Cleaning you yak

Mabye a stupid question but what is the proper way to clean your yak to pass inspection when entering one of the local pay-n-play lakes?

No water and no mud.  Period.  How you achieve that?  If you store outdoors, your gonna have to do an interior wipedown and dry before the inspection.  At some of the more stringent inspections (like Loch Lomond), they'll turn you away for even a tablespoon of water, whether rain water, condensation, or otherwise.  And forget about it if you have any mud.

I look at Boat Inspection like a two stage deal.  1) Just like with gear prep, check your boat for inspection conformity the night before you go out.  doing it the night before permits you to wash out your boat if you have to, and allows a modicum of time for drying.  2) Then morning of, double check your hull inside and out.  Have sponge handy (you should have one in your boat anyway).

What he said...  and I'll add my own routine...

If my yak is muddy I'll give it a spraydown, let it drain off a bit then hit it with the Sham-Wow.  Are you getting this, camera guy?  I don't know, it sells itself.

One imprtant step is to pull off to the side of the road somewhere just prior to inspection and mop up any water that came from nook and crannies...

Make sure your paddle doesn't have water in it...  some inspectors might ceck your PFD and seat for dampness, so be prepared.

If you fail inspection they will take your info and I think you are banned for a month?  So dry your boat!

Wipe down the inside w/a towel before racking it on the car. I like to use a car shammy on an extension handle because its easier to reach inside while the yak is racked, and its super-absorbant.

I store mine outside so they get some condensation overnight. That is why I pull-over to do a quick wipedown right before the inspection too.

If my yak is muddy I'll give it a spraydown, let it drain off a bit then hit it with the Sham-Wow.  Are you getting this, camera guy?  I don't know, it sells itself.

 

Sham-Wow.  Are you getting this, camera guy?  I don't know, it sells itself.

now that's Real_Time!

I find water in my Hobie all the time...  I have found that shoving a large towel down the center hatch, leaving some of the towel outside to act like a wick, will collect most of the moisture over night.  Then a quick wipe down of any reachable area from the hatches and i'm golden.  I also shove a rag inside my pool-noodle mounting

Haven't had a failure yet for any inspection, but then again I am a bit paranoid about it.  Who wants to make the journey only to be turned away due to some condensation?

If my yak is muddy I'll give it a spraydown, let it drain off a bit then hit it with the Sham-Wow.  Are you getting this, camera guy?  I don't know, it sells itself.

 

Peter, my thoughts immediately went to sham wow....and the bug-eyed, carnie headset amphetamine fueled spokesman.

I'm thinking of mass-marketing a competitive product, less useful for more money, called the "Scam-Wow"

Allen