Pressure washing is used on everything from driveways to buildings and does a great job. Now, the kind used for buildings and other hard surfaces will damage the wood, but a low-pressure device could do the job. And it’s right there attached to the house—your garden hose. I used a ball valve and fixed nozzle to provide relatively high pressure and the ability to turn it off when needed. The valve is essential because, if dropped, a nozzle under pressure will jump all over and could cause damage. A gun-type sprayer with a nozzle attachment would work just as well, but can’t get into those small spaces in the stems.

Oh—use eye protection because the water will jet back into your face and bits of wood and varnish fly everywhere. I just used a pair of shop glasses and they worked fine, and also allowed me to get up close to the work while spraying.

Roll the boat on its side and secure it in place, then work from one end towards the other and remove as much grime and varnish as you can working a little at a time, concentrating the jet between the ribs. You may want to do this more than once.

After a thorough washing, allow the boat to dry completely before applying the varnish remover.

Oh—prepared to get soaked—this is a great job to do on a hot summer day!

Next time: Removing the old varnish

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