Cleaning up a boat?

JaredPointer

JaredPointer

COME AT ME BRO
I am about to purchase myself a used bass fishing boat. I've been negotiating and talking with a fellow who has one he'd sell. All other things aside about purchasing a used boat, I was hoping to get some ideas opinions on cleaning this one up. Everything is in good working order, it has just been sitting covered since last year. My main concerns are cleaning the carpet and giving the boat a good polishing. I'll attach a couple of pictures to show you what I've got to deal with.

I'm getting the boat at a steal (well below the NADA value) because the gentleman just wants to pay it off, so I'm thinking if all I have to do is clean it up then I am coming out very well. I've already had word from a mechanic that the motor looks fine and passed a compression check. The impeller was replaced last year.

Anyone else got any tips I'd be glad to hear them. I know some of you have boats and have worked on boats. I should mention I'll be doing all this in my garage while the boat is on the trailer, as I don't know any other way to go about it.

FYI I will be removing the rod holders you see in the first attached picture.
 

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What is the brand, year model, power? I sold Bass Boats (and others) for two decades + until 2005 so I'm reasonably familar with them overall. I see by the decal it's in the 17' range but there's not enough detail to determine the brand. I can see it's got a Merc on it, two stroke or four stroke?

As far as the carpet goes it's awfully hard to beat a good powerwash then park it outside with the bow raised high, all lids open, and the drain plug(s) out.
The brushes available for the PC & Cyclo make short work of spot cleaning with a good APC solution. If the carpet is really rough then a diluted APC can be applied heavily with a garden sprayer (wet the carpet first with the hose) and left to soak prior to the powerwash.

By all means get a spare prop and spare tire. If the current prop has even one good nick in it have it repaired. Other than the trolling motor that is your only means of propulsion so a spare prop and the tools needed to change it "at sea" are a must. It's not if you'll whack up a prop it's when.......it's gonna happen so be prepared. Same for spare tire, jack, lug wrench, etc. Take it from one who has learned the hard way over the years.

Congratulations on your new rig or soon to be.
 
It's a 2000 Astro Fish 172. Mercury 125. People seem to have a good opinion of these boats at a couple of the bass boat forums I asked about it at. It's not a Ranger or Bass Cat from what I've been told, but they are nice for "first time" boat owners. To tell the truth, I was originally looking at an aluminum type (i.e. Bass Tracker) in the same length with a smaller motor, but I came across this one.

I believe the length is 17' 2" and I believe the beam is somewhere around 6' 6". FWIW, I generally fish all by myself.

As far as cleaning the carpets, would it be okay to use a pressure washer? I believe I was told by others at the boat forum that this boat is all fiberglass - i.e. that it does not have marine plywood floors. However, I don't know how correct that info is.
 
I sold Astro boats from the first year they came out, it was initially a Brunswick product so naturally a Merc engine was matched up. As I recall the floor and stringers are plywood but they are encapsulated in glass. Any wood used was pressure treated, not just coated, so it is impervious to rot. Yes, using the pressure washer is fine. Use reasonable caution around the edges of the carpet since it is glued down, you don't want to blast it so close that an edge starts coming up. If so waterproof glue takes care of it.

Have you run the boat yet? That combination should provide upper 40's to mid 50MPH range. Boat speedos are notoriously optimistic but at least a decent indicator of speed. That particular rig had a tendency to porpoise with the larger four cylinder engines. It is easily corrected but run the boat prior to the dotted line being inked with two aboard, 1/2 tank (or more) of fuel, all batteries, gear, etc.
 
I haven't ran the boat yet, that is the final thing I plan to do before saying 100% that I am buying it. I am not as interested in boat speed as I am in stability on the water when standing/casting. From what I am told the 17'-18' range is stable enough to fish for long periods of time, handle semi-rough water (wakes from other boats, etc) and not be too much of a drag on gas mileage towing and gas usage by the outboard motor.

The boat does have an aftermarket fish finder/GPS unit on it, so I assume I could get a realistic speed reading from that.

I guess since we've drifted a little bit from just cleaning the boat, I could ask you if there's anything particular I should try and look at other than the obvious hull damage, transom cracks, etc? Do you know if the transom is 100% fiberglass or if it has some wood in it.

I could possibly be looking at a 1995 or 1996 Ranger Sport R70, depending on if the fellow sells it Friday. My dad told me about it as he works with the guy. Don't know much about it other than the model and it has a 115 Johnson on it. Any pros to cons versus the two if I had the opportunity to choose between them?
 
When you are peacefully fishing and the distant sky starts looking like a purple bruise headed your way you will be interested in speed, believe me. The Astro or Ranger will fish two without much fuss, it is a stable rig for it's size.

The Sport series of Rangers was the "entry level" Ranger price wise. The 115 OMC is near bulletproof but parts may be a problem and they love to consume fuel. OMC shut down some years back and are owned by the Polaris folks in Canada now. It will likely have many more hours simply due to age. Unless it is the steal of the century I would choose the Astro for whatever that is worth. Astro is gone and Ranger is still in business but that really has no bearing on buying the Astro.

I think that the 2000 model year still used pressure treated wood in the transom but that isn't a negative really so I wouldn't sweat it. A very quick test of transom strength is to lower the engine into running position and push hard with your foot on the cavitation plate. While doing this you are watching for ANY flex in the transom. There should be absolutely zero. This is best accomplished when the trailer is hooked up to the tow vehicle.

Most stress cracks are in the gel coat only and usually not severe but do bear close inspection around the transom area.

So as not to further take this thread off topic you can PM me and we'll go that way or e-mail as you prefer.

Rick
 
Congrats on the boat :bigups i sell a lot of PwC for boats, like previously said, APC, a bit of scrubbing and then a gentle power wash should clean it up well.
:rockon
 
Okay, thanks for the info.

Steve - I was thinking I'd give Pro Polish a try, since I had some of it around. What do you think about that?
 
I will also need some advice on the vinyl seating. Should I be okay with an APC of some type with a soft brush agitation?

Wax or sealant for protection?
 
JaredPointer said:
I will also need some advice on the vinyl seating. Should I be okay with an APC of some type with a soft brush agitation?

Wax or sealant for protection?
Click to expand...

APC/Natural Look and a soft brush for the vinyl will also help prevent any mold ...
I like wax in water :) it's a natural barrier
 
Gel coat is hard.
Removing oxidation with a PC takes some time and effort.
Removing marring and fine scratches with a PC takes a lot of time and effort.

If you are using a PC, I think the same products you would use for an automobile would be a good place to start. I have used the Meguiar's Marine line of products and didn't feel they offered anything special.

If you really want to make the boat virtually blemish free, I think you will need a rotary and some fairly aggressive compound. Personally, I wouldn't bother.

The carpet should be able to stand cleaning with an APC and pressure washing without any real problems.
Someone mentioned using caution at the edges when using the pressure washer and that is good advice for not only the carpet, but for many areas of the boat.
Pressure washers are kind of like a rotary. Used correctly, they can do a great job. Used incorrectly and they can do a lot of damage. A 0 degree tip on a 2,000 lb. unit will drill a hole in most wood if held in one spot.

A Boat: A hole in the water surrounded by fiberglass into which you dump great gobs of money.
Enjoy! :D
 
I've been waiting on you to chime in all day on this CW. Any further tips related to either the cleaning or the purchasing part, please feel free to forward them my way.
 
For what it's worth when I clean/detail boats I use two of the PC brushes on the Cyclo and it makes short work of cleaning the vinyl seats (& carpet as mentioned). The cleaning solution is Amazing Roll Off & water @ 50%. UV protection is a must so I go with 303 on the seats and vinyl/plastic areas of the dash. Protection without slickness or dust attraction is key. The fishing seats have plastic frames so rot is not a concern.
 
I have not heard of either. Many of the boat places I worked at did cleaning/refurbishing/detailing and none used the marine products that were sitting on the shelf in the parts/ accessories area for sale to the public. Without exception all used automotive products, a rotary buffer, and a wool pad on the rough ones. Wet sanding was reserved for severe oxidation or a clearcoat respray for the worst situations.

Obviously newer and better products may be available by now. Have you seen this? It may help:

Reflections Detailed: Purple Malibu - Autopia.org
 
Charles

I have a boat to do this week, its in the driveway...with the rotary and some P-w-C will that do an OK job...this boat has some surface oxidation, not bad, just on the top areas that where exposed...he had covers on the inside areas...they look good just dirty.

I don't have to get this back to show room just shiny...This morning I used some PP by hand and the oxidation seems to come up real easy...thoughts?

Oh and on the inside its APC brushes and either NL or Ragg Topp vinyl treatment...rugs are OK just a good scrubbing and shop vac


CharlesW said:
Gel coat is hard.
Removing oxidation with a PC takes some time and effort.
Removing marring and fine scratches with a PC takes a lot of time and effort.

If you are using a PC, I think the same products you would use for an automobile would be a good place to start. I have used the Meguiar's Marine line of products and didn't feel they offered anything special.

If you really want to make the boat virtually blemish free, I think you will need a rotary and some fairly aggressive compound. Personally, I wouldn't bother.

The carpet should be able to stand cleaning with an APC and pressure washing without any real problems.
Someone mentioned using caution at the edges when using the pressure washer and that is good advice for not only the carpet, but for many areas of the boat.
Pressure washers are kind of like a rotary. Used correctly, they can do a great job. Used incorrectly and they can do a lot of damage. A 0 degree tip on a 2,000 lb. unit will drill a hole in most wood if held in one spot.

A Boat: A hole in the water surrounded by fiberglass into which you dump great gobs of money.
Enjoy! :D
Click to expand...
 
Beemerboy said:
Charles

I have a boat to do this week, its in the driveway...with the rotary and some P-w-C will that do an OK job...this boat has some surface oxidation, not bad, just on the top areas that where exposed...he had covers on the inside areas...they look good just dirty.

I don't have to get this back to show room just shiny...This morning I used some PP by hand and the oxidation seems to come up real easy...thoughts?

Oh and on the inside its APC brushes and either NL or Ragg Topp vinyl treatment...rugs are OK just a good scrubbing and shop vac
Click to expand...
The power of a rotary is going to make most any good paint cleaner remove oxidation.
PwC definitely falls into the "good paint cleaner" category. PwC or PP should work great with a rotary.
Either one probably should be followed up with an LSP, but I really don't know how durable the PwC would be.
I have never had to use a brush on vinyl so I don't know how that will work. A good APC diluted to the manufacturer's recommended ratio for vinyl and some of my old terry towels seem to have cleaned up any vinyl I have had to clean. My stuff is never very bad, but some of the friends/family vehicles have been pretty dirty. I'm using Natural Look or 303 as a protectant and like both.
Boat carpet cleans up pretty good with an APC diluted per the manufacturer's recommended ratio. Vacuum, spray with APC, let the APC dwell a while, brush, let dry, vacuum again.
 
CharlesW said:
The power of a rotary is going to make most any good paint cleaner remove oxidation.
PwC definitely falls into the "good paint cleaner" category. PwC or PP should work great with a rotary.
Either one probably should be followed up with an LSP, but I really don't know how durable the PwC would be.
I have never had to use a brush on vinyl so I don't know how that will work. A good APC diluted to the manufacturer's recommended ratio for vinyl and some of my old terry towels seem to have cleaned up any vinyl I have had to clean. My stuff is never very bad, but some of the friends/family vehicles have been pretty dirty. I'm using Natural Look or 303 as a protectant and like both.
Boat carpet cleans up pretty good with an APC diluted per the manufacturer's recommended ratio. Vacuum, spray with APC, let the APC dwell a while, brush, let dry, vacuum again.
Click to expand...

Thanks Charles I'm going to use the rotary and P-w-C then top off with a sealant...about best I can do...the inside looks like some areas will need some brushing....some grainy areas the have dirt locked in looks like
 
I just detailed a 2006 Chaparrel - 21' deck boat this past Sunday.

I cleaned the inside - fiberglass floors and under all seats in the compartments with PB APC 10:1.
I used a PC with PwC and LC CCS White polishing pads at speed 5. The very light oxidation cleaned up really nice. I topped it off with Meguiars Marine Flagship Premium wax wth foam applicator.

Sorry no pictures - but you have to trust me - the boat was shining lke new.
 
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