Standard operating procedure for rinsing, washing, and protecting your vessel after every trip. Takes 15 minutes. Saves thousands over the life of your boat. Check off each step as you go — the progress bar tracks your completion.
Begin at hardtop, T-top, arch, or flybridge. Work your way down to the hull. Top-to-bottom order ensures salt water runs off clean surfaces, not back over them.
Get under the gunwale channel and into the transom corners — salt concentrates in low spots. Open any hatches and rinse the edges of the openings.
Salt on stainless causes surface rust and eventually pitting. A quick pass with the hose on each piece takes 30 seconds and prevents it.
Pay extra attention to the waterline — the stripe of concentrated salt and bio-residue that accumulates at the waterline is where staining starts.
Do not guess on concentration. Too dilute and it won't lift grime. Too concentrated and it leaves residue that attracts contamination. Follow the ratio on the bottle.
Bow section → port → starboard → transom. Straight overlapping passes only — no circular motions. Rinse each section before soap can dry.
The waterline accumulates the most contamination per square inch on the boat. Use your brush with moderate pressure and soap, following the line from bow to stern on both sides.
Soap residue dries into a film that looks like water spots and attracts grime. Do a final top-to-bottom rinse pass over everything you just washed.
Cleats, rails, hinges, rod holders — one wipe-down with a damp microfiber removes the final salt film. Inspect as you go: loose screws, cracked O-rings, chafe marks.
Spray onto a damp hull panel. Spread with clean microfiber in straight passes. Let flash 30 seconds. Buff off with a second clean, dry microfiber. Check water bead behavior after.
Prevent mineral deposits from water evaporating in the heat. Hull can air dry — focus drying effort on topsides, windshield, and any horizontal surface that collects water.
Salt in your wash gear transfers back to the boat on the next wash. Rinse everything clean before stowing.
Damp microfibers stored closed grow mildew fast in South Florida heat. Hang or lay flat to dry before putting away.
Loose fittings, new stains, areas where water bead performance looked off, hardware that seemed corroded. Text or email it to yourself — or ask a question in the member area.
If you're getting staining at the waterline that won't come off with normal wash soap, you likely need a waterline cleaner or a professional detail service. Text me a photo and I'll tell you what you're dealing with: 561-406-3888
Ask the ClearHullCo owner directly. Personal response within 24 hours — not a script, not a bot.