Owning a boat adds super fun in your life. But, along with it also comes responsibilities, including taking care of it and ensuring its regular maintenance. Without which in time, your new boat will start showing signs of aging, making you feel your decision of buying the boat to be incorrect.
The real trouble begins during the winters when you don’t use the boats for weeks and months. Summers are excellent, with the boat being on the water regularly, you also don’t forget to check it before going out on rides. But, when weeks turn in to months, and you don’t bring out your boat, chances of forgetting it increases.
Maintenance And Care Tips For Your Boat
Check the fluids
Like any other machinery, fluids in the boat also needs to be changed periodically. You will need to flush out some fluids, and change or add the other fluids before you store the boat for an extended period. This process keeps the engine and other parts well maintained, and you won’t have to invest in boat parts in Perth before you take it out in the next sessions.
Dry up the entire boat
Moisture can corrode your boat’s body and destroy it completely. So, make sure that you dry up each part of the vessel and there remains no drop of water which can cause a big problem in the future. Remember to inspect each corner, fish holds, locker, live wells, and storage space to make sure that that they are empty, clean, and dried up. Refrigerators and rugs on the boat should also be cleaned thoroughly. Buy commercial moisture absorbents – they help to a great extent in eradicating mold formation and place them at different places in your boat during the long winter.
Drain out the water from the storage units in your boat, an clean them dry.
Check the battery
The battery is one such accessory of the boat which needs to be charged regularly even when you are not using the ship, or else it can give enough trouble to you. If you ever find the charge of the batteries to be dropping below 75%, make sure to plug in the charger. Let them charge overnight and once they are fully charged, unplug them. Repeat the process, ideally every month.
If you stay in freezing areas, it is best to remove batteries from your boat. Take them inside your house or store them in comparatively some warmer place.
Unplug all electronic appliances, and take away all valuables the boat to protect them from theft or any damage.
Perform regular checks
Before you plan to stow your boat, unused for more than a few months, it is essential that you take the utmost care and precaution to ensure its maintenance. You obviously want to see your boat in a dilapidated and worn-out condition the next time you bring it out!
Once you have taken your boat out of the water, get a good view of it. Mostly when you use the boat regularly, you do not get to check the lower units or such other inaccessible parts. Take this time to inspect all those areas which you otherwise don’t. Clean the entire boat, get it waxed, and if required paint it before storing it.
Cleaning the running gear and hull, require pressure wash. Give a water blast to all the apparatuses of the lower units and a careful soap water bath to the upper portions, including the deck.
Any wear and tear in the hull can cause further corrosion. So mend them as soon as you find any small leakage, in any part of the boat.
Conclusion
Some of the above checks require the detailing and perfection of experts. Hire someone who knows in and out of boats and get it checked and maintained by them before winterizing it. With proper care and maintenance, you can turn this massive investment into a long-term benefit and enjoy cruising with your friends and families for years to come.