New owner SX190 - help make sure I'm doing post fun cleaning correctly

[ruztew]

Hello,
I've had my 2015 SX190 now for about a month and I wanted to make sure I've been cleaning everything correctly and haven't missed an important place/part to clean.... So, here's what I do after a day of fun (running in salt water).

Once on trailer at the dock, I pull the drain plugs from the back, then drive home

Get home, Flush engine with fresh water (engine on, water on), then run salt away through it for a few minutes After turning off the hose, I rev up the engine a bit to blow any remaining water out. Engine off.

Pull the cleanout plug, rinse and leave sitting in the hole at an angle so its just resting in there out of the way and not locked into place.

Climb on the boat and pull the drain plugs, 1 in the ski locker, 1 in the engine compartment

Spray down the trailer/boat exterior with salt away - using the mixer and then flush nozzle I get a nice powerful spray. Make sure I spray the jet nozzle and intake grate.

I then wash down the boat with salt-away in a bucket, wash down the seats and interior the best I can. Next, I take some starbrite deck cleaner and scrub the deck (after carpet has been removed).

Rinse the deck with fresh water. Then I crank the front of the boat up as high as it will go, leave the bilge on, and let the boat drain like that for a while - sometimes the bilge pulls water out, sometimes it doesn't.

Open up the engine compartment and spray the whole engine down with silicon spray.

Take WD-40 and spray down the winch area, tongue, and whatever else I can hit.

Take either Silicon spray or WD40 and hit the cleats, bimini supports, and whatever else metal is available on the exterior of the boat.

Dry the boat (sometimes using the wax as you dry spray stuff for Marine use).

I've protected the seats with 303 protectant spray.. will probably re-do it next time I take it out.

Let the boat dry in the sun some and then put it back in the garage.



Am I missing anything???

 

[ToddW850]

Well you've DEFINITELY done your homework @ruztew ! Nice job! I can't think of anything you've missed off the top of my head. No need to leave the bilge pump on while you are draining on the trailer, unless you are just testing the pump to make sure it works (which is not a bad idea at all). I boat about every weekend and I test my bilge pump about every weekend just to make sure. I too use Salt Away, but only in the engines while flushing. I use West Marine Boat Wash to wash the interior and exterior of the boat. Just a preference I guess.

But Welcome to the Forum as well!

 

[ruztew]

I leave the bilge on when its tilted back to get out any water that might be below deck... the first time i was really surprised to see any water at all, but I think it came from rinsing the deck and a bunch of water got in the ski locker and drained back to the bilge

 

[ToddW850]

It's all good. Just FYI, when you pull the plug at the back of the boat, the water that comes out is the same as what the bilge would be pumping. But again, doesn't hurt to test your bilge pump. Last thing you want is that thing not working while out on the water when you need it.

Also forgot to mention, you sound like me cleaning my boat. I'm VERY thorough.

 

[itsdgm]

Welcome @ruztew. Your cleanup sounds thorough enough to me. I don't run in the salt though, so other ocean users might have better salt water advice. Keep up the good work.

 

[Chillypilot]

Wow that sounds like a lot of work. I keep my boat in a wet slip. Pull the plugs, put on the cover and go home.

 

[soundshark]

Wow, as another 2015 SX190 owner I am embarrassed. I do the first half of your list. But haven't done any silicone or WD40 yet. I've only had the boat for a week. Off to West Marine I go...

 

[tdonoughue]

Very thorough, @ruztew !

The one item I might suggest to improve would be on the cleanout plugs. I leave mine all the way out of the hole and the tray door open. Why? You can't start the boat like that and accidentally go taking off with those plugs still sitting cockeyed in the holes... Not that I have ever done that. But I knew someone who did and I sure felt stupid for it. Er.

Edited to add: Oh, and welcome!