How To Clean Your Inflatable Boat

Like any other boat, inflatable boats need proper care and maintenance in order to function at their best and last a long time. When left unmaintained inflatable boats may only last for 2 to 3 years– a significant loss on your investment. But with regular cleaning you can expect to enjoy that boat for 20 or even 30 long years, and you could even trade or resell it.

The question now is, how does one properly clean an inflatable boat?

1. Choosing the Right Cleaning Products

The first and probably most important step to properly cleaning an inflatable boat is to choose the right cleaning products. Many inflatable boat owners make the costly mistake of choosing the wrong cleaners and end up damaging their boats instead.

While inflatable boats may be made of durable PVC or Hypalon, they are still susceptible to damage when exposed to harsh chemicals. They are not like fibreglass or aluminium boats and should therefore not be exposed to the same types of boat cleaners. Products you should never use to clean inflatable boats include solvents, toluene, acetone, bleach, ammonia, highly alkaline cleaners (anything with a pH greater than 11.5), abrasive scrub pads, and steel wool. These products can damage and discolour the fabric and attack the adhesives of your inflatable boat.

While you could simply use soaps or detergent, these can leave a sticky residue on the boat surface that attracts and holds dirt. Soap scum can also serve as food for mould and mildew, and you’ll have to figure out how to clean mould off your inflatable boat.

To properly clean your inflatables it’s best to use inflatable boat cleaners. These are made specifically for cleaning these boats and can effectively remove dirt, grime and stains without damaging the surface. Some of these cleaners can also protect boat surfaces from the elements, keeping them in the best condition.

2. Cleaning Your Inflatable Boat

Once you’ve got the right cleaning products and tools, cleaning your PVC boat becomes quite simple. Depending on the product you choose, you’ll probably need just a couple of clean cloths and some water, if the cleaner requires it. You may also need a soft brush for scrubbing, but it really depends on the cleaner you choose, so make sure you read the usage instructions carefully. Most cleaners only require you to apply the cleaner on the surface of the inflatable boat for a few minutes, and then wipe it off with a clean cloth.

When using any boat cleaner don’t forget to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands, and be sure to reach every nook and cranny with the cleaner and cloth. It would be good to use an all-in-one cleaner like Star Brite, as it not only cleans your boat but also leaves a tough coating that protects against salt and UV exposure.

A smart way to go about cleaning your inflatable boat would be to start from the boat floor and work in sections, moving outward while applying the boat cleaner. This would also make it easy for you to check for any damaged areas, and see where you’ll need to make some repairs. Don’t forget to flip the boat and apply the cleaner on the underside as well, as this area is most exposed to the water.

Once done, you should end up with a nice, glossy-looking inflatable boat. Take care when using your newly-cleaned boat as the surface may still be slippery due to the cleaner.

Cleaning your inflatable boat is something you should do regularly especially if you use your boat often. You should also make sure to clean your boat before and after storage. If you’ve just bought a used inflatable boat for sale, or even a brand new one like a Zodiac inflatable boat, it would be wise to clean these as well. You can never be too sure of where the boat has been or what hidden dirt or damage it may have; and with brand new boats there may be some lubricants left from the manufacturing process that you need to clean off before use.

If you’re concerned about cleaning your inflatable then come and talk to us. We’re happy to give advice or you can leave your inflatable with us and we can do the clean for you.

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Abous Us – Stones Boatyard and The Marine Store

The Nanaimo Yacht Services @ Stones Boatyard management team comes from more than 35 years of managing boat service-related businesses in various locations before settling in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

Shari & Ian MacPherson – Directors

Ian, a licensed diesel and gas mechanic, and Shari built and launched an Endurance 40 ketch and then spent ten years cruising, traveling as far as the Caribbean where from 1983 Shari ran a day-charter boat operation and Ian managed Sunsail’s Caribbean operations including 250 yachts spread around 7 islands. In 1993 Sunsail enticed the couple, with their four young daughters, to Greece where they were responsible for 370 yachts, 5 watersports club hotels and hundreds of staff. Ian at this time wrote and developed the maintenance manual for Sunsail’s Mediterranean fleet.

At the turn of the millennium on leaving Europe, Ian and Shari opened Sunsail’s charter base in Vancouver and then in 2007 decided to branch out on their own with the purchase of Nanaimo Yacht Charters & Sailing School, bringing with them a new range of  sailboats (Beneteau, Dufour, Catalina and Bavaria yachts). They immediately saw an opportunity to utilize Ian’s training, experience, and skills in boat maintenance on Vancouver Island and started Nanaimo Yacht Services.

Ian is on the board of BoatingBC as Vice President and is also is a board member of the Canadian Recreational Yachting Association (CRYA) as well as a CRYA Yachtmaster Offshore, Yachtmaster Ocean, and CRYA Instructor Evaluator.

Shari is the General Manager of both Nanaimo Yacht Charters and Stones Boatyard, overseeing the business aspect, finance and development of both companies.

Nick Webster – Director

Nick Webster has spent his entire career associated with the sea and boats initially as a naval officer in the Royal Navy and the Sultan of Oman’s Navy. In 1986 he became a senior manager and later a director of Sunsail where he managed and developed yacht charter areas and watersports facilities around the world. He also set-up and ran a shipping operation to transport Sunsail yachts between the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Between 1999 and 2005 he was Commercial Director of a UK based boat shipping company, Peters & May, a world leader in this niche global market. At this time Nick used various specialist boat cleaning services to renovate boats stained during shipping and in the summer of 2005 he emigrated from southern England to B.C. to operate his own boat cleaning business, Pro Boat Clean  in Western Canada. He joined his old colleagues, Ian and Shari, at Nanaimo Yacht Services @ Stones Boatyard in the summer of 2010. He is a Certified Marine Service manager.

Rob Steele – Customer Service Manager

Rob joined us in 2018 to lead our technical team and ensure we deliver service excellence to our customers. Originally trained in Ontario as an auto mechanic, Rob soon decided that the marine world and somewhere warm was for him. After five years as a sourcing agent for marine equipment Rob worked as an engineer on and around superyachts and cruising yachts for another 12 years, mostly in the Caribbean and the east coast of North America. He holds an MCA Approved Engineering Certificate, and he’s sailed the Atlantic to the Mediterranean as a chief engineer and refitted large yachts in the US, Morocco, England and Spain. Whilst in Antigua he volunteered with Antigua Barbuda Search and Rescue, was a marine salvage diver, and crewed on classic sailing yachts, particularly in the Antigua Classic Yacht Regatta. He becamea Certified Marine Service manager in 2019

Robert Hess – Marine Mechanical Technician

Robert, a well-known journeyman marine engine mechanic and published author, is the senior technician in our mechanical, electrical and electronic repair and installation yacht services team. In 2006 he refitted and re-powered his own 38′ cruising sailboat and he and his wife sailed around Vancouver Island. He has marine and automotive technician licences, is a qualified Marine Mechanical Technician and an acknowledged expert in the maintenance of small boat engines, particularly the Universal Atomic 4 engine.

Devon Norris – Marine Mechanical Technician

Coming from the small Caribbean island of Antigua, Devon is no stranger to the mechanical field, with over 10 years of experience in heavy duty mechanics, and advanced training in diesel, gas and Heavy Fuel Oil engine systems. A graduate of Antigua State College with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering he previously worked for Wärtsilä; whose power plants supply electricity to the islands. He has always had a fascination for boats, and now having the opportunity to work on and around yachts, Devon, in his words says, “I can never find a dull moment around the boatyard, and I’m always looking forward to a new challenge, where I’m forced to put my skills to the test while learning new things every day”. He is a certified Marine Mechanical Technician and holds a City & Guilds qualification in Automotive Mechanical Systems.

Michael Taylor – Marine Mechanical Technician

On joining us in the Spring of 2019, Michael enrolled in the Marine Mechanical Technician course,  He became fully qualified at the beginning of 2021.  He is an avid fisherman and together with his young family, enjoys spending as much time as possible on the water.

Dusty Hankewich – Technician

Dusty is a certified Avionics Engineer with a background in skin and structures. He also has 20 years of custom building and fabrication experience, which he utilizes to breathes new life into yacht restoration projects with an eye for quality fit and finish.

Bronwyn Whiteley – Marine Technician apprentice

Bronwyn has recently joined our technical team and will be doing her apprenticeship to become a Marine Mechanical Technician.

Mitch Hendricks – Boatyard Supervisor/Travelift operator

From Alberta, Mitch worked as a mechanic fabricator, professional driver, and spray foam installer before moving to Nanaimo and Stones Boatyard in 2018. He is quickly progressed to become our senior travelift operator and Boatyard Supervisor and is training to become a Marine Service Technician. He also owns a boat!

Richard Corona – Master Technician:  Inflatable Boat Repairs

Richard joined our inflatable repair team shortly after we began offering this service at the beginning of 2018. He has 18 years of experience in repairs in this field. There is hardly an inflatable “anything” in the market that he does not know how to repair.

Daniel Wyatt –  Senior Technician:  Inflatable Boat Repairs

Daniel has been working and learning about inflatable repairs under Richard’s tutelage since 2019 and has taken a Zodiac MILPRO training course. He also owns a sailboat and is a keen sailor and kayak enthusiast.

Catherine Janes – Marine Store Manager

Catherine joined us in February 2020 after several years in retail. She has a marine science background with experience around the Southern Gulf Islands and Northern Vancouver Island. She has always loved working on and around the ocean and excited to be back working in the marine industry.

James Clark – Marine Store Sales Associate

Once a commercial fisherman, James was for several years a boat captain and scuba instructor in Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Nanaimo. He joined us to open the Marine Store @ Stones Boatyard in 2016.

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Nanaimo Yacht Services Rates

Our Yacht Services rates for labour and other service rates are:

Skilled labour

Includes mechanical, electrical, electronic fibreglass work and rigging $120 per man hour

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General labour

Includes bottom prepping/painting,  cleaning, waxing/polishing topsides, hull zinc renewal $49 per man hour

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Boat Haulout

Lifting your boat, moving to a standing area and chocking or not as necessaryPrice calculator on link below

Prices & Bookings

Rates Terms

Please take a look at the rates and information on the relevant tabs and call us on 250 716 9065 to make a booking, or simply fill in our online inquiry form and we’ll contact you to discuss your requirements.

1. Boatyard and Yacht Services rates are effective from 1 January 2021 to 31 December 2022.  All prices are shown in Canadian Dollars and exclusive of taxes
2. All rates are per foot length overall (LOA) unless otherwise indicated
3. Please ask for estimates on fibreglass repairs, major mechanical repairs and upgrades of hardware and electronics.
4. Emergency lifts, out of hours (between 5pm and 8am, statutory holidays or when boatyard staff are not on regular working schedule) and when boatyard  (Additional charges apply)
5. We accept payment by electronic transfer, Interac, and Mastercard/Visa credit cards  (maximum limit of $5000.00) or cash.

ALL YARD SERVICE CHARGES MUST BE PAID IN FULL BEFORE LAUNCH. 

All rates are subject to change without notice.

All contractors MUST report to the MARINE STORE  before commencement of work.

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Travel directions to Stones Boatyard

Our centrally located boatyard in Nanaimo, on Vancouver Island is just a short trip from Victoria BC , Comox, Courtenay and Campbell River, the Sunshine Coast, Metro Vancouver and the rest of Vancouver Island.

We are readily accessible from Vancouver and Seattle by ferry or a short flight by seaplane as well as regular aircraft.  And of course we’re at the head of the Gulf Islands enabling easy access to some of the most spectacular cruising in the world.

If you’re not coming by boat you have several options:

• A scheduled flight (20 minutes) from the Vancouver International Airport to Nanaimo Airport.
• Several float plane services from either the Vancouver Airport or downtown Vancouver to the Nanaimo Harbour and Departure Bay dock. Visit Westcoastair.com or Harbourair.com and from Vancouver Airport to Nanaimo only: Seairseaplanes.com
• A  seaplane service between Seattle-Lake Union and Lake Washington terminals (Washington State) and Nanaimo. Kenmoreair.com
• The M/V Coho is a passenger and vehicle ferry from Port Angeles, Washington to Victoria – it is then a very picturesque hour and a half drive from Victoria to Nanaimo. Cohoferry.com
• Regular (18 per day) ferry departures (car and passenger) from both Tsawwassen (nearest to the airport and the US border) to Duke Point, Nanaimo or from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver to Departure Bay, Nanaimo. BCferries.com

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Stones Boatyard

Stones Boatyard is a professional, clean and environmentally friendly do-it-yourself boat haulout and marine repair facility, located in Nanaimo on the east coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Before you arrive there is a fuel dock on the approach to the boat lift dock.

The boat yard features include:

• Modern, remote controlled 83 US ton Marine Travelift
• Waiting dock adjacent to the Travelift with an easy-access gangway for boaters
• Water filtration and cleaning system to filter runoff water from the washdown area
• Safe pedestrian access to the dock and boatyard
• Fully paved and clean boatyard with up to 40 marked stalls
• Each stall has 110V/15AMP, 110V/30AMP power and potable water available
• Some stalls have access to 220v and 50 amp power
• On-site equipment rental: scaffolding, ladders, tarps, power tools, shop vacs, etc.
• Forklift service available and cranes can be brought on site as required
• On-site chandlery for all your haul out supplies including zinc and aluminum anodes, paint and painting supplies, stainless steel nuts, bolts and screws fasteners.
• Garbage, oil and hazmat disposal in the yard
• Do-it-yourself owners and contractors are welcome
• On-site mechanical and boat-care services available through Nanaimo Yacht Services
• Friendly, knowledgeable staff
• Liveaboards welcome in the yard
• Fax and parcel receipt services
• Toilet and washroom facilities on-site
• Plentiful parking available

See our Boatyard Rates page for the travel lift charges.

The yard is open from 8 am until 8 pm daily, 7 days a week, and after hours yard customers may enter through a locked gate.

Stones Boatyard is one of the cleanest facilities on the waterfront in BC. We’re proud to be environmentally friendly and we work hard to comply with Environment Canada’s “Best Management Practices” for boatyards. Together with our customers we aim to reduce and even prevent the contamination of our aquatic environment.

We give priority to emergency haul outs for boaters in distress and those brought to our dock by the RCMSAR, the Nanaimo Harbour Patrol and towing companies. See our Boat Yard Rates page for relevant charges.

Amenities nearby include bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation, boat brokers, kayak rentals, supermarkets and shopping malls, banking facilities and plenty of coffee shops! The yard is surrounded by two pubs and a mediterranean restaurant offering a variety of drinks and cuisine.

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Handy Tools to Have on Your Boat

Your boat may be in tip-top condition, but before you leave the dock it is always a good idea to have some basic tools on board.

Hopefully, nothing will go wrong, but like safety equipment, it’s always better to have the equipment on board than not. Some simple tools might make the difference between a fun day being over way too early.  This isn’t a complete list of tools designed to cover every possible problem, these tools will just cover the most common complications. Start off with a robust, waterproof toolbox so that your tools stay dry and are all in one place.

What to have in your toolbox…

1. A flashlight – invaluable for fixing things when it’s dark or finding out what’s going on in the bilge. Magnetic retrievers are perfect for getting screws or other metal items out of the bilge or other hard to reach places.
2. Mirror on a stick – how many times have you wondered what is going on in a hard to reach area? A small mirror in your toolbox could be very useful.
3. Pliers – if you have the room it could be handy to have more than one size.
4. Hacksaw – a small hacksaw could be invaluable for cutting metal, wood or even fibreglass.
5. Spare fuel filter – if your engine is spluttering the first thing you do is check there is fuel. After that, the next thing to do is change the oil filter.
6. Spray lubricant – the most well-known brand is WD40 and it can be used for everything from releasing corroded, locked fasteners to spraying a protective film of lubricant on the engine. It’s also good for protecting your tools from rust.
7. Sealant – a boating caulking compound is an easy and effective way to temporarily fix leaking deck fittings. There are some which will also cure underwater.
8. Multi-tool – invest in a good quality multi-tool.  Check for robust pliers, screwdrivers, knife and saw.
9. Range of cloths – keep some spare cloths on board that can be used for the messiest jobs. A few pairs of disposable gloves won’t go amiss.
10. Oil-absorbent pads – if you have an oil leak you’ll be glad you can stop any oil going into the bilge.
11. Wire strippers and crimping – you’ll be in a dire situation if you’re having to do a major re-wiring job out at sea, but for the occasional wiring problem, a set of wire cutters with a crimping tool and a few spare crimp connectors will suffice.
12. A range of wrenches – wrenches are used for gripping, fastening, turning, tightening and loosening things like pipes, fittings, nuts and bolts. At the very least have on board the wrench that came with the engine. An adjustable wrench can also be useful.
13. Hose clamps – it’s always a good idea to have a few spare and they take up very little room.
14. Heavy-duty adhesive tape e.g. duct tape. It’s amazing how useful a bit of tape can be!
15. Electricals – If you’re out at sea, your engine fails and all that’s needed is a new fuse you’re going to be having a bad day. Check your owners manual for the correctly sized fuses and always keep some spare. If you’ve got room then a basic multimeter will help you track down the electrical fault, tracing live circuits and testing the state of the battery.
16. Screwdrivers and nutdrivers – keep on board at least a small selection of what’s most likely to be useful.

Every boat has its own special requirements. If you’re not sure what to have on board simply think of what most often seems to go wrong and what tools make the difference.

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Boat Cleaning & Boat Detailing

 At Nanaimo Yacht Services @ Stones Boatyard, we offer a wide range of boat and marine repairs, as well as maintenance such as boat detailing and cleaning. We can provide simple boat washing, compounding and waxing and boat detailing where we will buff, protect and polish all the hardest to reach places.  Our boat bottom cleaning services are second to none! 

Our boat detailing services include:

• Interior and gel coat repair and fibre glass cleaning
• Hull cleaning
• Waxing, buffing/polishing
• Applying new boat sealants
• Removal of mold and seaweed
• Polishing of all metal

We have an excellent team of highly skilled boat cleaners and we also have the on site expertise of Pro Boat Clean for a deeper and more protective clean on your sail or power boat.

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