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View Full Version : Boat Washing- So how are we all doing it?



Poodroo
23-01-2008, 06:13 PM
G'day all,
I know there are lots of boats in the great south east and unfortunately most of us who live outside of the Redland shire do not have excess to water on tap for the purpose of washing boats and trailers after a trip out in the briney. After a day out on the water I normally pop into the local Car Lover's car wash but it is disheartening to see queues stretching out onto the road of all the local car nuts with their pride and joys waiting to do the weekend spruce up. Have had to wait for nearly an hour with the boat on the back and fish in the esky before I could do the water conscious thing and use their recycled water. The temptation on several occasions was to go home and use the tap water but so far I have been well behaved. I only use the town water when I flush the motor. I know not all of us have rainwater tanks and in fact there would be people in rental properties with boats who as tenants may never get a rain water tank. What I am now planning to do to avoid Car Lover queues is to use a 500 litre drum or bigger to fill with rain water and gravity feed it to a Karcher high pressure water cleaner which I picked up on the cheap brand new. Was just out of the box (right place at the right time for once).
I am just curious to know how other people are washing their boats and trailers at the moment?

Poodroo

Leighton
23-01-2008, 06:23 PM
3300L Rain water tank, couldnt fit a bigger tank in the space. My advice is to get the biggest tank possible.
I have always been a bit undecided on the Car Lovers option. They use mostly recycled water, I wonder how much salt is left in the recycled water???

Hamish73
23-01-2008, 06:25 PM
we now have a tank but before:
Flush engine with buckets under it catching the excess water. Flush for long enough to fill up 2 buckets.
Wash brakes with a hose. This is legal. As the cables that run up the trailer are part of the brakes, they get washer too.
Use water in buckets to sponge wash topsides and hull and outboard

PinHead
23-01-2008, 06:25 PM
tap water to flush the motor..tap water to the gerni to wash trailer brakes...same gerni then washes down boat.

DAVE_S
23-01-2008, 06:30 PM
i have a 10,000 litre tank so every thing gets a good bath and the good thing about it the water is free .

deadbeatloser
23-01-2008, 07:08 PM
where i live in caloundra we hav no restrictions but with the state goverment taking control of our local water boards(councils)wont be long....
also 3 council amalgamate in march so wait and see....... i use car lovers to wash boat 5 bucks n its done

beams DBL;D

Fatenhappy
23-01-2008, 07:19 PM
Hey Poodroo ...

Bummer that you're where you are otherwise I'd say swing by home Bracken Ridge on your way home ....

We've just 2 months ago, put in a 5000ltr slim line and shes chockers. Combine that with the new pressure cleaner and sweet as and busting for boating and the plants ...

No bull give me a yell if you're coming back from the north side ... no probs!!

H'mmm ... there's a thought ... go commercial ... na the neigbours really would get pissed off! :D

Cheers
Greg

PinHead
23-01-2008, 07:35 PM
I'll be over on the weekend LR..1 boat and 3 cars to do..do you supply the labour also?????

hungry6
23-01-2008, 07:49 PM
We have 5 x 40 000l tanks in underground storage plus a 40meg dam. water is not an issue

jtpython
23-01-2008, 07:52 PM
We only have rainwater tanks where we are so it's not really an issue , or hasn't been as yet we have between our 2 tanks 53 000 litres that run 's our house.
But because am a social club member of the coast guard and after fishing wash the boat down at the ramp with there wash down facilities , just high pressure hose , Then once home use boiling hot water with a mixture of gold car wash and washing detergent and wash and scrub all the boat down and clears and rinse off and brings a great shine out on the boat, and don't have to worry about chamois down because it beads off, think the hot water does it ?
But there ya have it and then all the freash water in turn waters the grass at home
Cheers JT

Poodroo
23-01-2008, 07:52 PM
Hey Poodroo ...

Bummer that you're where you are otherwise I'd say swing by home Bracken Ridge on your way home ....

We've just 2 months ago, put in a 5000ltr slim line and shes chockers. Combine that with the new pressure cleaner and sweet as and busting for boating and the plants ...

No bull give me a yell if you're coming back from the north side ... no probs!!

H'mmm ... there's a thought ... go commercial ... na the neigbours really would get pissed off! :D

Cheers
Greg

Well thanks for the kind offer Greg. Just may take you up on that offer one day if I happen to be near by. Obviously rain water tanks are the best idea. I know the Karcher is going to serve me well but I think the water restrictions still prevent me from using it unless I hook it up to a rain water source. Still waiting for some replies from people in rental situations who don't have rain water tanks because the stingy landlords won't put one in.

Poodroo

Fatenhappy
23-01-2008, 07:55 PM
hey pinhead .. no probs, fill ya boots ... you bring the beers and "we'll" do the labour !!!!

Fatenhappy
23-01-2008, 07:59 PM
hey hungry6 ... do you do yabbies and fingerlings in the dam or what?

Cheers
Greg

charleville
23-01-2008, 07:59 PM
I flush the motor and hose the brakes etc on the trailer but I am not washing the boat.

The carpets in it are disgusting at the moment. I did take a scrubbing brush out with me on the Bay last Monday and did scrub a bit of carpet with sea water. That was not too bad actually but I need to do a lot more.

PinHead
23-01-2008, 08:01 PM
Poodroo..I do not have water tanks either...actually I have a small share in a couple of big ones..called Wivenhoe and Somerset so I use the water from them.

manchild
23-01-2008, 08:11 PM
50000 lite underground tanks,all full:) .Funny thing is i have to fight the council for months to let me put them in ,mind you that was 5 years ago.
George

SgBFish
23-01-2008, 08:54 PM
3 tanks + Karcher + soap attachment = no guilt.
Takes me 2 stubbies to wash her down.

hungry6
23-01-2008, 10:42 PM
hey hungry6 ... do you do yabbies and fingerlings in the dam or what?

Cheers
Greg

We had barra in our last smaler dam, they were fun for friends kids and all, but tasted CR*P so we wont be putin them in this dam. But I would mind red claws though.

finga
24-01-2008, 06:28 AM
Tanks and pressure pump ATM.
Or visit the rello's at Rabi Bay or Wello Pt or visit TOL or ...there's lots of people in the Redlands to visit :D.
Or go fishing down at Evans were there's no restrictions and good fishing or out to Warwick in the freshwater for a change to give the motor a really good flushing.

So many options..so little time :)

Lapras
24-01-2008, 07:16 AM
500 litre drum or bigger to fill with rain water and gravity feed it to a Karcher high pressure water cleaner which I picked up on the cheap brand new.

Poodroo

Exactly that, I have a 500 litre tank which gravity feeds (3m head of water) down to my driveway via a small coarse filter. I flush with muffs (pressure is enough) and then attach to a high pressure cleaner. It works a treat. I get about 4 washes from the tank - similar boat to yours and I waste a bit and give the car an occasional quck wash.

Because it is such a small tank and I have a large roof catchment it will fill with a decent shower - I also positioned it under our airconditioner drain and believe it or not it before the rain set in it was enough to keep it topped up. Bigger tank would be nice, but I find 500l ok for me (guess it depends how often you use your boat.


Dave

PS. Congrats on the boat hope it is performing well for you.

PADDLES
24-01-2008, 07:45 AM
tap water for the outboard flush (because i don't have a pump on my tank), spear water for the trailer and underneath of boat, tank water in bucket for topsides. only got the tank 3000L in on the friday just before christmas and then it filled up nicely over christmas.

Kleyny
24-01-2008, 08:18 AM
i got a hold of two 1000L IBCs (the things that the trucks carry the chemicals in)
i got mine for 60 each un-cleaned. they had latex in them.
you can get clean ones for around the 150 mark.
hooked up to a pressure pump i use roughly 200lt of water washing the whole rig down and flushing the motor as well.
i have just acquired a carcher to help with the usage.

neil

Sandman
24-01-2008, 09:35 AM
Town water to flush the engine and 5000ltr tank to wash her down, will be putting in a dedicated tank to do this eventually as i am running toilet and washer off my 5000 ltr yep and the tank seems to fill up with the rain we get , should have put 10,000 instead :) i sti feel guilty seeing all that water run away when i wash her but i do my best to divert what i can.
mick

TimD
24-01-2008, 11:32 AM
Still waiting for some replies from people in rental situations who don't have rain water tanks because the stingy landlords won't put one in.
Poodroo


I live in a rental property with no water tank,I am forced to use tap water connected to the gerni,I think the water restrictions at level 6 are ridiculous anyway we seem to have more rainy days than sunny ones now.

cheers tim :)

Dirtysanchez
24-01-2008, 12:33 PM
I just hang mu canoe back up on it's racks & wait for the rain :D

I have a tank and occasionally wash the 4wd and wifes car, but not often, only when they are putridly dirty.. Came back from Rainbow over Christmas and there was about 50kg of muddy sand stuck to the 4wd from a few dismal beach trips, so thats all bee Karchered off now.

I only have about 1000lts in my little tanks collectively, but like they say, we are getting enough small showers to keep them full

PADDLES
24-01-2008, 01:16 PM
hey tim, suss it out, but i think that you can still get the state gov rebate (up to $1k) for a tank if you rent a place. don't quote me on it but i'm sure i saw on option on the application form for the rebate for tenants. just take it for a walk when you move.

nah, false alarm, i searched for the requirements and tenants can only get a rebate for a washing machine, that's krap i reckon. i must have seen the tenant box on the form and assumed it could be for anything.

Dirtysanchez
24-01-2008, 04:26 PM
Another, more portable idea that I started off with, and still use for the cars is this.. Buy or score a wheely bin. I got a small 120ltr one.. Drill a hole in the side towards the bottom and buy a std brass tap from Bunnings, and if you look in the plumbing section, you will find a suitable nut for a back nut.

From there I put one of those down pipe diverters into the down pipe at the front of the house. It easily fills the wheely bin if the rain is decent.

Use a small hose to connect it to the Karcher, and so long as you can get your boat / car close enough, it works fine.. Like I said earlier, I wash 2 cars with 120ltrs easily.. then because I have washed the cars, i am assured of more rain ;D

MyEscape
24-01-2008, 04:58 PM
I feel a bit sorry for you blokes in the south east. I live at Hay Point on an acre and have town water, but also have a couple of decent tanks for the gardens and, of course washing the boat and cars.

No problems to us, but I'd hate not to have a tanks now days

Steve

Poodroo
24-01-2008, 05:09 PM
Exactly that, I have a 500 litre tank which gravity feeds (3m head of water) down to my driveway via a small coarse filter. I flush with muffs (pressure is enough) and then attach to a high pressure cleaner. It works a treat. I get about 4 washes from the tank - similar boat to yours and I waste a bit and give the car an occasional quck wash.

Because it is such a small tank and I have a large roof catchment it will fill with a decent shower - I also positioned it under our airconditioner drain and believe it or not it before the rain set in it was enough to keep it topped up. Bigger tank would be nice, but I find 500l ok for me (guess it depends how often you use your boat.


Dave

PS. Congrats on the boat hope it is performing well for you.

Thanks Dave. The boat is going great guns thanks. Want to get out again on the weekend but once again weather permitting. So far the predictions aren't too good. >:(

Poodroo

Fish Guts
24-01-2008, 07:19 PM
very tough at the marina for washdowns. its a joke.

manchild
24-01-2008, 07:39 PM
Tim you still can get the tank if you rent,including a rebate.Just take it with you when you move get a smaller one though.One of my renters did it .
cheers]
George

PinHead
24-01-2008, 07:55 PM
very tough at the marina for washdowns. its a joke.

which marina????

Fish Guts
24-01-2008, 09:24 PM
scarbrough

Hamish73
25-01-2008, 06:55 PM
A private poll is in order I think, I reckon a lot more people use tap water than are letting on. Maybe if they didnt we wouldnt be at level 6?

haggis
25-01-2008, 09:03 PM
I have a 3000 litre tank but I also collect the cold shower water & put it in a 60 litre bucket which I use to flush the outboard . dont care about watering the plants or the grass if they dont grow I dont have to mow or trim . only concern is
keeping the boat & cars clean .
cheers haggis .........

Eagle
25-01-2008, 11:55 PM
I mix three cap-fulls of that blue detergent stuff in a full bucket of water and slop it everywhere inside the boat and use more if I have to. I then spray it all over with the hose and rinse it all off. I run the motor while I do this using a second hose and muffs. The axel and trailer are hosed off and the windscreen chamoied off. I probably use 200 liters or more and then I hose off the the concrete patio where I clean the boat and the car. I am totally spoilt though, we have a wonderful bore that provides a minimum of 1200 gals per hour. I also use a Karcher high pressure cleaner to clean the carpet and the concrete.

Joe