The more snow we see falling in February, the more we start thinking ahead to the boating season around the corner. The same question gets asked each year: “What do I have to do to my boat before going out for the first time?” Some call it Spring service. Others call it de-winterizing. A stubborn few still use the term summerizing. No matter what you call it the job remains the same. This all based on the assumption that you’ve had the boat properly winterized.
1)Check your batteries.
The Achilles heel of any battery system is cold and lack of use causing the battery to lose its charge. Batteries can freeze and quickly drain down in cold weather when they are left in boats being stored. The best-case scenario is that you’ve had your battery out of the boat and on a trickle charger though out the winter. Either way the battery should be tested prior to being put into service for another year. Cheap load testers are available at Canadian Tire or Princess Auto and even cheaper hydrometers are available as well. Using a load tester, you can quickly and easily see your battery’s capacity to work on an easy to read display. Most load testers use a simple red, yellow, green display to simplify the data and make it so even the least mechanically inclined boat owner can understand. A hydrometer is a device which can read the specific gravity in each cell of the battery to know their ability to hold a charge. A huge benefit to using a hydrometer is it forces you to check the fluid levels of your batteries – something that even the most knowledgeable owners often forget to do. Battery fluid levels can be topped up with distilled water and you can easily gain years of battery life by regularly checking and servicing your battery.
2)Check your engine fluids.
While many people change their engine and gear oil in the fall while winterizing, many people choose to do this service in the spring. Regardless of engine hours, most manufacturers recommend changing oils once a year (or every 100 hours of use). This applies to engine oil as well as gearcase oil. The motor should be warmed up before changing oils to get any sludge or contaminants that may have accumulated on the bottom of the pan suspended in the oil as well as thinning the oil out to make it easier to drain.
3)Fire up the motor before driving to the launch.
Anyone who’s been at a boat launch in April has seen some poor family attempting to fire up their boat for the first time and are stuck on the ramp holding everyone else up. Don’t be that poor family. Hook up a flush attachment and run the motor up in your driveway or wherever you can get access to water. If the motor has been “fogged” then it likely will be tough to fire up, usually requiring pumping the throttle a bit before it will fire. This applies mainly to carbureted engines. Most fuel injected motors will fire up right away. Once the motor is running first check to see if cooling water is pumping. Water pumps can easily freeze during winter and are always suspect in the spring. Outboard engines utilize a “tell tale” to indicate proper water pump operation while sterndrive boats require a closer look. Depending on the sterndrive, you should see water pumping out of the transom shield area and/or the middle of the propeller. Sterndrive boats should also be checked for water leaks around the engine. Frost damage can occur in several ways and is usually quite apparent when viewing the motor while it’s running. Always re-check your engine oil level after running for the first time.
4)DRAIN PLUG.
Remember to install your drain plug. I’ll say it again to make sure it sinks in. Remember to install your drain plug. Most boat shops that provide winterizing services will remove hull drain plugs and leave them somewhere in the boat. Each year there is always a couple boat owners who unsuspectingly launch their boat and immediately begin taking on water. Remember to install your drain plug.
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