What are some tips for boat sun protection? As every boat enthusiast knows, proper maintenance is essential to keep your boat performing optimally. This is to also ensure that you’re able to stay on the water as long as possible. This maintenance is particularly important in the summer. All that time out in the scorching heat under the sun’s harsh UV rays can cause significant damage to your boat.
Fortunately, taking a few simple steps to protect your boat from the summer sun can go a long way toward maintaining your boat’s beauty and function. This provides you with summer fun for years to come. To help you get the most out of your boat, this guide will take a look at how the sun can damage your boat, as well as simple steps that you can take to protect your boat from sun damage.
Types of Sun Damage
Sun exposure can cause significant damage to your boat over time by slowly degrading your boat’s surfaces and materials. You need to take note of these for boat sun protection. The most common types of sun damage that affects boats include:
Fading
Oftentimes, the most visible effect of sun damage on a boat is fading. When your boat was new, its paint, graphics, and fabrics likely shined with vibrant colors. Unfortunately, exposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause these surfaces to fade over time. This causes them to lose their vibrant colors and take on a washed-out appearance.
Cracking
Exposure to the sun’s UV rays and extreme temperature fluctuations throughout the year can cause your boat’s surfaces to become brittle and start to crack. Over time, these cracks can grow and become unsightly and even hazardous.
Weakening of Materials
While we often think of the visible aspects of sun damage, such as fading and cracking, heat and the sun’s UV rays can also cause damage you may not be able to see right away. For instance, the sun can cause plastic components to weaken and become brittle. This could affect your boat’s performance and even its structural integrity.
Key Areas At Risk
When people think of boats and sun damage, their boat’s upholstery is the first thing that likely comes to mind. However, many of your boat’s surfaces and components can be affected by the sun’s UV rays. Key areas of your vessel that can be affected by long-term sun exposure include:
Upholstery and Soft Surfaces
Perhaps your boat’s most vulnerable (and exposed) parts are the soft surfaces such as vinyl seating, canvas tops, and carpeting. These surfaces often take the brunt of the sun’s UV rays and are more vulnerable to sun exposure than your boat’s other surfaces. This can also quickly start to deteriorate.
Decks and Hulls
Unfortunately, even your boat’s most important structural surfaces, such as the deck and hull,l are not spared from sun damage. The gel coats on these surfaces can become chalky and brittle due to years of sun exposure.
Electronic Components
Today’s boats come with more high-end technology than ever before, with many water vessels featuring a wide array of screens, sensors, panels, and sound systems. While these systems can enhance the boating experience, they are also highly susceptible to sun damage and can wear out prematurely due to sun exposure.
Strategies for Boat Sun Protection
While your boat is vulnerable to sun damage, this does not mean you are helpless to prevent it. Taking simple steps to care for and store your boat well can go a long way in helping ward off the sun’s harmful effects. Here’s a look at just a few things that you can do year-round to protect your boat from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Regular Cleaning and Waxing
One tip for boat sun protection is regular cleaning and waxing. If you do these for your boat regularly, it doesn’t just keep your boat looking nice. It can also protect it from sun damage. Waxing your boat regularly applies a thin layer of protection to your boat that can block the sun’s UV rays. However, washing your boat first is a critical part of this process. This removes dirt and other particles that can amplify sun damage. It also helps ensure that the protective wax adheres to your boat correctly.
Choose Covered Storage
A simple (yet effective) way to protect your boat from the sun is to choose covered storage. Keeping your boat out of the sun by storing it in a storage unit, garage, boat house, or at a storage facility that has covered spaces (either indoors or outdoors) can go a long way in protecting your boat when you’re not using it. If covered storage isn’t an option, consider investing in a high-quality boat cover to protect your boat when it’s not in use. While covering your boat can be a hassle, it is a small price to pay, considering you’ll ensure your boat looks nice for years to come.
Shade Your Boat’s Interior
Of course, your boat still needs protection on the water, as one could argue that this is when it gets the most sun exposure. Since your boat’s interior surfaces are the most susceptible to sun damage, consider investing in a bimini top or enclosure for your boat to shade interior surfaces. Not only will this help protect interior fabrics from the sun, but it can also provide you and your family with much-needed shade to keep you cool and prevent sunburn.
Consider a UV Protective Coating
Consider investing in a professional UV protective coating to protect the rest of your boat’s surfaces while you’re on the water. A boat maintenance professional can apply a specialized coating designed to reflect and/or absorb UV radiation, and the Marine Retailers Association of the Americas estimates that these treatments can increase the operational life of a boat’s exterior components by up to 50%.
Protect Your Boat With Concierge Services Provided by the Marinas by Trident Marine Group
We hope you’ll apply what you have learned about boat sun protection. If you want your boat to look like new for years to come, taking proper steps to protect it from sun damage is essential. For Annapolis residents, a simple solution is to store your boat at one of the marinas by Trident Marine Group.
Not only do we offer best-in-class covered storage facilities to ensure your boat is protected from the elements, but with our concierge services, your boat will get all of the preventive maintenance it needs.
Our skilled staff can wash and wax your boat regularly to ensure all of its surfaces are protected from sun damage, and our team can perform a wide range of additional preventative maintenance services to ensure your boat is ready to hit the water come spring.
Contact us today to learn more about our concierge services and the benefits of storing your boat at one of our marinas. With unmatched customer service and a commitment to excellence, your satisfaction is guaranteed when you work with Trident Marine Group.