Boat Maintenance Since boats are quite expensive pieces of equipment, it is obviously very important to maintain them correctly and to repair any damage as it happens. A Scout is THRIFTY. It should be considered a part of normal activities for all Sea Scouts to take an active part in this maintenance in keeping with their experience and skill and in some Troops each Scout is expected to “clock-in” a certain number of hours boat work before they are allowed go afloat. A Scout is HELPFUL. As you gain experience so you will be expected to take a more active role in this work, including supervising members of your watch and doing some simple repairs. A Scout is TRUSTWORTHY. You’ll get credits towards the various badges for the work which you do in your ordinary winter maintenance programme.
raised with some sort of “ridge pole” and to leave openings, either at the bow and stern or under the edges of the tarpaulin for air to circulate around the inside. At this stage sails should be washed in fresh water and dried thoroughly before storage and standing rigging should be inspected for wear and replaced if necessary. Paint on a boat is not just to make it look pretty. It also helps to protect the structure. Any wooden boats will probably need to be sanded and painted or varnished. If the paint is in particularly poor condition it will need to be stripped off completely, possibly with a heat gun or with chemical paint strippers. These are potentially dangerous and should be used with care by people who have been shown how to use them properly. A Scout is not a FOOL. Minor repairs to timber or glass fibre gunwales, decking, etc. may be required also. It may even be necessary to fit a tingle to a wooden boat. HOW? Sanding generates a lot of dust andappropriate face masks should be worn. If the existing paint is still adhering to the wood then only a light sanding will be required.
Most of the regular maintenance will take place during the winter months. At the end of the boating season, the boat should be taken out of the water and immediately washed down with fresh water, and weed growth scraped off the bottom, mud and dirt washed off all moveable parts (bottom boards, rudder, oars and spurs) removed and stored indoors. If possible the boat should be stored under cover, or at least upside-down. If a tarpaulin cover is put over a boat, it is a good idea to 85
