Important Things To Consider When Renovating Your Boat

When you renovate your boat, many steps should be considered before embarking on the project. Some of these things will help make the renovation easier and more fun, while others may influence how well your finished product works or looks.

Before you even start, you should make plans for the future of your boat. These plans may influence everything from how you access certain areas, to where you can put equipment or storage compartments. If you don’t plan like this, it will make renovations much more difficult and time-consuming than they need to be.

Once you have done some planning (if required), start gathering tools and supplies; make sure you know what all the materials are for! You’ll also need plenty of extra space to store supplies as you go along. Below is a list of important points to consider when planning your renovation.

Start small

You might want to start with the smallest project and complete it before you tackle something larger. If your boat’s exterior is in good condition or has been recently painted, you might not need to resurface the whole thing. Try another option instead: an easy replacement for a broken mirror, mirror frame or boat name will do wonders. The easiest projects are always a great way to get yourself into renovations. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by big-scale projects, then take a step back and consider some smaller alternatives that can be just as effective in improving the appearance of your boat.

This being said, for both small and large scale projects alike, once you have done one project successfully it makes future ones infinitely easier!

Bed down for bedding

Most bedding needs to be replaced every three years or so. Mattresses are often the first things to show age and wear, but bedding is also always getting wet with humidity and moisture. As bedding ages, it tends to lose its ability to retain heat (insulation). Just like bedding that comes out of the dryer feeling practically new after being put into storage for six months, old bedding will lose most of its protection against cold weather during long periods of non-use.

If you have a bed on your boat, look at the condition your bedding is currently in, and if it doesn’t look like it’s in good shape, replace it. If you want to feel the comfort of sleeping on a cloud while floating on water, there are special offers you can see here and find a perfect mattress solution for your boat.  Also, assess if any damage has been done to your bed; look for rips or tears and check for water stains (even small, unexplained damp spots). You might not even realize that your bedspreads or blankets have gotten mildewy smells until you take them off the bed and expose the source of the odor.

Paint or reinvest in paint?

Some boats have very nice exteriors and just need a fresh coat of paint to look good again. Other boats were originally painted with toilet bowl paint and might require complete replacement throughout the entire boat. If you think your boat needs new exterior paint, but aren’t sure if it’s time for a complete overhaul, consider repainting one section at a time instead of giving your entire boat a new color. This will allow you to test drive the newly painted area before committing to extensive work on your whole boat. Also,  consider asking for advice from more experienced boat owners about which paint to use. If you’re doing the painting yourself, research your options carefully. Just because it’s called “marine” paint doesn’t mean it will be appropriate for your particular application; some paints may not adhere well to certain surfaces.

Also, consider how good of condition the old exterior was in and give yourself an honest assessment of whether or not it is worth repainting. Look at all sides of the boat and check for any unusual discoloration in patches, peeling, cracking, or bubbling paint. These signs will tell you if a fresh coat of paint might work better than a complete resurfacing job on your boat’s exterior.

Manufactured or DIY?

Before you start your renovations, consider whether or not you should do them yourself. If you have done any sort of carpentry work before and know what you’re doing, then refinishing a deck is manageable and can save lots of money! On the other hand, if you aren’t particularly handy, then it might be worth investing in refinishing services from professionals who know what they are doing.

Also, keep your level of expertise in mind when renovating; if you don’t think an area will be too difficult to remodel, but lack experience with such kinds of projects, try opting for easier alternatives first so that you can practice and perfect your technique before moving on to more complicated tasks. It can be difficult to renovate your boat by yourself, but if you are confident in your abilities, then try not to shy away from these projects.

Storage solutions

Adding storage to your boat can be done easily by simply converting an old, unused cupboard or locked into a place where you can store items. If you have already been using the space for something else (like food storage), think about whether or not it would be better to move that to a different compartment, especially if there is no closing method on the current one. One good solution for this is marine-grade plywood, which has plenty of strength and durability but will also protect your travel essentials from moisture damage if it gets wet inside the storage area. This is also very cheap and easy to cut down into just the right size for your boat if necessary. Also,  think about the placement of storage units in a way that will make them easily accessible.

Fix what needs fixing, but don’t overdo it

Many renovations will include necessary repairs and replacements to items around the boat. For example, if you have a sagging sink or countertop, chances are they need to be fixed and reinforced with screws and braces, so they won’t sag again after you’ve restored their correct shape. If your bulwarks (wooden walls that surround the deck) are rotted out or peeling paint, then definitely consider replacing them. Just remember that it’s better to leave something alone than to try too hard to fix what isn’t broken; new wood might look nice now, but won’t after months of humidity and moisture exposure. Don’t replace anything without considering long-term implications.

When doing renovations, it’s important to consider all angles of the situation. What looks nice is not always most practical, and what is practical might not look good in the long run. Remembering these pieces of advice and doing research about your options before making decisions will affect your comfort on board for many years to come!