Preventing corrosion is an important job on a boat, as is removing the rust streaks it can leave behind. Luckily, with a little preventative maintenance and some easy clean-ups, you can make corrosion a bad memory.

The first rule in keeping corrosion at bay is, of course, to always give your boat a thorough wash-down after use in salt water. But this isn’t the only measure you need to take. You’ll also want to give your boat a solid defense against the problem by treating all of its metal parts with a good barrier spray, like CorrosionX, Boat Saver, or Boeshield T-9. All of these products work well, but can stain other parts of your boat if you try to spray them all over the place. Instead, spray a rag until it’s saturated with your barrier of choice, then wipe down the metal parts by hand. Re-apply it every month or so, because it’ll wear away over time.

You’ve already had corrosion issues, and now those ugly yellow rust stains ruin your boat’s looks? You can scrub them with boat soap all day, to no avail. But there’s an easier way to get rid of rust streaks: use an oxalic acid-based cleaner. Several are on the market, including Y-10 Fiberglass Stain Remover, and Star Brite Rust Stain Remover. The best part: these require no scrubbing or rubbing. Just paint them over the stained area, kick back and relax, and a few minutes later the rust streaks fade away. One caution: make sure you rinse away this stuff after it’s done its work, or it’ll leave absurdly white streaks where the rust stains used to be.

One final tip – take an inventory of all the metal on your boat, and be on the lookout for cheap parts and aftermarket accessories that aren’t stainless-steel. Replace them with the real thing and you’ll save yourself heartache and work, down the road. Now get out there on your boat, and win the war of preventing corrosion and removing rust streaks and stains!