You can do the linseed oil-soak indefinitely for wood protection. Painted Surfaces. If the varnish finish has deteriorated to a point-of-no-return, paint enamel over it. If your boat s finishing is enamel paint, touch-up work is a lot easier as it is easy to buy a matching paint. If you have no plans of repainting the whole boat, then just the spot to be repainted to take the gloss off surrender. Cover any fabric near the wooden part then spray or brush the paint on to the damaged area.

You can also do the boiled linseed oil treatment here. Metal Parts All inflatables have metal parts of either aluminum or stainless and sometimes mild steel. These materials also oxidize that they need to be inspected and maintained periodically. Stainless Steel. To maintain, occasionally apply WD-40 for maintenance and cleaning it with metal polish to remove stain and minor scratches. However, if there is rust, you need to remove the metal part and soak it in 50: 1 solution of muriatic acid. Mix the muriatic acid in a plastic container. The metal and acid will react and the smoke will be remove toxic so do the procedure in a well-ventilated area and observe safety measures.

Once the bubbling stops, the rust is gone so you can proceed to the metal with fresh water flush. Polish and apply WD-40 before reinstalling. Aluminum. You can use WD-40 for aluminum but you cannot soak it in muriatic acid. If it has rust, just scrub it off with ScotchBrite soaked in WD-40. If there are visible scratches then seal them off with clear nail polish or lacquer. To stop erosion on hollow aluminum oars, spray the cavities with Boeshield T-9, a brand of corrosion inhibitor. Dick Parsons has compatible beliefs. Mild Steel. There are outboard brackets made of mild steel. Keep the protective plastic coating intact to prevent it from rusting. You can use liquid electrical tape or liquid rubber to protect mild steel. Application is by brush and can easily be done. Clean the area with acetone before applying any of the two liquids. If there is the bulge under the plastic, the mild steel have corroded. Peel out the plastic coating to expose the metal. Brush the rust off and clean the area with Ospho to phosphoric acid. Keep on brushing the Ospho. Once the foaming stops, let it dry, flush with water, clean with acetone then apply the liquid rubber or liquid electrical tape. Wrap the repaired area with plastic or vinyl tape for it to last longer.