Glass and wood are high-contact areas on your boat and can require constant attention. Below are recommendations for caring for them, from after every cruise to annual spring cleaning before the season gets going.
Glass Maintenance
Rinse salt after every cruise, as often as possible using a soft cloth or microfiber. On tinted windows, use an ammonia-free glass cleaner (don’t use regular Windex!). Clay bar your windshield or use isopropyl alcohol on non-tinted windows to remove water spots and help prep the glass for water-repellant chemicals such as Rain-X or Aquapel.
Wood Cleaning
Caring for oil-finished wood depends on sun, water, and chemical exposure, and general wear & tear. We recommend using Dalys Seafin Teak Oil and microfiber or fiber cloths. For Urethane finished wood we recommend Pledge and Murphy’s Oil Soap.
Refinishing Oil-Finished Wood
Factory recommended products:
Dalys Seafin Teak Oil
West Marine 1-Step Teak Cleaner and Brightener
Nitrile gloves
Quality scrub brush
Metal container for disposing of oil-soaked rags
To clean and finish:
Put on gloves.
Wash and rinse the area, including the surrounding area, to clear debris.
Apply Teak Cleaner and Brightener on the wood surface only.
Using a scrub brush, lightly scrub following the grain for around 15 seconds.
Let the wood cleaner rest on the area for about two minutes.
Thoroughly rinse the entire area.
Let the wood air dry.
When dry, apply Teak Oil using a cotton rag.
WARNING: Teak oil rags can be flammable. Dispose of used rags properly by soaking them in a water filled, closed metal container for at least an hour.
Refinishing Urethane-Finished Wood
Factory recommended products:
Nitrile gloves
Sanding block & 1,000 grit sandpaper
Denatured alcohol
Masking tape and paper
Helmsman Spar Urethane – Clear Satin (rattle can for ease of application)
Cotton rags
Respirator
To clean and finish:
Put on nitrile gloves and appropriate respirator.
Tape off 1 ft around the damaged area.
Sand the area with 1,000 grit sandpaper. Do not sand all the way up to the tape.
Clean the sanded area with a solvent such as denatured alcohol.
Mask off any area that could be subject to overspray with plastic (drop-cloths can be found at most hardware stores).
Shake the spray according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Spray a light, even layer over the area. Don’t spray all the way up to the tape line to avoid paint lines.
Let dry to tack (sticky but not peeling), about 10-15 minutes.
Once tacky, spray another even layer.
Let dry overnight. Once dry remove the tape and paper.
