How To Prevent Corrosion on Your Boat

Corrosion can be extremely damaging to your ship, and it’s important you do what you can to prevent it! We’ve compiled a number of ways to keep corrosion off your vessel, so you don’t end up replacing parts or paying maintenance fees before you have to. However, if corrosion has already started to eat at parts of your boat, we encourage you to visit one of our dealerships with a service department. We have locations in both the states of Wisconsin and Illinois!

Corrosion’s Appearance

While rust is an indication of corrosion, there are other earlier signs that appear. Recognizing these signs allows you to fight it off while still in its early stages. Potentially saving you from having to replace expensive parts or equipment. Initially, corrosion will appear as a white powdery substance. While it can appear anywhere, if you see your ship’s paint begin to blister at the water line, you’ve got a corrosion problem headed your way. If this happens to you it’s important you apply a rust remover spray as soon as you can. Follow up by getting your paint retouched and reapplying your boat’s wax. 

Waxing and Polishing Your Boat 

Wax provides a protective layer over your boat that’s key in preventing corrosion. If this wax wears away you'll quickly see your ship start to deteriorate. Thankfully, it’s relatively easy to wax and polish your vessel yourself, and only needs to be done once or twice a season. After your ship has been washed and dried, simply apply the polish with a soft towel. Move around the boat in the same direction and use the same motion over and over again. Once this is done, apply the wax in the same manner and allow it to dry till your ship’s finish is hazy. Buff the wax afterward and your vessel should look shiny and new. 

Rinsing Your Boat

Whether you primarily use your ship in salt or freshwater, when it’s pulled onto land, salt and other particles are left behind. These particles will eat away at your vessel’s wax seal, allowing corrosion to form. One of the easiest ways to avoid this is to simply rinse your boat every time it’s removed from the water. Once it’s dry we also advise protecting it with a boat cover. This will protect against elements like dust and dirt that can also introduce salt and deteriorating particles to your ship.

Protect Your Stainless Steel

Marine grade stainless steel is used for a number of parts and machinery on boats. Anything from your propeller to your railing can be made of stainless steel, and it’s important that you check it regularly. While marine grade stainless steel has some corrosion resistance, all metal is susceptible. To combat this you’ll want to take a soft cloth and some dish soap and give all the steel on your vessel a good scrub.

Sacrificial Anodes

This tool is one of the few made specifically to keep corrosion off your ship. In short, it is a piece of metal attached to your boat that is made of a weaker substance than your hull. The corrosion will be drawn to the weaker metal, keeping your ship protected till the tool is completely corroded away. Aluminum is a popular material for this device, as it has some corrosion resistance, but isn’t as strong as typical hull materials. Before selecting a sacrificial anode, use a multimeter to measure the electrical value of your hull. You will need an anode with a weaker electrical value than your ship for the tool to work correctly. 

These tips range from very easy to very difficult. If you’re having trouble performing any of these tasks, and are located in the nearby towns of Madison and Janesville, Wisconsin, we encourage you to speak with some of our knowledgeable staff, or visit one of our service departments. We also proudly serve the city of Waukegan, Illinois. You can click here to discover which of our many locations is near you!