How to Maintain Your Boat

Author: boater, 06 19th, 2009

3000.jpg[edit] Steps

  1. Wash your boat regularly. And if you boat in saltwater, rinse your boat thoroughly with fresh water after every outing to remove salt residue.
  2. Use soaps and use boat cleaners made just for boats to protect your boat’s finish.
  3. Change your boat’s oil regularly. Four-stroke outboards, inboards and stern drive boats require regular oil changes. The frequency will vary by model, but a good rule of thumb is to change the oil every 100 hours of operation or at least once a year.
  4. Check the propeller as part of your pre-launch routine (If you have an outboard or stern drive boat). Use a deep well socket to make sure the propeller nut is secure.
  5. Remove the propeller several times during the season to make sure discarded fishing line hasn’t become wrapped around the propeller shaft. If it has, have your dealer inspect the gear-case, because fishing line can cause gear-case leaks and gear-case service is not a do-it-yourself job.
  6. While you have the propeller off, inspect it for nicks, dents and other signs of damage. It’s OK if your prop is massing paint, but send it out for repairs if you find signs of impact. The smallest dent can cause your boat to lose 10% of performance and will burn more fuel than normal.
  7. Put a liberal amount of waterproof grease on the propeller shaft and re-install the propeller and hardware in the same order that you took them off, and tighten the propeller nut to the manufacturers specifications.



One Response to “How to Maintain Your Boat”

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