If you live by the water, then you probably own a vessel of some sort. What does it mean to have a boat, kayak, or any other vehicle that you operate on the water? This means that you should always be as careful as possible with maintenance each season. Due to contact with water, vessels are susceptible to corrosion and require constant maintenance. Sometimes, after a certain period of use, restoration may even be necessary.
What you do every year is classic boat restoration, i.e. restoring the color and protection and improving the functionality of the existing vessel. There are also more advanced methods, in which parts are replaced and a significant improvement is made to the boat itself.
But why is that necessary?
Above all, for your safety, as well as the safety of those riding with you. Then, the aesthetic challenges, but also the functionality of the vessel. We must admit that it is not easy, but if you already own this type of vessel, then you need to take care of it responsibly.
However, if you need more practical tips on how to do it, here are some of them:
1. Remove the vessel from the water
Your boat must be completely dry before you start doing anything. Remove dirt and accumulated debris before beginning the restoration. This will help you see if there is real damage or just surface stains and dirt.
Depending on where you live, you may need to take the boat out of the water for an entire week before starting work on the restoration project.
2. Plan what tools you need
Maybe you don’t have all the tools you need right now and need to buy or borrow from someone. If you know exactly what is wrong with your boat then it is much easier to plan what tools you need for the job.
If you start the project and realize that you have missed something, allow yourself enough time to get the necessary items. Sometimes, no matter how much we plan, we don’t always manage to keep everything in mind and there’s nothing wrong with that.
However, if you need more practical tips on how to do it, here are some of them:
3. Check exactly what needs to be fixed
It’s not a bad idea before you do anything to check if anything is broken at all so you need to make any repairs. Sometimes you just need to give your boat a good clean so you can use it again.
Therefore, in order not to waste time, when the boat is completely dry, do just one inspection and see if the repairs are really urgent or if they are small things that will not cause any damage in the long run.
4. Ask friends for help
While we believe you want this to be a completely DIY project of your own, help from friends may be welcome. The least that can happen is that you have a fun day spending quality time with your friends.
And your work will be completed faster than you planned. You can rely on more experienced friends and make sure you haven’t missed any important aspect of your boat restoration.
5. Check if there is mold
Any surface can have mold and you have to check it carefully. It may seem like a harmless part of the whole procedure, but if mold gets into the engine, then the damage is great and long-term.
Deep cleaning is sometimes enough to start, especially in the engine area. Most of the time there is a lot more dirt in there than we can imagine. It can cause technical problems but also harm your health.
Namely, mold particles can be so dangerous if they enter the airways that they can even endanger your life.
6. You don’t have to use the most expensive products and tools
It is enough to be sure of the quality of all the tools you have. Boat restoration doesn’t have to be an expensive project. On the contrary, given the regularity of maintenance, it’s good to at least have quality tools to rely on.
Of course, if you have to buy replacing parts, the cost will be higher, but there is nothing bad or terrible in that either, because the parts are long-lasting if you take care of them properly.
Why should you take this project really seriously?
Water gives us security, but at the same time, it is terrifying. You certainly wouldn’t want to put yourself at any risk that could have been prevented in time.
Also, these kinds of projects can be really fun. Only the costs can vary in different seasons and you can’t predict what you have to buy yet.
But there’s nothing wrong with that either because we’re sure you know how much maintenance and sometimes restoration your boat needs. Take this project seriously from the safety point of view, because sometimes these incidents can have really dire consequences.
Conclusion
To conclude this article, we will only mention that it is always important to maintain your vehicles and vessels because safety should be your priority at any given time. The costs related to the restoration and maintenance of boats cannot be accurately determined, as it is a seasonal estimate and depends on many factors.
What you can do is choose projects that you want to commit to, rather than accumulating scrap vessels that you will never restore.
Finally, we would like to remind you that you can always run these projects with your friends or family. If nothing else, you’ll at least have fun and have plenty of anecdotes to tell. If the restoration is successful, then the benefit is even greater. But don’t forget that if you’re already spending money on these kinds of projects, then it’s a good idea to complete them. No one would want boat hulls in their backyard, knowing they would never have enough time to restore them.
And the rest of the time, enjoy your sailing because you deserve it.
