Keeping things clean when it never rains

[Ryban]

I was presented with a problem in Bonaire that I haven't faced elsewhere: dust, and lots of it.

It literally never rains here, so anything that is out gets a nice coating of dust, as the trade winds are always blowing hard, and Bonaire is a desert island.

I've been using salt water to keep the deck clean, but this is ultimately probably a bad practice, and my guess is, if it didn't drive me crazy, that the boat would be better off with a protective coat of dirt, than rinsed with salt water constantly.

What creative strategies have you guys employed when fresh water is scarce to keep things clean? I can use small amounts of fresh water, but not gallons.

[Cavalier]

Originally Posted by Ryban

I was presented with a problem in Bonaire that I haven't faced elsewhere: dust, and lots of it.



It literally never rains here, so anything that is out gets a nice coating of dust, as the trade winds are always blowing hard, and Bonaire is a desert island.

I've been using salt water to keep the deck clean, but this is ultimately probably a bad practice, and my guess is, if it didn't drive me crazy, that the boat would be better off with a protective coat of dirt, than rinsed with salt water constantly.



What creative strategies have you guys employed when fresh water is scarce to keep things clean? I can use small amounts of fresh water, but not gallons.

I installed a sea-water washdown pump in the back of the anchor locker. The feed is from a thru-hull in the galley, and thr output is a stainless quick-release connector in top of the anchor locker. A switch/fuse connects it into the supply for the windlass.



I connect a hose pipe into this and I can wash down the entire deck as much as I wish (Solar depending).



1-1.5 buckets of fresh water, selectively splooshed, and a deck brush gets rid of most of the salt water before it dries.



If you keep the deck (in my case, antiskid) well protected (with woody wax or whatever your poison) then I wouldn't stress about the salt too much. A wipe-down with a camp cloth of the stainless rails and other items will keep the excess salt off.



A kettle of hot water over your blocks etc will remove much of the salt from the bearing surfaces.

[Telesail]

It looks like your choices are limited to gently abrading your decks with fine dust or washing them with salt water unless you have a supply of peacock feathers or some other electrostatic dust lifter (swiffer or equivalent) and even a 29’ boat is probably a daunting task!

I remember the continuous whine of vacuum cleaners on the docks in Newport during the America’s Cup before the NYYC discovered how much the rest of the world loved them after they lost the cup. Many otherwise normal owners will not allow shoes on their boats that have even touched land and so, on the basis that boats on long crossings seem to survive salt water, I suspect washing with seawater to be preferable.

[john61ct]

Some owners have watermaker systems with high enough capacity for regular fresh water washdowns.

[sailcrazy]

If you have teak decks a salt-water wash is good for them-the salt is hydroscopic and helps suck moisture out of the air...keeps the wood from drying out.

[AKA-None]

There’s a reason why sailors on wooden boats always swabbed the decks. :-)

[zeehag]

sea water not good for boats?? then why keep boat in sea water or even sail sea water, for that matter.
sorry i have little sympathy.
my boat LOVES her sea water washdowns. she hates fresh water washdowns, as it SHOULD be. my stainless is shiny, and decks clean. my wood beaufitul.
might want to invest in an r.o. system for your boat to avoid sea water.
oh~~!!!~~~~~~ forgot..might need to desal the oceans.

[Cheechako]

I used salt water all the time. Rinse with fresh if available. If yo are lucky it rains. Salt is good for teak decks. Yeah, red dust blows into the eastern Caribe from Africa.... quite common.
You are right though, the salt water is not great for hardware, aluminum or SS. Nice to rinse it off. Having a good water maker has this advantage.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Ryban

What creative strategies have you guys employed when fresh water is scarce to keep things clean? I can use small amounts of fresh water, but not gallons.

There's no magic bullet, just salt water. It's better than letting the dust accumulate. I would save the fresh water for rinsing blocks, clutches it.

Saltwater will take the dust and the old dried salt off, with a scrub. So you'll always have salt but it won't build up.

[JPA Cate]

Ryban, sea water is harmless to fiberglass. Wash away. Do rinse blocks, and sheet stoppers if you have them, afterwards with a tiny bit of fresh water, but freshwater washing of boats is yacht club stuff, not the life of a cruising sailboat, which might get washed by rain sometime. Just, when it starts to rain, quick scrub the decks, if you're going to catch drinking water off them, and let the rain rinse them first.

Ann

[Simi 60]

Timber boats hate fresh and love salt.

[SVTwilight]

Just move up here to Cape Cod. This year the rain never seems to stop! :-)

I love Bonaire and have hundreds of dives there. I hope it is still as nice as I remember. It was starting to get a bit over built when Iwas last there in 1999...

[picklesandjesse]

Part of the adventure. You have to get to like salt water I guess, just try and keep it on the outside. It's very annoying on materials below deck. Good luck with your voyage, you have a good boat to do it in.

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by picklesandjesse

Part of the adventure. You have to get to like salt water I guess, just try and keep it on the outside. It's very annoying on materials below deck. Good luck with your voyage, you have a good boat to do it in.

Boy, you got that right!

[mayberrybfd]

And you chose to live there WHY ???