Too anal about cleanliness ?

[SkiTundra]

My wife comes from a good Norwegian family (eg, lots and lots of kids every generation) and so we have lots of little nieces. Great girls, but drive me nuts when we take them boating. Her bro's lake doesn't allow docks so it on/off at the beach. SWMBO also likes to invite folks to spend a day at our lake's beach (no docks nearby) which again means on/off from beach. I, tactfully as I can, say stuff over and over about people always using the platform, always rinsing their feet of sand and gunk before getting in boat, not stepping on vinyl unless really necessary, etc. SWMBO also likes to insure that as many folk as possible get to spend as much time as possible in boat so just about every run includes a full legal boatload. Me thinks she'd like me to chill a bit with all of this and just enjoy the day more.

After any of these outings I also always bring the boat back to our house, remove all carpet and cushions, clean everything really really good, dry everything out, etc.

Anyone else as obnoxiously anal?

BTW, I really do love taking everyone out boating and would never trade it no matter what it does to our boat (after all, it's why we got the boat)....

[Nautiquehunter]

Me thinks Anal is synonymous with Nautique .If you didnt do that you would probably own a Bayliner or MC.

[gride300]

get a bucket, put water in it, set in front of your boat on the beach, and have people step in it before entering. as long as you dont require people to clean your boat for/with you then be as anal as you want about it.

[DanielC]

I have worked a few high school summer camps, and have had to work off the beach. When loading and unloading, I put the transom to the beach, and people have to use it to climb in to the boat. Of course, you want to stay in water deep enough to avoid propeller damage, in water about knee to waist deep. by the time the people wade to the boat, it is fairly easy to get them to rinse off lake mud on thier feet, by sitting on the platform.
If you are running large groups of people, have one or two helpers to hold the back end of the boat.
Do you have any friends with pontoon boats. They are really just docks that can move themselves.

Having said that, it is just a boat. A quality, well assembled, piece of fiberglass, with a motor in it. The relationships with people, are much more important. The joy of having somebody get up on skis or a wakeboard, for the first time, make having to do extra cleaning well worth it.

[SkiTower]

Do you have any friends with pontoon boats. They are really just docks that can move themselves.

I LOVE IT! I agree, you're not anal, just a Nautique owner. Can't say I'd act any differently. If you were asking the passengers to wear booties, that'd be too far...

SWMBO somehow meaning wife??? They usually don't do the boat cleaning and therefore don't think about that stuff and therefore will always think you're too anal.

[Chexi]

No, you are not being too anal. Boat interiors are unfortunately fragile (rip and tear easily) and show dirt like crazy. It also takes a lot of time to clean a boat. The more you can do to lessen the chances of tears and limit the amount of dirt in the boat, the better.

I go through the rules with every new person in the boat. I start off by telling them that I just spent about 100 hours reupholstering the boat, so forgive me if this seems too anal, but it was no fun...

That has always done the trick. Keeping the boat clean and not tearing the vinyl takes all of about 3 seconds more per person per in/out of the water. It is as close to nothing as possible. If people are not willing to take those 3 extra seconds... then it's time to find new people.

Of course, I have not had any kids on my Nautique yet. That might give me a stroke. Kids can go on my tige!

[SNMike]

Having fun, making memories is why we own these gems. But that's what they are priced like. GEMS!! My wife, myself, and our close friends DRY OFF before we get into my boat. The back seat stays home, so no worries there.

It only takes a few seconds to dry off. That's all I ask. I detail the trailer from the bottom to the top of the windshield EVERY outing. That means spray waxing, 303, the whole 9 yards. It's my time, sweat and energy, so no one is put out but me.

My show cars, same thing. Don't drive them in the rain, and rarely at night.......bugs!!!

Actually, I take care of everything I own. I don't have a money tree, and I was brought up to take care of my belongings. I never have a hard time selling my stuff because people know how anal I am.

Regards to ALL!!

Mike

[horkn]

No , you are not being too anal. It's your boat, and if people want to have use of it, they need to be respectful of your property.


I'm the same way.

All the dive boats that I have been on that required shore boarding have even made everyone wash their feet before getting on the boat.

It's just common courtesy.

[obd666]

anal is just one of the many words ive been called relative to my passion for keeping a boat clean. working off the beach like that with kids would drive me nuts too, you just do all you can to minimize how dirty they get it. at a minimum they would have to rinse off feet, etc ... and i would agree with having them use the platform

[shag]

Your not too anal. I don't worry about people being wet when they get in, but my rules are: no shoes (it a boat for cryin out sideways), check your feet for dirt - etc, no bottles, no smoking (duh), no sharp clothing items, and careful when applying the tanning lotion-oil-block. I do spend time after the day, rinse and wipe down - not a big deal to me - and my stuff is usually always well taken care. I too have had better re-sale value (and time for sale) due to my diligence with cleaning.

[behindpropellers]

Sounds like you need to buy a pontoon boat.

[bscott]

A trip or two in a boat that is owned by someone who does not spend as much time taking care of their boat may help your wife see the light. It worked for me. My wife appreciates the effort I put into taking care of the boat a lot more these days.

[DealsGapCobra]

I just traded my 20 yo boat on my SN two months ago. Two years ago I still had people asking if the boat was new! Small tears in the vinyl couldn't be seen with the boat on the trailer.

What I don't understand is how people can spend this kind of money and NOT take care of it! Then again, to each his own - I guess there is something to be said for convenience. Just take you shoes off when getting in my boat and don't let it hit the dock.

[shag]

Deals, you are so right about the dock impact issue too. I am about to buy bumpers for the 2 most frequently visited docks on our lake...... Just to protect when I pull up.

[Hercules]

We all know that sometimes elbow grease is just not enough to get a boat looking spick and span, and there are an enormous range of products on the market to help with the cleaning required. Whether you clean your boat in the water or on land, boat cleaning products may end up in local water courses and eventually the coastal and marine environment. Products used on boat hulls and decks often contain chlorine, ammonia, potassium hydroxide and solvents, all potentially harmful to the aquatic environment. Raising awareness of the potential impacts of these products and the ‘friendly’ alternatives available is very important.