Boat Maintenance 101

The arrival of summer to many means finally hooking up the boat and heading to the lake. While there is unbridled freedom found in skipping over the waves on a hot sunny day, it can be incredibly exasperating to have an on the water excursion get cut short due to motor or trailer issues. It’s been said the best medicine is prevention, and that holds true to ensuring your summer is full of happy boating memories rather than shrouded in frustration.

Outboard engine expert and owner of NC Powersports (N4432 Pine Road Birnamwood, WI 715-432-4260) Nick Cherek has a few suggestions for getting your boating season started off right. “Things to think about in the spring as boats are coming out of storage include more than the motor. You want to make sure you charge your batteries and possibly have them load tested to make sure they are strong,” Cherek begins. “Many chargers will indicate that the battery is full when really you might have a dead cell; the load test will tell you.” Along with having your batteries tested and charged, Nick insists on ensuring that you clean the terminal ends and adds that tight connections are also a must.

To complete early season motor maintenance, Cherek advises making sure the lower unit is filled with a quality lower unit gear lube. As for the trailer, Nick points out the necessity of thoroughly examining the lights to ensure proper operation and repacking the wheel bearing on a regular basis; depending on the amount of travel your trailer experiences, he recommends wheel bearing replacement every 3 to 5 years.

Once your motor and trailer are ready to go for the season, Nick points out there are not too many things to worry about during the summer months. “I like to have boat owners pull their props once a month to check for fishing line behind the prop,” he says, “A prop shaft with line wrapped around it can cause water to leak into the lower unit causing severe damage.” Aside from checking for fishing line, Cherek adds some insight into an often over-looked facet of motor maintenance – fuel. “With the introduction of ethanol gases available these days, I highly recommend that small engine owners stray away from such fuel.” He continues, “Most cities and pumps offer a recreational fuel at high octane that is ethanol free. Paying a few cents more at the pump will save a large service bill in the future.”

Inevitably summer will come to a close, and autumn will gave way to winter. Prior to putting your boat into storage there are a few suggestions Nick offers. First, he recommends filling your gas tank full to prevent moisture from building up in the tank over the winter months. “Have the fuel stabilized with a good fuel treatment, drain and refill the lower unit (never leave the lower unit empty to prevent the bearings and gears from rusting), and fog the engine to prevent rust from forming inside the engine.” He continues, “Disconnect all batteries and make sure they are charged to prevent them from freezing.” For inboard motor owners, Cherek insists that all manifolds and blocks be drained before the first freeze of the year.

Remember, prevention truly is the best medicine – enjoy the summer! I’ll see you on the water…