Thank you Moxie and friends for this encouragement! This enlightening video spurned my desire to "recycle" a neglected boat. Despite many months of research and planning, and a very strict plan for acquiring an older boat, in an instant that all went out the window when I found her. She is a 1970 Coronado 25 and a great vessel to learn both sailing and boat maintenance. These seem like important items to learn if I will be sailing the world. Right now, I am learning much about boat cleaning! As I scrub and scrub and scrub some more I can't help but hear Mr. Miyagi's voice "wax on, wax off"!
Here is the vessel, Connie I (pronounced "eye") the day she became mine
Here is the vessel, Connie I (pronounced "eye") the day she became mine
It didn't take me long to realize she was going to need a new name with her makeover. Unfortunately, I didn't follow proper boat renaming protocol and she began attacking. One injured foot and a gouged thumb later, I carried her new name plate and put it inside. I think she likes it - so far, no more injures!
As an enthusiast of the sea, protecting it and its inhabitants is near and dear to my heart. I am determined to make her beautiful using products which will not harm the marina creatures. So far, I have just been rinsing her with water and scrubbing to get the dirt, grime, and moss off. You may not see moss but believe me, every small crack in the paint is filled with green moss/algae. In addition, you can see the staining from our dark river water on her sides. Hopefully this will be removed soon.
This week marked the beginning of deep cleaning. First her dock lines, which were coated in gunk. Incidentally, I learned a valuable lesson from my first rookie mistake, removing dock lines from the boat...while still in the boat. Once the boat was secured again, the dock lines which were removed were placed into a bucket of water and borax and left to soak overnight. That stuff is amazing, removing years of green goo effortlessly!
Next, I tackled the sail cover on the boom. It had many years of growth on it and my first attempt at water with a soft brush and elbow grease did nothing to remove the ever growing ecosystem which had taken residence in the fabric. With my first attempt thwarted, I used water with a few drops of this truly magical soap. I really can't say enough good things about this company and their products. When it came to scrubbing down a large section of canvas atop the dock, this as it turns out, was a magnificent choice! Just in case you don't believe me, here is proof! The right half (most of it anyway) has been cleaned using water + Dr. Bronner's and no aquatic life was harmed in the process! Plus, it smells like peppermint which I love.
As an enthusiast of the sea, protecting it and its inhabitants is near and dear to my heart. I am determined to make her beautiful using products which will not harm the marina creatures. So far, I have just been rinsing her with water and scrubbing to get the dirt, grime, and moss off. You may not see moss but believe me, every small crack in the paint is filled with green moss/algae. In addition, you can see the staining from our dark river water on her sides. Hopefully this will be removed soon.
This week marked the beginning of deep cleaning. First her dock lines, which were coated in gunk. Incidentally, I learned a valuable lesson from my first rookie mistake, removing dock lines from the boat...while still in the boat. Once the boat was secured again, the dock lines which were removed were placed into a bucket of water and borax and left to soak overnight. That stuff is amazing, removing years of green goo effortlessly!
Next, I tackled the sail cover on the boom. It had many years of growth on it and my first attempt at water with a soft brush and elbow grease did nothing to remove the ever growing ecosystem which had taken residence in the fabric. With my first attempt thwarted, I used water with a few drops of this truly magical soap. I really can't say enough good things about this company and their products. When it came to scrubbing down a large section of canvas atop the dock, this as it turns out, was a magnificent choice! Just in case you don't believe me, here is proof! The right half (most of it anyway) has been cleaned using water + Dr. Bronner's and no aquatic life was harmed in the process! Plus, it smells like peppermint which I love.