Lazy Boater conundrum.....

[kashurst]

Being a lazy boater I don't get too hung up about polishing the boat - no one else in the Marina seems to bother, even the newish boats. However I am now in a quandary.

On my port side is a Bavaria sailing boat, well loved and used, and of course never polished. The owner does wash it quite often and the over-spray usually gives my port side a bit of a rinse too (another job avoided).

On my starboard side is a slightly smaller flybridge of indeterminate origins, that is generally very unloved, seldom used and never ever cleaned. Slight problem as this means I have to occasionally wash the starboard side of my boat myself, rather than rely on an enthusiastic owner helping out with over-spray.

Today I discovered that the unloved flybridge has a new owner and its been scrubbed and polished to a mirror finish.
This now draws attention to my boat as people walk along the pontoon. As my boat is a tad bigger and newer I now kind of feel obligated to keep up appearances. So quick visit to the Swindelery and bought a bottle of 3M restore and polish. I have so far done the starboard side of the radar arch and the bit of the flybridge overhang you can see as you walk along the pontoon admiring the boats. So at a glance my boat looks pretty good next to the super shiny scrubbed up neighbour.

As a lazy boater I think I have probably done enough as I don't want to set off a boat polishing crisis in the Marina.
So should I:
leave it as it is?
Finish the starboard side completely so it matches the shiny neighbour?
Do the whole thing and risk embarrassing my port side neighbour?
Forget about it, it will soon be covered in red rain mud, so should I just go to the Pub instead?

 

[Seastoke]

Being a lazy boater I don't get too hung up about polishing the boat - no one else in the Marina seems to bother, even the newish boats. However I am now in a quandary.

On my port side is a Bavaria sailing boat, well loved and used, and of course never polished. The owner does wash it quite often and the over-spray usually gives my port side a bit of a rinse too (another job avoided).

On my starboard side is a slightly smaller flybridge of indeterminate origins, that is generally very unloved, seldom used and never ever cleaned. Slight problem as this means I have to occasionally wash the starboard side of my boat myself, rather than rely on an enthusiastic owner helping out with over-spray.

Today I discovered that the unloved flybridge has a new owner and its been scrubbed and polished to a mirror finish.
This now draws attention to my boat as people walk along the pontoon. As my boat is a tad bigger and newer I now kind of feel obligated to keep up appearances. So quick visit to the Swindelery and bought a bottle of 3M restore and polish. I have so far done the starboard side of the radar arch and the bit of the flybridge overhang you can see as you walk along the pontoon admiring the boats. So at a glance my boat looks pretty good next to the super shiny scrubbed up neighbour.

As a lazy boater I think I have probably done enough as I don't want to set off a boat polishing crisis in the Marina.
So should I:
leave it as it is?
Finish the starboard side completely so it matches the shiny neighbour?
Do the whole thing and risk embarrassing my port side neighbour?
Forget about it, it will soon be covered in red rain mud, so should I just go to the Pub instead?

did he do it himself or pay

 

[matthewriches]

I normally get someone to do it. Much easier and you can still go to the pub!

 

[longjohnsilver]

Move to another berth:encouragement:

 

[jrudge]

Put add on Mallorca Facebook group. Get 10 applicants. Sit and watch whilst they do it.

Do check they have don’t it before. They lie!

 

[Momac]

Buy a brand new boat . It will be quite shiny.

 

[vas]

this should really be a poll!

I'm on the leave as is, and think about it in June

V.

 

[Seastoke]

get volvo paul do the seal you polish boat and then both get pissed ,win win

 

[BruceK]

Everytime I polish my boat the gulls sh1t on it. When my neighbour polishes his they move to him. Gulls want a high standard of living, do you want to give it to them?

 

[maverickofpoole]

I used to polish my own religiously every year but this year found out it was cheaper and easier to go to work and pay someone else with the money I earnt :encouragement:. That's what I will be doing every year from now on

 

[grumpy_o_g]

Park bow first occasionally and get the starboard side washed too...

 

[MrB]

Pay someone to do it for you or just go to the pub......Life's too short.

 

[jon and michie]

Brilliant thread
All I can add is - if you've got kids get them to do it after all this is what child labour is all about.
Tell them this is how the karate kid trained and you'll have a shiny boat that every owner in the marina will envy.

Jon

 

[Mr Googler]

Brilliant thread
All I can add is - if you've got kids get them to do it after all this is what child labour is all about.
Tell them this is how the karate kid trained and you'll have a shiny boat that every owner in the marina will envy.

Jon

“Wax onnnn, Wax orf” .....not “Paint da Fence”

 

[Greg2]

Unfortunately my time in the RN left me with a significant character flaw inasmuch as our boat always has to be ‘tiddley’ (naval slang for neat/tidy/effort made to look good)

Can’t abide a scruffy boat........or missing time in the pub. Such a conundrum!

 

[BruceK]

Unfortunately my time in the RN left me with a significant character flaw inasmuch as our boat always has to be ‘tiddley’ (naval slang for neat/tidy/effort made to look good)

Can’t abide a scruffy boat........or missing time in the pub. Such a conundrum!

In the RN you dont have a horde of kids hell bent on dragging sand, mud, dog hair and dirt into the boat at every conceivable opportunity and with any luck you are not sitting in port long enough to gather guano supplies. You can spend your life with ulcers or chill and enjoy your bounty.

 

[Kawasaki]

I'v never polished a boat or a car or a motorcycle in my life
Just floated and drove them
It's what Staff are for
I had to remove a starter motor once from My Nimbus
My 6 year old daughter was more nimble and smaller than Me so I sent Her down the bilges with a ratchet spanner
Success!
She now services her own harley davidson
See, it was Character building
No 1 son is naturally lazy
He knows however if my car or motorcycle are not ready and fuelled up at all times, his allowance will be severed
kashurst, all you need to be worried about is Helming your vessel
Be it shiney or not
'Others' need to see to that stuff
It's not about Polishing it's about Delegation
:encouragement:

 

[rubberduck]

When kids were young I let them polish the boat with friends, after which I had to get the tender garage refinished as they had over done it slightly :ambivalence:

 

[Greg2]

In the RN you dont have a horde of kids hell bent on dragging sand, mud, dog hair and dirt into the boat at every conceivable opportunity and with any luck you are not sitting in port long enough to gather guano supplies. You can spend your life with ulcers or chill and enjoy your bounty.

True, well the kids bit. Oddly enough I don’t recall guano being much of a problem on the ‘upper scupper’ of a warship....not so our boats!!

 

[kashurst]

Well as ever top forum boaty advice.
Thanks all for the hard work in replying to my quandary.
I was tempted by moving berth, but that would involve hassle and paper work (and I have only just paid for the one I'm in)
Delegation to others: have tried various children/friends children/complete strangers children over the years but they have all got wise to me now and demand monies upfront.

I think the winner is Grumpy_o_g.

Park bow first occasionally and get the starboard side washed too...

Top lazy boating, even saves the stress and hard work of mooring stern too.

However as I have now bought a bottle of polish, I have resurrected the electric polisher from the garage and I am thinking about doing the whole thing. (With a bit of luck it might start raining though and I can put it off for another year - guilt free ;-) )