“If god had meant for their to be fiberglass boats, there would be fiberglass trees.”

There is a saying in the wood boat fandom, “If god had meant for their to be fiberglass boats, there would be fiberglass trees.” Here at Streblow Custom Boasts, we like wood boats (I know, we’re biased). A Streblow Custom Boat, if taken care of simply, will outshine and last longer than any fiberglass boat. The fallacy that wood boats are hard to take care of is just that. Keep it covered, keep it hydrated, and keep it clean. If you can do that, there’s no reason your boat’s finish won’t last as long as your skin.

How does one take care of a wood boat in season?

When you are out and about in the hot summer sun, we bet one of the go-to things to bring with you besides your swimsuit and towel is sunscreen. Likewise, a boat too needs its sunscreen. Like when your skin is over exposed and gets sunburnt, varnish can prematurely age if not taken care off. Just like you put some clothes on or apply sunscreen, when you aren’t using your boat, throw on its sunscreen: the cover! If one was to compare the cost of an annual buff and wax of a fiberglass boat versus the cost of a varnish job on a properly cared Streblow over the same amount of time, the annual buff and wax bill will exceed the cost of a varnish job.

Keep the boat hydrated.

Much like yourself, wood boats love the water. During the boating season, if a wood boat is kept in the water or on the water on a lift or hoist, your boat is constantly surrounded by humidity. This keeps the planks from drying out and causing the seams between planks to open up with unwanted gaps. For those that trailer their boats, keeping a boat on its trailer on an asphalt driveway may be convenient for you, but it can dry out the boat. Temps on the hot summer asphalt can routinely exceed 100 degrees. Keep it inside a covered space with a natural gravel floor. For off season storage, some owners think a heated garage is the best place for the boat. For some things the heat will be fine, but what happens for the wood is the heat will dry out the air and as such dry out the boat. We run humidifiers all the time and even sprinkle some water on the floor before we leave at the end of the day. Ideal humidity range is 55%-65% to keep a boat happy and humid.

Keep the boat clean.

If after a heavy day of enjoyment where people were jumping in and out of the water, tubes and skis were in use, and maybe the occasional beverage from an overstocked cooler was drank, a few wet spots may have appeared in the upholstery or floor. Be sure to wipe down your interior and it is dry before covering. This way you limit the chance for mold to grow.

When cleaning the boat, we recommend using distilled white vinegar. Yes, the same stuff that is used to help make salad dressing. The low acidic percentage, means it is safe on human hands, but strong enough to get those pesky water spots off. Plus, if you smell like vinegar, the aroma of cleaning the boat will mask the smell of donuts and cheeseburgers you had for lunch instead of a salad.