Washing And Cleaning; Winter Storage And Servicing; Measures Before Launching - Silver Fox Avant Eignerhandbuch

not needed. However, leave the safety equipment, such as the fire
extinguisher, in the boat.
6.2

Washing and cleaning

Keep the boat clean to improve comfort and safety and to maintain
its re-sale value.
The deck and broadsides should be cleaned regularly and waxed
yearly. In this way you insure a good surface gloss and a surafe
that repells dirt. Use sweet water and ordinary boat shampoos for
washing. Do not use strong solvents as they tend to dull the gloss of
reinforced plastic surfaces. To remove chafes or ingrained dirt, use
a mildly abrasive polish.
Clean the bottom immediately after the boat is lifted out of water.
Algae and slime are easy to remove before they dry.
6.3

Winter storage and servicing

Service the engine and other equipment for the winter in accord-
ance with the instructions provided. If you leave the boat out of
doors or in damp conditions, remove all textiles and other materi-
als that may get mouldy or corrode in dampness. Wash the ropes in
sweet water and replace any worn ropes.
Open the plug in the transom to remove all water accumulated in
the bilge to prevent it from causing damage when freezing. Also,
leave the ball valves half-open to prevent freezing.
Electrical instruments should also be protected against oxidization
and theft by removing and storing them in a dry place for the winter.
Remove the batteries and place them in a warm, dry location. Re-
charge the batteries at least twice during the winter. Spray a suitable
154 de-moisturizing and anti-corrosion agent to electrical connectors.
Cover the boat to prevent the accumulation of snow inside the boat.
However, provide adequate ventilation. Normally, no snow accumu-
lates on top of the tarpaulin if the ridge angle is at least 90°.
CAUTION! The tarpaulin and its lashing ropes may not be in direct
contact with the boat surface because when fluttering
and chafing they leave black marks on the aluminium
surface that are hard to remove.
6.4

Measures before launching

Repair any damage to the gelcoat or have it repaired in accordance
with Section 7.
For sea conditions, fouling growth on the boat bottom must be
prevented using antifouling paint. A fouled bottom and propel-
ler increase fuel consumption considerably. However, if the boat is
moored at a river mouth or in low-salt water, or if the boat is lift-
ed out of water at least once a week, no antifouling is usually re-
quired. Follow the paint manufacturer's instructions carefully. If you
remove the existing paint, remember that the dust or sludge pro-
duced during the process is toxic. No antifouling is required or rec-
ommended on sweet-water inland lakes.
CAUTION! Do not paint over the anodes, log sensor or the piston
rods of the trim tab hydraulic cylinders. Do not apply
paint that contains copper to aluminium parts. Follow
the paint manufacturer's instructions. Paints contain-
ing lead and copper are corrosive to aluminium.
Carry out the required engine servicing in accordance with the
manual. Check the operation of electrical equipment and remove
oxidization from fuse connections, etc.