Canvas Maintenance

May 2023

Anyone that has a boat knows that keeping up with maintenance can save thousands of dollars in repair costs.  Some maintenance items are easier than others.  And, although a relatively simple process, failure to maintain the canvas can be very costly. 

A couple of times a year, we take the canvas off of Naut2Late and re-waterproof it.  This keeps things nice and dry even in the heaviest of down pours (hurricanes excluded of course).  The most difficult part of the process is removing and re-installing the canvas

Once the canvas is off, we scrub it with a medium bristle deck brush and mild dish soap

Both sides must be scrubbed and allowed to dry thoroughly before applying the waterproofing solution.  To make sure air can get to both sides, we hang the canvas from the boat rail.  This can only be done on days with light wind!

Once the canvas is dry, we apply  Star Brite Waterproofing using a small, hand held garden sprayer.  Completely coating both sides of the canvas, we allow it to dry enough that it isn’t dripping.  Putting the canvas on while still damp allows it to stretch and then tightens up as it dries the rest of the way in place.