Maintenance
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9.2. Maintenance
Cleaning
Cleanand rinsetheboatpossiblyjust afteryoutakeoutofthewater.You mayremovemarinegrowthfrom your
boats bottom very effectively with a high pressure cleaner. Different cleaning and caring agents are available for the
maintenanceoftheboatssurfaces.Forboatsnavigatinginseawater:Saltattractswaterfromtheenvironment,this
speeds up corrosion. Whenever possible the boat should be rinsed with fresh water.
Do only utilise biodegradable detergents. Do not use abrasive cleaning agents they scratch and bleech the surfaces.
Cleanheavysoilingswithfreshwaterandcareproducts.Tocleanoffstainsoflime(driedoutwater),usevinegar.
Upholsteryisbestcleanedusingconventionalcarpetandupholsterycleaner.Checkatahiddenplaceifthatcleaner
is suitable for your piece of equipment.
The antifouling should be refreshed periodically. This prevents marine growth to settle on your boat. The immersed
part of your boat should be washed down using a high pressure equipment.
Care and maintenance of decks
Untreatedwoodweatherstoanaturalsilver-greycolour,withnolossofthetimber’sstrengthorothermechanical/
physicalproperties.Becauseofitsinherentdurabilityandweather-resistantproperties,theuseofprotectivepaints
or coatings is sometimes necessary.
Care products:
Protective wood oilspenetratedeepintothetimber,andundertheinuenceofheatandmoisturecanadverselyaf-
fect the adhesion of the caulking material to the sides of the wooden joint.
Paintsaredecorativecoatingswhich,whenappliedtoawoodendeck,drytoformacontinuousî™lmoverthecaulking
materialaswell.Somepaintsmaynothardenproperlyoncaulkingmaterial,leavingthesurfacetacky.Intimemost
paintswillakeawayalongthelineofthejoint.Thisspoilstheappearanceofthewoodendeckandcausescracksto
open up along the joints.
Teakcleanersshouldbeusedonlyiftheycontainnootheractiveingredientsthannormalsoap.Additivessuchas
phosphoricoroxalicacid,whichareoftenincorporatedasbrighteners,arecorrosivesubstanceswhichattackboththe
caulkingmaterialandthetimber,causingthemtoagerapidly.Wethereforerecommendthatwoodendecksbewashed
downwithamopandcleanfreshwater,towhichasmallquantityofnormalsoapmaybeaddedifdesired.
The high-pressure water jet will remove areas of sapwood and break the seal between the caulking material and
thesidesofthejoint.Inextendedperiodsofhot,dryweatherwoodendecksshouldbewateredatregularintervals
topreventthetimberfromdryingoutcompletely.Excessivelossofmoisturewillcausethetimbertoshrink,placing
thejointsunderstress.Underunfavourableconditionsthiscanleadtoprematureageingorfailureofthejointseal.
Stick to these simple rules and you will lengthen the life of your deck considerably.
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