Clean tracks and seat wheels with a rag or towel and water (grease may build up in the wheel bearings).

Hose down boat, especially the aluminum parts if you row on salt water or corrosive water.

Wipe down oarlocks. Excessive grease attracts dirt which will grind down the oarlock and oar - sleeves.

Open ports and stern cork to allow air to flow through the hull and dry out residual moisture.

Soap and water are usually sufficient to clean all surfaces, and washing your boat with Formula 409 will prevent river crud or salt from accumulating.

Several times a year:

Your boat should have an entire inspection, clean-up and lube job, especially if you row in salt water. This should be done before storing the boat for periods longer than a week or two.

Apply grease to all the metal parts that fit or bolt together. (Spray-on oils, although convenient, do not last nearly as long and their solvents may actually wash heavier oils away.) These metal parts include the seat wheel bearings, lockplates, pins, wing rigger thumb screws. ( Traditional Van Dusens require greasing of the rigger bolts.) Take the parts apart to lube them, this will keep them easy to adjust in the future.

The finish of your new Van Dusen racing shell is usually epoxy gelcoat. It was sprayed into the mold before we constructed your boat. It is bonded into the outer layer of fiberglass during the heat and pressure curing process in our autoclave and is extremely durable. Minor scratches can be repaired with standard automotive polishing compound. Major scratches, usually the result of surprise meetings with a log, rock or dock, may require filling to retain a perfect hull finish. If this happens, please contact us and we can send you a gelcoat repair kit.

If your boat was painted a custom color, call us for a repair kit or the paint number so you can pick it up at a local auto-body shop.