitely want to pull the boat out every 2-3 weeks and let it sit out of the water for a week to dry out.

Beat me to it. I wanted to confirm you truly meant it would be sitting in the water all summer? If that's your current plan my biggest fear would also be blisters. Gelcoat is porous and when left in water long term water can seep through the gelcoat and pool inbetween the gel and the fiberglass causing it to blister.

The way you choose to do it is irrelevant but you're going to want to make sure that boat is out of the water every so often to dry out the gel. Hopefully that makes sense and sorry to bring bad news.

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If you are that anal about your boat being clean then would not recommend leaving it in the water for long durations. The only way to keep it prestine is to continuously pull it out of the water, wipe it with spray cleaner and re wax occassionally. It's a bummer bullards does not have a dock with lifts or covers. Plus it gets screaming hot on that dock in the summer months, make sure you have a cover that will not ruin your upholstry.

Really nothing good comes out of mooring your boat full time in the water.

Even after a week in Shasta on our houseboat trip my vlx needs a pretty good detail to remove water spots and grime.

Edited by Fman
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:plus1: On all of the above. blisters being my #1 concern. Boats that are moored need to have attention to the hull. Gel coat is not water tight it soaks up water at a slow pace so the boat should be pulled for drying or the hull needs to be sealed.

Cleaning can be done it can get hard but the boat can be brought back to like new with a lot of work.

The most common way to seal a hull is with Epoxy . Bottom painting is not sealing its more for growth reduction.

As others have said Boat Lift........

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No boat lifts at this marina, so it's not an option. In fact I can't think of a marina on our public lakes that does.

If my boat is in the water for more than a day I'll just grab a life vest and float around wiping it down. I've been known to even break out cleaner wax for above the water line.

I personally wouldn't keep my boat in the water continuously for more than two weeks.

Maybe we'll see ya there sometime.

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Mine floats all summer and I maybe pull it once. Hull was pretty blistered in the fall, but we'll see what it looks like in a couple weeks when I grab it.

There are tons of ways to remove the scum and its rather easy, the blisters also frighten me. I'll also add that I've had a cheap Larson, a 30' Sea Ray, a Cajun Bass Boat, a Ranger 521vx all floating as well and none of them have blistered at all with the same behavior. When I saw the blisters last year I almost put the malibu up for sale I was so pissed, but do realize that it is what it is.

I do wash the sides down with marine friendly soap while tied up a few times a year as I can't stand the scum line. I also wax the living s*** out of it and spend some time mid-summer doing the same. My boat is normally in the water from April to October....in the case of the Malibu I didn't buy it until last August though so this year I may be pulling it a few times to let her dry.

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I visit this lake probably a dozen times throughout the season, Just take a look at the boats in the water at the marina at Bullards, they all have hard water stains, gel coat fading, fading towers/speakers, etc... Without a lift and covered birth I would say keep it on your trailer or plan on pulling it out every couple weeks for a complete detail. Or live with the hard water spots, and plan on buffing it out at the end of the season.

Edited by Fman
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I keep my boat on the lake for weeks or months at a time every summer. I pull the boat out to clean & dry it out probably every 2 or 3 weeks, wax it once in the spring. No blisters. This is my 3rd inboard & 5th boat over all & did more or less the same thing on them all. No blisters on any of them.

I guess I consider myself lucky that I've never had the blisters. Although the fiberglass guy I talked to about them said that they basically amounted to about the same problem as rock chips on the front of your truck. I know that rock chips can start to rust & eventually really cause a problem, and there are products out there to take care of the problems related to them. I suspect there are hull paints out there that should be good for an inboard & protect the hull against the blisters.

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Wow thank you all for the quick input/advice! This is turning out to be a bit of a buzzkill now :( Our whole intention this season was to keep the boat at the lake we most often visit and save a bunch of fuel by not having to tow it there and back weekly, If i am going to have to pull it out once a month or so to bring it home to detail it and clean it, that more or less negates the convenience of having it in a slip waiting for us.. I must admit the idea of having it waiting in the water each weekend really appeals to me. However the thought of a blistered hull or UV damage to the rest of the boat sure doesnt.. :cry:

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Mine floats all summer and I maybe pull it once. Hull was pretty blistered in the fall, but we'll see what it looks like in a couple weeks when I grab it.

There are tons of ways to remove the scum and its rather easy, the blisters also frighten me. I'll also add that I've had a cheap Larson, a 30' Sea Ray, a Cajun Bass Boat, a Ranger 521vx all floating as well and none of them have blistered at all with the same behavior. When I saw the blisters last year I almost put the malibu up for sale I was so pissed, but do realize that it is what it is.

I do wash the sides down with marine friendly soap while tied up a few times a year as I can't stand the scum line. I also wax the living s*** out of it and spend some time mid-summer doing the same. My boat is normally in the water from April to October....in the case of the Malibu I didn't buy it until last August though so this year I may be pulling it a few times to let her dry.

I also have had a number of boats that were moored for the season and two large sail (Blow ) boats that stayed in all year. they all did well except one witch did have a section blisters. Some do and some don't. Its kind of a hit and miss. If they do blister it needs to be taken care of or you can get serious damage.

It does not seam to have anything to do with make or quality. Our sail boats even stayed in over winter with bubbling to keep them from freezing in. I have seen Bayliners to very very hi end custom boats blister.

Its hell to take delivery of a $200,000 boat and sand the gel coat then roll Epoxy all over the boat 1 inch above the water line then bottom paint it. :(

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Wow thank you all for the quick input/advice! This is turning out to be a bit of a buzzkill now :( Our whole intention this season was to keep the boat at the lake we most often visit and save a bunch of fuel by not having to tow it there and back weekly, If i am going to have to pull it out once a month or so to bring it home to detail it and clean it, that more or less negates the convenience of having it in a slip waiting for us.. I must admit the idea of having it waiting in the water each weekend really appeals to me. However the thought of a blistered hull or UV damage to the rest of the boat sure doesnt.. :cry:

No doubt about it, if the boat is sitting there waiting for you, then your more likely to get out on it. We ride after work anytime we want all week, take the boat out for dinner, midnight booze cruises, etc. etc. When was the last time you took the boat out for just 1 hour? We do that all the time.... 2 of us can get a ride in each & we're done. Great way to spend a lunch break from work.

I don't think I'd leave the boat on the water if I was going to only use it 1 or 2 days a week though. In fact, if for any reason we know that we're not going to be using the boat (weather, out of town, etc.), then I will pull the boat & let it sit in the driveway rather than on the water.

And I sure wouldn't drag it very far to clean it. I'm pretty sure I could bring a bucket & a shop vac & find a car wash somewhere close by to get it done.

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Is there dry storage somewhere there? I went from my garage at home to dry storage on the Delta and use the boat significantly more than when it was in the garage. If the dry storage is close to the water it should have just as many benefits as on the water. Where I keep mine they will launch it for you so it doesn't matter what car I drive there. Usually takes less than 10 minutes to get in the water after I get there.

Hope you find a good solution to get out on the water more.

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No doubt about it, if the boat is sitting there waiting for you, then your more likely to get out on it. We ride after work anytime we want all week, take the boat out for dinner, midnight booze cruises, etc. etc. When was the last time you took the boat out for just 1 hour? We do that all the time.... 2 of us can get a ride in each & we're done. Great way to spend a lunch break from work.

I don't think I'd leave the boat on the water if I was going to only use it 1 or 2 days a week though. In fact, if for any reason we know that we're not going to be using the boat (weather, out of town, etc.), then I will pull the boat & let it sit in the driveway rather than on the water.

And I sure wouldn't drag it very far to clean it. I'm pretty sure I could bring a bucket & a shop vac & find a car wash somewhere close by to get it done.

:plus1: I don't know how close you will be but it is great to just grab a quick ski or cruse. Your boat use will go way up!

As brought up I might look for dry storage somewhere.

Edited by Sixball
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jkendallmsce

Is there dry storage somewhere there? I went from my garage at home to dry storage on the Delta and use the boat significantly more than when it was in the garage. If the dry storage is close to the water it should have just as many benefits as on the water. Where I keep mine they will launch it for you so it doesn't matter what car I drive there. Usually takes less than 10 minutes to get in the water after I get there.

Hope you find a good solution to get out on the water more.

NOt sure where you are at, but Discovery Bay has some great storage. They keep it out of the water, but will have it sitting (in the water) ready to go.

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Or if discovery bay is an option you may be able to rent a slip with a cover, and a hydrahoist. I live in discovery bay and the delta is great for water sports, but it's definitely a lot different than a lake like bullards bar.

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There's definitely a dry indoor storage place near camptonville. I agree with fman... When you look at the moored boats they are all BEAT. Theoretically having the boat on the water would be awesome but it clearly takes its toll (either that or the people who moor don't give a cr@p).

Local dry storage also gives you a place to dry out your jackets, open the boat to dry, etc.

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If you are looking to keep your boat on the water for financial savings think about this....

$1350/season to rent a slip from Bullards. It cost me about $65 in fuel to tow to Bullards and back home. I am about a 1hr and 20 min tow from driveway to launch ramp.... I could visit the lake approx 20 times a season to break even on the slip rental and towing costs. This does not factor in wear and tear on your tow rig.... Another kicker is the fuel at the Marina is $2/gallon more than you would pay at a gas station in town, that alone will cost you approx. $80 extra in fuel costs every time you fill up your boat (40 gallons). Not sure how often you are planning on visiting the lake, but just something to consider...

If its pure convenience, then the numbers probably wont be as much of a factor....

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Looks like after re-evaluating every scenario and the possibly wear and tear that our boat may receive sitting in the slip has us deciding to trailer the Bu back and forth instead.. Many thanks to all those who have given their suggestions and opinions. I just cant stand the thought of our boat with hull blisters or UV damage. I would rather spend the extra $$ in diesel to prevent that from happening. On a sidenote I have decided to take the money earmarked on the slip fee and put that towards 2 pairs of Wetsounds rev 10's for the tower instead :biggrin:

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