Cleaning and Maintaining Outriggers

Welcome to Clean-N-Simple tips. Today we are going to talk about cleaning and protecting your outriggers.  Our Wellcraft 340 Coastal is outfitted with a beautiful set of Taco GS 270 Grand Slam outriggers.

We need to talk about how to clean and maintain the three major components of any outrigger system:

• Mounts
• Poles
• Rigging

First, lets talk about cleaning them during one of your regular wash downs or after a great day of fishing.

All three components need to be thoroughly rinsed and washed with a mild boat soap. Be sure to loosen all nobs and locks. This will ensure that these areas are able to be rinsed as well.

I find that a wash mitt works best for this area. Don’t forget that I always recommend washing your boat from the top down front to back. This will keep you from having to wash areas twice. Therefore, your outriggers in many cases will be the first thing you wash. Rinse the mount, pole, and rigging first then wash with a mitt and a small amount of Brite Wash. Don’t forget to wash each section of the telescoping poles. Once washed and rinsed use a PVA towel to dry the outrigger to prevent water spots.

Another trick in a hurry is to fresh water wipe the outriggers as you are retracting them from fishing. Use a fresh water soaked PVA towel and wrap it around the rigger as you collapse it for the day. Then when you return to the dock just rinse and clean the rest of the unit at the same time you wash the boat.

As for protecting the life of the outriggers there are a couple of things we can do:

1. Periodically remove the pole from the mount for an easier and more thorough cleaning.

2. Make sure to lubricate all necessary components as recommended by your outrigger manufacturer. As you can see in the video, I have a TACO Grand Slam 370. (For more information on these great outriggers goto: Taco Marine)  These are really great mounts. In addition to the standard locking rotation handle they have this secondary crank that raises and lowers the outrigger. I love this design and you know I will be looking to upgrade ours. With this mount here on our display table you can see the obvious places we would want to lubricate and protect. Products like Boeshield T-9 and Corrosion Block work well for this.

3. For the exterior finish and look, Shurhold’s Serious Shine has got you covered. Using a Microfiber Towel, spray the product on to the surface and wipe into a shine. This will clean and protect in one step.

Remember, clean and functional outriggers will keep your boat looking good and your fishing more enjoyable.

Until next time, make sure you keep your boat Clean-N-Simple!