Barnegat Bay Sailing School and Sailboat Charters

Wax On/ Wax Off

Michael Bandera — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 00:30:32 +0000

Fiberglass boats get their color and gloss from a very thin layer of special resin called gelcoat. Over the years, UV radiation, salt, and neglect can damage this gelcoat layer making your boat’s hull dull and chalky. You must clean and wax your boat regularly in order to protect this fragile layer from being eroded. We wax our sailboats twice a year, in the spring and fall.

The most important step in maintaining a glossy hull is to first clean the surface with boat soap. We use Boat Zoap by Sudbury. Start by cleaning the topsides of the boat. This prevents black streaks from running down the hull after the first rain. Next, using either a sponge or boat brush, continue to wash the hull with the Boat Zoap . Then Rinse with clean water.

Once the hull is dry, we then go over the entire surface with a good fiberglass cleaner. Let it dry to a haze and remove with a clean terry cloth towel. We use Collinite Fiberglass Boat Cleaner for this step.

We are now ready to wax the hull. Apply the boat wax in cirrcular motions by using an electric buffer or by hand. We like Collinite Fleetwax. However if the Fleetwax is left on too long to dry it becomes very difficult to remove. So do small sections at a time or have someone follow right behind you removing the hazy wax residue.

Lastly using a softer cloth or old flannel shirt, buff the hull to a mirror-like finsh.

We rinse our sailboats after every sail using fresh water only. We scrub the boats using boat zoap with a boat brush about once a month.

If you follow these steps of washing,cleaning,waxing and rinsing your hull, you will prolong the life of your gelcoat’s gloss and be the envy of the marina!

Product Links

http://www.sudburyboatcare.com/boatZoap.html

http://www.collinite.com/marine-wax/fiberglass-boat-cleaner

http://www.collinite.com/marine-wax/liquid-fleetwax/

Favorite Sailing Songs

Michael Bandera — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 02:01:32 +0000

I enjoy listening to music as much as I enjoy sailing but rarely do I listen to music while sailing. I prefer the sounds of nature while sailing. However, it is those classic sailing songs that stir up great memories and gets me thru my non-sailing (winter) season.

Although there are many excellent sailing songs to choose from here is my top 5 at the moment.

Sailing – Rod Stewart
Pirate looks at forty – Jimmy B
Son of a sailor – Jimmy B.
If I had a boat – Lyle Lovett
Sailing to Philadelphia – Mark Knopfler

Post your own top 5 and we will have a good start to a cool playlist.

Should You Buy or Rent Your First Sailboat?

admin — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 15:45:32 +0000

First off I must confess that I own 4 sailboats. I love them all and I love working on them. But if you take the emotional attachment away from owning your own sailboat and strictly go by economics the decision is an easy one to make.

The Cost of Owning vs Renting a Sailboat (DaySailer)

Our 23’ Pearson Ensign sailboat cost us:
$2300 – summer slip at the marina
$750 – winter storage
$250 – paint, wax, repair, replace (maintenance)
For a total of $3200

To rent the Pearson Ensign for a typical day sail (4 hours) would cost $150. So you would have to sail 20 times during the sailing season to break even. You can also drastically reduce your rental expenses by sailing with buddies that could split the cost.

Judging from all the sailboats I see at the dock during a beautiful summer weekend, I would estimate that most sailboat owners take their sailboats out an average of only 10 times during the sailing season. This is mostly due to work schedules, unfavorable sailing weather, and the many social commitments during the summer. So the cost of each sail is very expensive.

I will not deny the bond that exists between a captain and his ship, however these are the real expenses involved in the decision making of renting versus owning your own sailboat.

Capt. Mike
BBSS