How do I keep my new Ranger Bass Boat in showroom condition

Skipper August 13, 2014 Ask The Skipper

Buddy Chiasson asked:

I recently purchased a 2012 Ranger Z519 bass boat. It is in showroom condition and looks great. I want to start out with a good gel coat protection system. How do you recommend I proceed?

Answer:

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Congratulations. That’s a very nice boat.

How you set up your maintenance routine depends a lot on how you plan to use your boat and where you are located. Some boat owners want to do their maintenance once or twice a year and that’s it, others don’t mind wiping it down after every use and touching it up to keep it pristine. The further south you are and the more you use your boat throughout the year, the more maintenance will be required. If you’re further north, you can plan to winterize and store your boat for 5 to 8 months a year.

Starting with the bottom, I recommend that you use Boat Scrub and a Marine Power Mitt, to deep clean and prep the gelcoat and then apply two coats of VS721. This will seal the pores to protect the bottom against osmosis in the event that you leave your boat in the water for more than a few days and will also reduce fouling and the attachment of invasive species larvae and make the bottom easy to keep clean. Since you have a low freeboard on that boat you may want to apply the VS721 up to the rubrail, or you can use VS721 below the waterline and Premium Boat Shine between the waterline and the rubrail. Both have good UV protection but the VS721 is more durable. Also, use VS721 on the lower leg of your outboard.

North American Fishing Club tested VS721 on 80 fishing boats in 26 different states and gave it a 95% approval rating. Many bass boat owners reported picking up between 3 to 5 miles per hour at the top end.

For the fiberglass gunwales, cockpit and engine well you have two choices. If you want to do it once a year, prep the surfaces with Boat Scrub and protect them with two coats of Premium Boat Shine. If you plan to wipe the boat down after every use, use Kwik Shine instead. Kwik Shine is a spray and wipe cleaner, sealer, UV protective polish combination that leave a fantastic shine and is very easy to use. You can also use Kwik Shine on the plastic instrument crystals all the stainless or chrome fittings and the engine cowling to keep them shiny and protected. A lot of boat owners also use Kwik Shine on their trailers and trucks. It gives you a hard, dry finish that repels dust and dirt.

For cleaning the carpets, seats, live-wells and canvas cover, use Boat Clean Plus. It’s an effective cleaner and degreaser that will remove fish blood and slime, food and beverage spills, grease, oil, bird droppings and much more and it’s completely safe for all surfaces. You can use it to keep your live-well clean and because it’s free rinsing, there will not be any residue left to kill the bait or fish. Use Vinyl Guard or the seats for durable, non slippery, UV protection. 2 coats will last 3 to 4 months and it will protect against suntan lotion, fish bait stains, food and beverage stains, bird droppings, mould and mildew. it will replace the plasticizers lost to the sun with every application, assuring your seats long life.

Regular use of these products will keep your boat looking new for the next 30 years or so.

Thanks for your question,

Captain Aurora
Richard Kittar