Fiberglass is fairly maintenance free. But it does need to be cut and polished probably once a year to keep the gel coat in good condition. Once cut and polished it has to be waxed as well or the finish will deteriorate faster than if nothing had been done at all.

Stainless steel rails should be properly polished once a year, mostly around where the rail meets the fiberglass, as this is where pit marks or possibly rust marks will occur depending on the age of the boat. Once pitting has taken place it is hard to fix and can lead to bigger problems.

When storing the boat it needs to sit noticeably bow high with the bungs open this will allow air to circulate through the hull and will allow any moisture in the boat to evaporate on warm days. The most common cause of serious damage to fiberglass boats is stringers rotting out from inside where water has been sitting and this is very expensive to repair

Any fuel spills should be cleaned with soapy water but don’t let the fuel sit for too long most fiberglass trailer boats are made from a resin that will go soft if allowed prolonged exposure to fuel and again this will be an expensive repair

If the boat is being stored outside for prolonged periods then a proper cover should be used to cover it. The cover should not be able contact the fiberglass where it the cover is able to stay wet for long as this can cause osmosis in the fiberglass. The same goes for wet rags, clothes, lifejackets mats on the floor and anything else

Also the cover should not part cover sections of the boat e.g. the bow or the transom as this will cause the gel coat to fade in the exposed part but maintain its colour under the cover. This again will be very hard to rectify if it can be at all.

Alloy

Biggest problem is salt build up. A good hose down and wash is fine for normal everyday use but more is needed on occasion.

On bare alloy a spray and wipe of Inox or similar moisture repellent once every three months or so will keep the alloy in good condition and help to reduce water marks.

Once a year it is a good idea to run fresh water through the bungs into the sealed chambers. Done with salt away is the best, potentially even some dishwashing liquid, but nothing too corrosive. Once say 20-30 L is in each tank put the bungs back in then tow the boat for a while to get the water in around all the areas. Then empty and rinse out.

For painted boats a wax and polish once a year is needed to keep the paint in good condition, but it is a good idea to keep an eye out for bubbling in the paint. Bubbling is unavoidable with aluminium and will always happen at some stage. It is easiest to have the small bubbles touched up once a year to stop them getting too bad and the bigger they get the faster they spread.

Also fitting after market parts

SS to a minimum, don’t drill through sealed chambers, any electrics should be grounded back to battery.

Any carpet, or matting’s need to be properly dry or removed to be stored for long periods as this speeds up the corrosion process.

DO NOT ALLOW SINKERS TO REMAIN IN CONTACT WITH ALLOY FOR LONG PERIODS.

Turn battery isolation switch off.

Wooden floors in alloy boats should be lifted up at least once every second year, floatation removed and cleaned of salt, the floor washed of any build up of leaves salt etc bottom of floors checked for rot, everything allowed to dry completely then put down again.

Trailer maintenance

Grease coupling to avoid wear.

Pump handbrake on braked trailers a couple of times a month this keeps everything moving and reduces likelihood of brakes sticking.

Check trailer plug, opening the slits in the connector a little bit gives better contact and will frequently fix tail lights that aren’t working.

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