Maintenance
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9.2. Maintenance
Cleaning
Cleanand rinsetheboatpossiblyjust afteryoutakeoutofthewater.You mayremovemarinegrowthfrom your
boats bottom very effectively with a high pressure cleaner. Different cleaning and caring agents are available for the
maintenanceoftheboatssurfaces.Forboatsnavigatinginseawater:Saltattractswaterfromtheenvironment,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.
Cleanheavysoilingswithfreshwaterandcareproducts.Tocleanoffstainsoflime(driedoutwater),usevinegar.
Upholsteryisbestcleanedusingconventionalcarpetandupholsterycleaner.Checkatahiddenplaceifthatcleaner
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
Untreatedwoodweatherstoanaturalsilver-greycolour,withnolossofthetimber’sstrengthorothermechanical/
physicalproperties.Becauseofitsinherentdurabilityandweather-resistantproperties,theuseofprotectivepaints
or coatings is sometimes necessary.
Care products:
Protective wood oilspenetratedeepintothetimber,andundertheinuenceofheatandmoisturecanadverselyaf-
fect the adhesion of the caulking material to the sides of the wooden joint.
Paintsaredecorativecoatingswhich,whenappliedtoawoodendeck,drytoformacontinuouslmoverthecaulking
materialaswell.Somepaintsmaynothardenproperlyoncaulkingmaterial,leavingthesurfacetacky.Intimemost
paintswillakeawayalongthelineofthejoint.Thisspoilstheappearanceofthewoodendeckandcausescracksto
open up along the joints.
Teakcleanersshouldbeusedonlyiftheycontainnootheractiveingredientsthannormalsoap.Additivessuchas
phosphoricoroxalicacid,whichareoftenincorporatedasbrighteners,arecorrosivesubstanceswhichattackboththe
caulkingmaterialandthetimber,causingthemtoagerapidly.Wethereforerecommendthatwoodendecksbewashed
downwithamopandcleanfreshwater,towhichasmallquantityofnormalsoapmaybeaddedifdesired.
The high-pressure water jet will remove areas of sapwood and break the seal between the caulking material and
thesidesofthejoint.Inextendedperiodsofhot,dryweatherwoodendecksshouldbewateredatregularintervals
topreventthetimberfromdryingoutcompletely.Excessivelossofmoisturewillcausethetimbertoshrink,placing
thejointsunderstress.Underunfavourableconditionsthiscanleadtoprematureageingorfailureofthejointseal.
Stick to these simple rules and you will lengthen the life of your deck considerably.