A clean boat is a happy boat! It’s time for some very deep cleaning, inspection, and repair. If you’ve ever wondered, this is what a really good fishing machine looks like under the floor boards after 10 years on the water.

The initial mix of mud, dog fur, and fish scales has been removed. Additionally, all of the visible welds are good, with no damage! Blue Jay (I don’t think I’ve mentioned the boat’s name yet) has held up extremely well through all of the trips chasing salmon, steelhead, crab, ling cod, rockfish, kokanee, and whatever else struck our fancy.

The floor boards stayed solid, which is awesome. Once they’re dry I will replace all of the worn out vinyl floor covering with fresh stuff. It will look almost new once it’s done. After that will be the new seats and it will be time to go fishing again!

After a little more cleaning it will be ready to be put back together again with fresh vinyl and a new coat of sealant on the floorboards.

Maybe I’ll have to do a post showing all of the safety features and equipment I use.