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20 Hacks to Make Your Boating Life Easier

20 Hacks to Make Your Boating Life Easier

We hope that at least one of these makes your day:

— A good shot of spray lube might get your electric horn working again. The diaphragms get coated with salt and stop vibrating.

— You can safely clean rubber-backed boarding mats by shaking them out and throwing them in the dishwasher.

— Drilling holes in fiberglass? Apply a strip of masking tape first to help prevent chipping.

— Running your wet hands over stainless steel will miraculously remove fish smells and many other odors from your skin. Whether you use a piece of cutlery, the faucet, the kitchen sink, or a steel bowl, a chemical reaction occurs and removes the odor-causing molecules from your skin.

— Looking for a green alternative to bleach? White vinegar kills mold. Apply it with a spray bottle.

— Keep unworn shoes and flip flops out from under foot. Wrap a bungee cord around a cooler or seat and slip the shoes under the cord for storage while under way.

— Turn the can of anti-fouling paint upside down the night before painting to help get the solids in solution prior to mixing.

— Wipe down your windshield wipers with rubbing alcohol to prevent a smeared windshield.

— Need to clean a RIB or shore-power cord? Gojo or any citrus pumice-style hand cleaner works well.

— Oven-cleaner spray will remove paint and adhesive residue from gelcoat without damaging it.

— Have a scratched windshield, clear-vinyl curtains or sunglasses? A fine polish like 3M Finesse-It works well. So do kitchen counter top polishes.

— Towing tip: Wipe your boat down with liquid soap before a long haul to make bugs and grit easy to remove once you arrive.

— Scraping paint or caulking? Use a file to round the corners of a putty knife “scraper” so it won’t gouge.

— Use a Magic Eraser to gently rub dried, sticky spills off of vinyl seats.

— To prevent clogging of aerosol anti-fouling nozzles, shake the can per the directions and, when done spraying, invert the can and spray until the stream is clear.

— Leftover caulk? Sticking the cartridge tip into petroleum jelly provides a better seal than a nail.

— A 50/50 mix of acetone and automatic transmission fluid is a great solvent to free corroded fasteners.

— Top off batteries with distilled water, available at a drugstore. Want a free source? Drain your dehumidifier.

— A wet towel, folded and doubled, can be placed under a cooler to keep it from sliding around.

— You can check the operation of a fume detector by holding an unlit butane cigarette lighter under the sensor and depressing the lighter’s valve.

For some more great boating care hacks, check out this article from our friends at www.boatsandoutboards.co.uk.

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Comments (1)

  1. Zequek Estrada

    My husband plans on buying a boat this summer. I’m sure he’d appreciate these tips, especially the one about how to remove the fish smells odors from your skin. I’m pretty sure that it would also help to talk to marine services for further insight.

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