Keep your yacht clean over the Caribbean summer

Now is the perfect time to clean the areas of your boat in daily use when you are sailing in the Caribbean.  If you have left your boat in a boatyard or marina, tackling these jobs now will help the boat stay mildew and odour free over the summer.  Contact Island Dreams for information and estimates:

Upholstery cleaning

Inevitably upholstery becomes salty and grimy over time.  A frequent ‘sticking point’ is zips – in a salty environment they become seized preventing the removal of covers.  Zips need to be cut out and replaced, covers washed and dried.  You will be delighted with the difference this makes to the look and feel of your seats and cushions.

If seat back and other covers cannot be removed, they should be cleaned in place with our spray/extraction upholstery cleaning machine.

Washing and drying sails

Before storing, sails should be washed with fresh water, using a soft brush and mild detergent on marks if necessary.

Halyards & sheets

Usually a soak in fresh water followed by a machine wash returns lines and halyards to good condition.  Putting them in a pillow case ensures they do not get snagged whilst in the washing machine.

Mooring & dock lines

Mooring and dock lines which spend time in the water become ingrained with sea life, making them difficult to handle and smelly.  We use a pressure washer to remove the crustaceans and weed, followed by a machine or hand wash.

Canvas

Storing folded salty canvas down below is likely to cause deterioration of the canvas itself, as well as attracting moisture inside the boat.  A fresh water wash, with mild detergent if necessary, and a thorough dry is important for canvas.  Care must be taken handling and storing window panels to avoid creasing or cracking.

Woodwork

A wash down with a 50:50 vinegar solution will keep mildew at bay and remove hand prints, sun cream, salt and whatever else has been inflicted upon it during the sailing season.

Contact Island Dreams for more information.