Basic Boat Maintenance Tips

Basic Boat Maintenance Tips

Clean Your Boat!
One of the simplest yet most important tricks to keeping your boat in tip top condition is really quite fundamental. Look after your boat, and it will look after you. Marine scum and salt water will damage your boats finish and could easily increase fuel consumption by up to 30%. Ensure marine grade soap is used to protect and promote a healthy finish. Use a long bristle medium stiffness brush for boat maintenance, making sure to avoid stiff hard bristle brushes that will hurt your finish.

Change Your Oil
Oil changes should occur every 100 hours or every season, depending upon which comes first. Although a simple part of boat maintenance, this chore can often feel overwhelming and may even be overlooked. Following this step-by-step instructional guide will make the chore more bearable.

-Run the engine(s) until warmed to at least 130 degrees
-Drain the oil using the pump, or into the pan
-Replace the plug or close the valve
-Loosen the oil filter on the engine until it can be turned by hand
-Put a Zip Lock Baggie around the filter, and unscrew the rest of the way
-Use a paper towel to catch drips from the filter's mounting
-Seal the zip lock baggie keeping the filter upright
-Put it into the new filter's box
-Using your finger, wet the O-ring atop the new filter with fresh, clean oil
-Screw on the new filter until just finger-tip tight
-Follow the manufacturer's recommendation as to tightening with the wrench
-Re-fill the crankcase with new oil (see your engine handbook)
-Be sure to add a quart for the filter
-Wipe up any drips
-Start the engine and let it run a few minutes
-Checking to be sure oil pressure comes up and there are no oil leaks around the filter or drain plugs
-Dispose of the oil properly at an approved disposal facility
boat-maintenance

Check your propeller
Ensuring your propeller is in good working condition is vital to the overall performance of your boat. Propeller blades need to be removed multiple times throughout the season to ensure discarded fishing line has not become tangled around the propeller shaft. If fishing line has been caught, have your local dealer inspect the gear case as gear case leaks are NOT a do it yourself job. Inspect propeller for dings and scratches as these can reduce performance by up to 10% (chipped paint is okay)


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