Toothbrush cleaning
During our recent stay at Port Louis Marina our friends overheard the owner of a nearby mega yacht chastising one of his crew for his apparent lack of enthusiasm for cleaning. “You need to respect the boat” he scolded, which to him meant cleaning the entire huge vessel every time it went out. On several occasions during the course of our stay there, that ship left the dock to go out for only a few hours at a time. When it returned we would witness crew members spraying untold gallons of fresh water all over the decks and topsides, scrubbing them to remove any salt and grime accumulated during the short jaunt. Boy, I’m glad ZTC wasn’t docked within sight of that or she would have been extremely jealous!
The fact of the matter is that that type of fresh-water cleaning is only possible for those who have access to a dock and additionally, fat wallets because the water ain’t free. Our decks only receive that kind of attention during rain squalls which fortunately for them, during H-season are relatively frequent.
There are two occasions when our boat receives an extra bit of cleaning though: when we’re hosting a get-together or when we have visitors due to arrive. While the former tends to occur on a slightly more regular schedule, I’ve already discussed how infrequently the latter one occurs. That said, we do have a guest due here later this week so Rebecca and I have been hard at work in cleaning mode in preparation for his arrival. And by cleaning, I mean scrubbing-with-a-toothbrush type cleaning. The stainless will be sparkling and the waterline will be spotless. With a little luck, Rebecca and I may even have time to take a shower ourselves before he arrives. 
Too bad we don’t have anyone booked in for our Reality Cruising Adventure this week.
Funny how this came up today…..I am Mr anal with boat washing and detailing….Even when I charter I clean the boat….With that said, I say I need to change that analism and maybe a used boat is the way to go!!!
Get one with a HUGE watermaker and you’ll be set.
So you would not cruise without one? How much maintenance?
Of course I would cruise without one but it would be inconvenient. If I had the money, I would buy one as I think it’s a worthy investment (in time savings). As for maintenance, that depends on how complicated a unit you purchase. Ours is relatively problem free.
Do not buy one for washing the boat though… that was a joke!
What do you use only on your stainless rails. Any tricks of the trade to share. Starting to save those tooth brushes….I assume you can used ones on the stainless?
Check this post, Anthony:
http://www.zerotocruising.com/grime-fighters/
And yes, we used old toothbrushes for cleaning, not new ones.
THAT IS RIDICULOUS!
The anchor has been polished! ! ! !
Mike
(Very well done you!)
It is a “Bruce” anchor!
I would also like to know what to do with the stainless. I have all kinds of products but they turn my rag black immediately. I am about to go to Lowes to buy boxes of rags but what do you do when you are cruising?
Thanks,
Sea Yawl Later!!
Linda
See the link I posted in the comment above Linda for info on cleaning products we use. As for rags, we actually left Canada with a Bag o’ Rags too. They’re gone now though so yesterday we cut up an old pillow case to get the job done.
I had a cool job way back when I was 15. I worked at a local marina / Cris Craft dealer. We’d scrub boats all the time. We’d “accidentaly” drop the brush while up in the tuna tower and play cliff diver!
Ummm, not for me.
May not be the proper place for this, but I dont see an E-mail address.
I saw where you recommended a book so I clicked on the link in the post and bought it. Today I noticed you had a link for Amazon to get credit for the sale. Sorry!! hope you get credit for it??
Mike
Hi Mike
If you purchased it after clicking a link in our blog I assume we will get credit. Thank you for thinking of us!
There’s an old product called Barkeeper’s Friend that works really well. Or you can save your money and just use vinegar!
It does seem like some sort of punishment for those poor (kids) crew members, but after our daughter spent several years as a stewardess or mate on private yachts, she would come home and detail our house. OMG can that girl clean! For stainless they always used Never Dull – wadding polish. A tiny bit goes a long way.