What is the best way to maintain a shiny hull. (store for winter)

jpjanke

Member
Cleaning our "new" boat now. After it is all clean and pretty, how do I get the luster back? It will be stored for the winter and would like to get it as protected as possible. Don't want to do anything to mess it up.
We plan on storing it upside down on horses or a rack. If we can make room in the barn, it will go in there, if not it will be outside under a tarp.
I have read the sails should be clean, dry and folded. Kept inside for the winter.
Also any suggestions for keeping the mast and spars winter safe.
Thank you in advance.
Cant believe we have a new sunfish, have not sailed one in over 40 years, lets hope the memory works
 
Cleaning our "new" boat now. After it is all clean and pretty, how do I get the luster back? It will be stored for the winter and would like to get it as protected as possible. Don't want to do anything to mess it up.
We plan on storing it upside down on horses or a rack. If we can make room in the barn, it will go in there, if not it will be outside under a tarp.
I have read the sails should be clean, dry and folded. Kept inside for the winter.
Also any suggestions for keeping the mast and spars winter safe.
Thank you in advance.
Cant believe we have a new sunfish, have not sailed one in over 40 years, lets hope the memory works
Moisture could be an enemy. If the fish has a hatch or two stick a small container of DAMP RID in them. RV'ers and boaters have done this with good sccsess. . It is good protective against the foam sucking up moisture
 
If you can fit it in your budget look into a harken hoister and store it overhead in your barn. Under "storage" they have systems for up to 200 lbs. Heres a link: Harken

After sailing I rinse the saltwater off the boat, let it dry, roll up the sail with the mast and spars (ready it for the next trip to the water), push the trailer into the garage and hoist the boat off the trailer up to the rafters. The trailer lives outside while two cars are parked in the garage. Saves cleaning out spiderwebs, leaves, bird ..., in the season and it doesn't have to be flipped over to keep out rainwater.
 
Moisture could be an enemy. If the fish has a hatch or two stick a small container of DAMP RID in them. RV'ers and boaters have done this with good sccsess. . It is good protective against the foam sucking up moisture
no ports, so We WILL make room for it in the barn, our barn is also chicken coop, log splitting station, with a nice section with a clear roof, never damp. Thank you.
ps wish there was a stupid question section on this forum, I have so many. Did try out both sails, got em up fast. (that I remember). Messed up tying down the gooseneck, But something does not look right, can quite figure out what it is. Have a feeling the placements on spars is all wrong. Thanks again for you help
 
Just flipped mine upside down on the trailer. Sunfish pretty much take care of themselves, it's the sail and wood parts that
need a dry place.

Don't know what you mean about the Gooseneck, it should be beween 17 and 24 inches from the front of the boom. Uphaul is
tied to Gaff between 54 and 72 inches from front of Gaff.

If boat is between 125 and 145 lbs, no problem, if waterlogged winter is the best time to install inspection ports since the low
humidity with vastly speed up drying out the hull.

Mast and spars are aluminium and aluminium is quickly corroded by mouse and rat urine. Storage in house is best along with sails
and wood parts.

Buffing gel coat is a whole other thread. My boats are oxidized past the point of ever being shiny again. I just go for mechanical
soundness and watch as others are left at the dock trying to get their motor started. The sound of money is hearing a out-drive burn
up as the oblivious owners circle the lake at high speed. Ye$ I'll fix it$ for you!$!
 
Just flipped mine upside down on the trailer. Sunfish pretty much take care of themselves, it's the sail and wood parts that
need a dry place.

Don't know what you mean about the Gooseneck, it should be beween 17 and 24 inches from the front of the boom. Uphaul is
tied to Gaff between 54 and 72 inches from front of Gaff.

If boat is between 125 and 145 lbs, no problem, if waterlogged winter is the best time to install inspection ports since the low
humidity with vastly speed up drying out the hull.

Mast and spars are aluminium and aluminium is quickly corroded by mouse and rat urine. Storage in house is best along with sails
and wood parts.

Buffing gel coat is a whole other thread. My boats are oxidized past the point of ever being shiny again. I just go for mechanical
soundness and watch as others are left at the dock trying to get their motor started. The sound of money is hearing a out-drive burn
up as the oblivious owners circle the lake at high speed. Ye$ I'll fix it$ for you!$!
I think the 2 spars are tied together much too tight, the gooseneck needs to be loosened and turned to a better angle. I have a feeling the kids that had these boats tied all down way to tight for max speed and went overboard. The more I am playing with the sails the more of my memories are coming back.
She is not heavy at all. The drain plug is frozen in place, learned today how to fix that. The only water she may have in her was me shooting the high pressure hose up around the cockpit trying to remove mud dabbers. Found a few nicks in the finish on the edge of the rear cockpit. Amazed nothing else under all that dirt. Even found the stopper for the cockpit bailer. woot woot saved some money there lol

Thanks for the info, more to store in my Log.
 
Should be two eye-bolts holding the gaff and boom together at the front. They get kind of get bent and
twisted. Originally there is a S-hook from one eye-bolt to the Sail Tack. You can use para-chord in place
of the S-hook. If you want the sail to be free to do it's thing, the shower-curtain sail clips can be replaced
with para-chord. I've noticed the sail angles off the boom better without the shower clips. Racers often
go this route so there must be something to it.
 
Ive just been checking out pictures, the sail tack is tied so tight it almost over laps the eye bolts, Spars are dirty, some grommets have sail clips some have ropes.
The sail clips are stuck on with crud. Nothing is moving as it should be. Think my next step is to clean the sail. let it dry and take it all apart and start over.
Thank to all, I know know where the halyard go, where the goose neck goes. and so much more.
Hope a bit more sun out there tomorrow, we went from 85 to 60 and I spent most of the playing with water and a boat. loving every minute of it
 
Common problem, sail tack and clew have to be loose enough for sail to form a pocket. People
tighten the clew like it's holding up a tent pole.
 
This is why I have the adjustments for outhaul and cunningham.
I set up the base tension for light air, and can then add tension as needed should conditions change.
 
This is why I have the adjustments for outhaul and cunningham.
I set up the base tension for light air, and can then add tension as needed should conditions change.
That makes sense, Ive seen there are a lot of ways to change things underway, for better control, speed, etc.
Last time I did my sailing, grabbed my suit, lowered my boat in the water, sails up, and off I went. Never really cared about the speed, or worried about the flipping.
This time I want to be prepared.
 

Back
Top