| Non-Skid Deck Cleaning and Maintenance |
| By James "Doc" Lewis |
Published
11/30/2005
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Maintainance
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Unrated
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James "Doc" Lewis
James "Doc" Lewis has been "messin about in boats" for as long as he can remember. He is owner/operator of BoatDocs1, a full-service boat detailing-yacht maintenance business serving the Emerald Coast region of Florida. To learn more about boats and keeping them looking their best visit his web site at: http://www.boatdocs1.com/
View all articles by James "Doc" Lewis
Introduction
One of the most common questions we get concerns the cleaning and restoration of the non-skid decks on the boats we maintain. As with most things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure and daily washing with a mild soap and a little elbow grease, will go a long way towards keeping the non-skid deck looking ship shape and Bristol. By daily washing, I mean washing after each use or at least once a week, even if the boat has just been sitting.
Unlike the rest of the gelcoat surfaces on the boat, we can't just compound and use wax to protect it, as anyone who has stepped on a waxed floor with a little water on it knows. While there are some products which claim to protect a non-skid deck from stains and oxidation many of them contain chemicals, such as silicon which create their own problems and are nearly impossible to remove if you are not happy with the results.
Back in the real world; what do we do when the washing has been infrequent, the cleaners often far from mild, (bleach, detergents, abrasives, etc.) and the non-skid looks like it belongs on a boat twice (or three times) as old as the rest of the vessel? Assuming that it hasn't gotten to the point of no return and needs to be re-decked, what can be done to bring back that shine and sparkle to a dull and stained non-skid surface?
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