subject: One Day In The Life Of A Sydney Charter Yacht [print this page] The thought of chartering a yacht in Sydney Harbour conjures up images of a glamorous lifestyle, sailing one of the world's most famous waterways. And so it should.
Charter boat hire may have a shiny and polished exterior but boats for charter lead a busy life in living on the salty sea, exposed to natures elements, they exist in what is, for the most part, a very harsh environment.
It's important that each Sydney charter boat is given its share of love and care, and this means regular maintenance and a deserved annual haul-out.
So what's involved in looking after a Sydney charter boat in its annual trip to the boatyard?
Well, the purpose of hauling a chartering yacht out is to have look at its hull and clean it up. The nature of the sea is that organisms grow, live and thrive especially various types of grass, barnacles and other creatures of a clinging nature and love nothing more than growing and clinging to the hull of charter yachts Sydney.
The first job when hauling a chartering yacht out is to hose the hull off with a pressure washer. Not too powerful, but powerful enough to take the grass, barnacles and grime off.
Once clean, the hull can be inspected for any dings and scrapes and the sacrificial zinc anodes are inspected to see if they need to be replaced. It's also not uncommon to find the odd bit of fishing line around the prop there's plenty of it strewn about the harbour near impossible to see when motoring along.
The keel is an area that gets special attention. The majority of keels are made from iron. When launched new, the keels are sealed against saltwater in an attempt to prevent corrosion. Sooner or later, though, the saltwater gets in. Any areas of evident corrosion need to be ground back, primed, sealed and painted.
The whole hull of a chartering yacht below the waterline is then usually given two-and-a-half coats of antifoul paint, a paint that has been scientifically formulated to discourage marine growth.
After the hull has been painted, the top-sides of the chartering yacht's hull will be given a buff and polish, another measure to ensure the gelcoat is able to remain bright and protected against the sea, rain and sun.
During the slower winter charter boat hire season is the time we do most of the big maintenance items. Many of our boats for charter are going through this process now in readiness for the spring and summer ahead.
So it's not all a luxury lifestyle for chartering yachts sailing in Sydney, but a well-earned haul-out puts the proud shine back on SailCorps Sydney boat charter fleet.
