Jeff Ramstad (ALIBI – 2000 Bavaria 37)

Cleaning Stainless Steel Gate Hooks. Over the years, well actually since the end of the first season we owned ALIBI, I have cleaned the S.S. gate hooks for our life line gates. The next year they are slightly rusty again, I suppose they became contaminated in some manner during their production with a wire brush or the like in the small surface pits they contain. At any rate we have tried a number of products to clean these bits of “jewelry” each year including, dips, polishes and powders. Well, this year I removed them and brought them home to give them a thorough cleaning, I was planning on using a silver cleaning dip we use on a few solid silver pieces we own but it says not to use on stainless so there I was at the kitchen sink and looking for help.

We use VIM Soft Scrub both on the boat and at home and so I tried this with both a tooth brush and a Scotch Brite pad and the results really surprised me, the rust stains removed as well or better than any other method I have used and much quicker & cleaner than mucking with a polishing paste. This is not a “mirror finish” piece of equipment and so any minor scratches (if there are any) are not that noticeable. I also intend to use this method on the exposed threads on the lifeline cable end fittings, particularly at the bow where they get more salt spray.


Cleaning the vinyl transom cap I have tried a number of products and methods as well to try to enhance the appearance of this piece of vinyl molding on the transom over the years ranging from Acetone (too toxic and smelly to use plus it will “etch” the surface if not applied smoothly in one direction with a fine soft cloth and then followed up with a sudsy detergent wash-down. M.E.K. (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) is another highly toxic product that does work as well as acetone but with even more toxic effects! Cleaning solvent works slightly but really does not do a magnificent job either. Old Dutch Cleanser has worked well but is quite abrasive and as well as VIM they seem to create a bit of a “sticky” residue a few days following application, especially in the sunshine. I have even tried Automotive Cut Polish (White – the fine variety) which does actually work quite well but is a bit messy even when using with a hose to rinse off during & afterwards.

My current product of choice is a cleaning paste called Clean Glow. This really is an impressive cleaner and removes the grim and stains very well, I always follow this “deep cleaning” with a wash & rinse with Dawn dish wash detergent (which will also strip wax if not used sparingly & then rinsed well). Clean Glow also works very well as a spot cleaner on both smooth fiberglass and non-skid surfaces to remove black heel marks, bird poop or fish blood.


Cleaning Teak cockpit seats and decks We have teak decks as well as the standard teak cockpit seats on ALIBI and both of these do require some work to maintain (but then again so does non-skid if you want a clean look!) I am not a fan of treating or finishing these horizontal teak surfaces because of the ongoing coats of finish that must be applied repeatedly plus the fact that the natural non-skid characteristics of the teak are lost. We have found that no special teak cleaners are really necessary, especially since these tend remove the soft grain of the teak if used regularly. I simply get down on hands and knees and get messy by using an industrial Scotch Brite pad (you can even get these with a handle now). Then I start at one end of a side deck or the bow and work along a reasonable length using a few squirts of VIM (contains a bleach ingredient to kill green mold) and scrubbing sideways across, but NEVER with the grain of the teak surface. Allow a few minutes for this solution to penetrate and then work back in the opposite direction while this surface is still wet/moist. Now, rinse well with fresh water and a further sideways scrub with your deck brush. Use a separate smaller piece of Scotch Brite for corners and around cleats, etc. If you hold a 12 to 18 inch piece of thin wood veneer or Formica against the cabin side you won’t have to worry about scratching this surface with your Scotch Brite. The teak will now be relatively clean and the dirty “mud” you have removed will be evident washing overboard.

The teak will dry to a reddish brown wood finish again, like new, however this finish may “bleed” red in the rain or when washed down in the future, this is normal. If you want to try to preserve the teak further you can slosh it down with salt water from time to time but I find this exercise is at the expense of other boat surfaces, like the corrosive effect it has on aluminum and fiberglass finishes. Over time the teak will return to a silver-grey color, this I liken to a form of natural oxidation and again is not a detriment. Heavier wear areas like the cockpit sole will stay reddish brown longer simply because of the wear they receive from feet of the crew. There is unfortunately no way that I know of to stop the bleeding of the black caulking material (Polysulfide?) between the teak strips, you just have to be careful which way you rub when you are washing and drying.

Blue stripe on the cabin sides When our boat was new in 2000, the cabin top, sides and coamings had a beautiful wax finish on them, lots to do with mold wax probably but none the less shone as brightly as the topsides finish on our hull. However although we have the hull professionally buffed and polished each year at haul-out we have not maintained the above-deck waxing as thoroughly. Also, we tend to wash a lot more bird poop off the cabin & sides than we do the hull topsides plus those cabin sides are slippery when heeled & wet and even more so when waxed. At any rate after two seasons of light wax on the blue stripe occasionally, I started to notice a dulling on the finish and the relief of fiberglass roving fibers started to “telegraph” through. Now, this may well be expected, but how do we cure the problem? I will add in my own defense that this situation is occurring on other Bavarias as well. I tried cut polishing laboriously by hand and waxing over, next year it was no better. Then I cut polished and soaked with Penetrol following a very positive article I read in Practical Sailor magazine, it was a little gooey to rub in but looked good however next year, no better. Last year in desperation and on the way to our annual West Coast Bavaria Rendezvous I resorted to wiping down and polishing in Vaseline (every sailor’s friend? just kidding!) Those with the same problem at the meet were most impressed with the results and within hours they too were going to town with the Vaseline (like I said, every sailor’s friend!) on their blue stripes. This did work well and the boat looked good enough to sell but through the winter it too failed to perform. Well, in desperation I decided to have the cabin sides (only the cabin sides portion) professionally polished and waxed just like the hull topsides this year. The result was fantastic, rich color again, no strand telegraphing, looked like new again. But will it last? I have followed up the buffing, sealing & waxing with 3 more coats of my own wax (which claims to be used by the Queen of England on her Rolls Royce, although probably not personally) This finish is now 2 weeks old and is looking like a definite contender. I have the best intentions of applying another few coats before the next Rendezvous in late July, time will tell! Do yourself a favor, try this approach from the start and like my topsides with annual maintenance your blue stripe will remain rich and shiny too!