Boat Maintenance Information for New and Used Boats including: Power Boats, Fishing Boats, Sail Boats, Ski Boats and Skiffs

Maintaining Your Boat

The minute you buy your boat, you have to start thinking about your boat maintenance and upkeep schedule. First, you need to either personally inspect your boat or to hire a professional boat inspector. If you choose to hire an inspector, take note of his recommendations in terms of things to watch out for and the maintenance weaknesses of your boat. Local boat traders may have their own inspector for you to hire. Keep in mind that after checking your boat, there are several things you need to do in order for you to keep it in tip-top shape.

Boat washing and boat wax

It is recommended that you wash your boat once or twice a week. This is to ensure that your boat’s finish lasts for a long time. A lot of damage can be done to your boat by animal droppings, acid rain, salt, and dirt. Your boat is made of different types of material such as canvas, fiberglass, and metal. This means that cleaning your boat requires that you pay attention to cleaning these specific materials. Different cleaners and cleansers are available for all materials, and be sure to check your local discount marine supplies store.

As for the boat wax, it is important because it maintains the value and look of your boat for the long run. There are different types of boat wax available, and most boat traders recommend a double layer application of paste wax. It is often suggested to get natural instead of chemical products, in order to preserve the finish of your boat.

Interior boat detailing

Interior boat detailing is a more extensive procedure than simple boat washing. It involves polishing different materials on your boat such as wood or metal. Special care is given to your windows and blinds as well. The interiors are even vacuumed, and every nook and cranny is cleaned. When done by professionals, it can really improve the look of your boat. It is important to have steam-cleaning procedures done on your boat’s carpet, canvas, and upholstery as well. This attention to detail can prevent termite and bacteria problems that deteriorate the quality, value, and performance of your boat.

Boat bottom cleaning

While most boat maintenance services focus on the visible parts of your boat, it is cleaning your boat bottom (the part that has contact with the water) that is most important. The bottom of your boat should be routinely inspected and cleaned. The danger is that barnacles and algae will attach themselves to your boat bottom, affecting your boat’s speed and performance. The more frequently you use your boat, the more it needs bottom cleaning. Most boating enthusiasts even say that routine bottom cleaning saves them on fuel. Be sure to hire experts who provide services with preventive growth treatments.

By making a habit of having your boat maintained, you are insured of getting the best boating experience possible. Also, don’t postpone repairs when they are urgently needed. Remember – dirty, unkempt boats are best left at the dock.

Get your Boat Ready for Summer – basic summerizing requirements for powerboats:

Hull- check the hull for cracks and damage. If you find any, minor repairs can be made with repair kits. Larger cracks may need to be repaired by a professional. Hull should be cleaned and waxed for the summer.
Engine – Change oil and filter, check freeze plugs, change spark plugs, check spark plug wires, check belts for wear and tension, check throttle and choke cables.
Out drive – check and change outdrive oil as required. Check drive cables and adjust as required. Check the propeller for cracks or damage. Propellers can be repaired or rebuilt.
Battery - Check fluid level and fill as required. Check battery posts and clean to ensure a good connection. Charge the battery before installing.
Lights - Check all exterior and interior lights, gages, and electrical functions. Replace or repair as required.
Trailer - Check the condition of tires. Cracked or excessively worn tires should be replaced. Wheel bearings should be repacked or replaced, especially if the trailer is kept outside. Check all wiring and electrical connections. Check to ensure all lighting – turn and break are working. Check and grease trailer jack. Check tongue-ball hitch fit. It should not be loose when the tongue lock is latched. Ensure trailer brakes work properly.
Bilge pump- make sure bilge pump is working and boat drain plug is installed.
Plates and Registration – make sure trailer plate and boat registration are current.

Note: This is only a general item list for winterizing and may not cover all necessary items for your boat. You should refer to your owner’s manual for additional maintenance items.

Boat Winterizing - Key Steps Needed to Prepare Your New or Used Boat for Winter

Well for many of us summer has now past and it’s time to prepare your boat for a short winter’s rest, hopefully it’s short. Here’s the main actions needed to ensure your boat rests well through the winter months and is in good shape for next summer.

For Boats with I/Os:

Add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and start engine, allow to run until warm. This will ensure that gas with stabilizer has circulated through the carburetor.
Drain engine-cooling system and fill with antifreeze.
Start engine and run until antifreeze starts to spurt out of the exhaust.
Stop engine and allow to cool.
Fog each cylinder with fogging oil or WD40 through each sparkplug hole.
Spray entire engine and electrical wiring and connections with rust preventative (WD40 or equivalent).
Drain out drive gear oil, leave plug in boat glove box or storage box, place rag or cardboard under out drive to allow it to drain as needed. This will allow any accumulated condensation to escape.

For Boats with Outboard Motors:

Add fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and start engine, allow to run until warm. This will ensure that gas with stabilizer has circulated through the carburetor.
Stop engine and allow to cool.
Fog each cylinder with fogging oil or WD40 through each sparkplug hole.
Remove engine cover and spray entire engine and electrical wiring and connections with rust preventative (WD40 or equivalent).
Drain out drive gear oil, leave plug in the boat glove box or storage box, place rag or cardboard under drive to allow it to drain as needed. This will allow any accumulated condensation to escape and not freeze.

Additional items:

Drain bilge pumps.
Remove battery and store in garage. Battery fluid level (electrolyte fluid) should be checked and filled if required. Battery should be charged monthly to keep it properly maintained.
Remove boat drain plugs and keep in glove box or storage compartment.
Boat should be covered and stored in garage or covered storage building. If outside storage is needed, the boat should be shrink-wrapped.

Note: This is only a general item list for winterizing and may not cover all necessary items for your boat. You should refer to your owner’s manual for additional maintenance items.

Trailer Maintenance

Yep – that’s right; trailers have to be maintained too. There’s plenty to check on the trailer and it’s just as important, if not more important than the boat maintenance itself. How many times have you seen boats /trailers off on the side of the highway, sometimes even flipped over. Failure to properly maintain your trailer can be end up in a huge disaster. Here are a few of the key items that need to checked annually and maintained.

Lights - lights are generally constructed to be submersible or waterproof. However, they occasionally leak and the bulb sockets do corrode. The sockets and wiring need to be checked, bulbs changed and sockets re-greased with electrical grease.
Tongue Lock – these become loose and need to be adjusted so that when clamped down they lock securely to the hitch. Many times I’ve seen trailers pop off the hitch while being towed and end up on the side of the road. Make sure it doesn’t happen to you.
Tongue Jack – should be greased / oiled annually to ensure free /easy motion.
Brakes - check and maintain brake shoes or discs and also the controls or cables.
Tires - Check for cracks or weathered rubber - replace tires if the appearance is old.
Wheel Bearings - these should removed and greased every few years.
Rollers - ensure rollers are not cracked or missing. Also ensure free movement.
Stern Guides – make sure guide cover material is not torn or missing.

Boat Repair Manuals

Are you looking for a repair manual to fix your hull or interior or are you looking for a boat engine repair manual? We’ll here’s some useful links to sites that offer just that.

Boat Repair Manuals... answer boat repair and maintenance questions. Engine repair to fiberglass marine repair ... the left side for parts and manuals and the. right for anything else ... www.boatdoctor.com/manuals.htm

Marine repair manuals from RepairManual.com. ... boat books and Seloc marine repair manuals. Helping you keep your boat running ... repair manuals published by Chilton, Clymer, Haynes and Seloc manuals. ... www.repairmanuals.com/marine

Trailering your boat this summer? – Here’s what you need to do to keep it on the road.

by: Mike Fisher

Each year thousands of boating enthusiasts, fishing guru’s and summer vacationers trailer their boat to a nearby lake or head to their weekend get away cottage and each year accidents by the dozens occur from a variety of failures or malfunctions. You see them on the side of the highways every year; a blown out tire, a boat and trailer separated from the tow vehicle and in a ditch next to the highway or sometimes flipped over on the side of the road. Sometimes it’s a multi-vehicle accident with cars, trucks and a boat all mixed up together. Someone usually gets hurt and sometimes there’s fatalities.

Well, if you’re planning to trailer your boat and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a pontoon boat, power boat, cruiser, a sailboat or even a small fishing boat, here’s what you need to check and fix before you hit the road.

Tires- Tires are probably the most common things to fail and cause someone to get stuck on the side of the road. The reason is because a lot of people store their boats and trailers outside and they sit in storage a good deal of time. The rubber gets old, loses pressure, cracks and so on. So check your tires for wear and cracks. If you don’t have at least an eighth of an inch of tread depth or if you see cracks in the tires and they should be replaced. Also, check the tire pressure. When your trailer sits in storage for long periods of time and the temperature rises and falls this causes the tire to lose pressure slowly over time. There should be inflation specifications on the side of the tire or check your boat and trailer owners manual. Make sure to inflate your tires to the proper tire pressure. Under inflated tires or over inflated tires can fail and keep you stuck on the side of the road for a long time.

Lights, wiring and connections - These can cause serious accidents if not working correctly. When they’re not working properly the people behind you don’t know when you’re stopping or turning. On highways, this can cause fatal accidents. Check to make sure the lamps are not burned out and make sure both filaments are in tact. Check the lamp housings to ensure the seals are not broken or deteriorated. Check the lamp sockets for corrosion. Apply a light coat of electrical grease around the base of the lamp and socket to keep out moisture and reinstall the lamps. Check the wiring to insure the ground connections are not corroded or broken. Also, check the wiring along the frame. Make sure that it’s in good condition and properly fixed to the trailer. Check the fittings and connections between the trailer and vehicle to make sure the male / female plugs are not corroded. If they are, they should be cleaned and reconnected. Have someone stand behind the trailer each time you hook up and make sure your running lights, brake lights and turn signals are working correctly.

Note: you should disconnect the trailer lights harness from the vehicle before backing the boat into the water. This will prevent the trailer lamps from shorting and blowing out.

Brakes – if your trailer is equipped with brakes, check the brake fluid. If it’s low, fill to the appropriate level with approved brake fluid. Check the brake pads or shoes to make sure that they are not worn and replace them if they are. Check the brake wire connections between the trailer and vehicle are in properly connected. They control the braking mechanism to apply or release the brakes as needed. Always check that the brakes are working properly before on a short test drive before towing at your boat at high speeds. Have a friend or family member stand behind and to the side of the trailer. Confirm that the brake and turn signal lights are working. If you’re not familiar with repairing brakes and replacing brake pads and shoes, take your trailer to your local boating center or trailer dealership.

Bearings - Bearings should be checked at least once per year to ensure they are properly greased. A frozen bearing can cause the wheel to lockup and the tire to blow out. Most trailer spindles have a dust cover that covers the bearing. Just remove the cover and inspect. Some have a zerk or grease fitting at the end of the spindle. You can add grease easily without disassembling the bearing assembly. If you don’t have a zerk fitting, the bearings need to be removed and repacked the old fashion way. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about then you need to take your trailer to your local boating center or a trailer sales and service company. The bearings should be checked and grease at least once per year. Always use a manual grease gun and replace the tang washer. They should not be reused. If you frequently use your boat and trailer, you should check them twice per year.

Coupler - Couplers get worn and more frequently become misadjusted so that the fit between the coupler and the hitch ball becomes loose. If you’re towing your boat and the coupler is loose it could bounce off the hitch ball and cause a serious accident. It’s happened. I’ve seen it. To avoid this kind of catastrophe, make sure the under side of the coupler is free from dirt and debris. Spray lubricant on the lever and clasp mechanism and also on the hitch ball. Check to make sure you are using the correct size ball for the coupler. They should be stamped the size. Make sure they are the same. Attach the coupler to the hitch. Close the lever and insert the safety pin. Confirm that the fit is tight and the tongue of the trailer cannot move up or down at all. If you have a wheel type coupler you can adjust it to tighten the fit. If you have a lever type, some have a nut on the underside of the coupler that can be adjusted to tighten the fit. If not, you should take your trailer to a boating center or trailer dealership for repair. Note: the pin is very important on the lever type of couplers and needs to be inserted. If the pin is missing, it needs to be replaced.

Winch - Make sure the winch is working properly and spay lubricating oil on the gears. This will keep the winch working freely for the entire boating season.

Tongue jack – grease the jack through the zerk fitting or pop the top cap and insert grease. This should be done at least once per year. Make sure that the jack operates freely all the way up and down.

Safety Chains - These are extremely important, especially if the coupler fails. I’ve seen a lot of trailers without them, but they are very important to have. They should be securely attached to the trailer, one on each side of the tongue and attached to side of the hitch. They need to long enough to allow the trailer to turn, but short enough to prevent the tongue of the trailer from hitting the ground if the coupler comes off the hitch.

Rollers - If your trailer is equipped with rollers, spray a little lubricating oil on the spindles. This will keep them rolling freely.

Frame - Check the frame of the trailer for cracks, especially at the weld joints. There should be no signs of cracks or fatigue. Frame or weld crack are generally not a problem, but when towing a heavy boat they can be. If you see any signs of cracks in the frame, take your trailer to your nearest boating center or trailer dealer for service.

General - your trailer should be hosed off after each use to prolong it’s appearance and to keep it in good working order. This is especially important if you using your boat and trailer in salt water. When storing or parking your trailer, you should never let the tongue rest directly on the ground. Use a cement block or wooden block to rest the tongue on. This will keep dirt and debris from accumulating in the underside of the coupler.

If you are unsure about any of the maintenance items or how to do them, take your trailer to your local boating center or your local trailer dealership. They will be able to assist you in servicing your trailer properly.

For more information on boat and trailer maintenance - check out http://www.boatfisher.com/boatMaintenance.cfm.

Always remember, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Don’t be one of those guys or families on the side of the road wondering what went wrong. Do the required maintenance and checks on your trailer before you hit the road and you’ll be on the water in no time.

For more information on boat trailer maintenance visit http://www.boatfisher.com/boatMaintenance.cfm. Also, check out our new and used boats, boating supplies and resources or to find a new or used boat or list your boat for sale just go to http://www.boatfisher.com. About the Author: For more information on boat trailer maintenance visit http://www.boatfisher.com/boatMaintenance.cfm. Also, check out our new and used boats, boating supplies and resources or to find a new or used boat or list your boat for sale, just go to http://www.boatfisher.com. Enjoy Life ... Go Boating!