User Guide

4
Properly maintaining
your boat protects
your investment and
helps keep it looking
new longer. There are
many reasons for per-
forming your own
boat maintenance, but
the best reasons are the
time and money you
will save.
Cleaning and
repairing are not that
difficult. Using the right
tools and supplies for the
job, boat maintenance can
be accomplished relatively
quickly, allowing you to
spend more time enjoying
your boat with family and
friends.
Bringing your boat back
to peak condition is best
accomplished by breaking
tasks into manageable
pieces and using quality
products.
3M offers a complete
line of marine products
that work in harmony with
each other and are specifi-
cally formulated for the
demanding marine envi-
ronment. 3M marine prod-
ucts provide professional
results that will save you
time — and money — in
the long run.
CLEANING
Before sprucing up your
boat’s appearance, make
sure it’s clean — and not
just soap-and-water clean.
You can apply all the best
waxes and protectors, but
if the fiberglass, gelcoat,
paint or aluminum sur-
faces aren’t squeaky clean
to begin with, your boat
will never look its best.
Your boat’s surface also
must be clean before you
perform gelcoat work, fix
cracks or even add or
replace hardware. A sur-
face clean of all wax and
dirt results in a truer color
that will better match paint
or gelcoat.
If you will be adding or
replacing hardware, make
sure you clean well before
doing these tasks, as the
sealant won’t adhere prop-
erly to a dirty surface.
Washing The
Boat’s Surface
Begin the cleaning process
by using soap and water —