15 Jun
Boat owners love spending time on their watercraft whenever possible. Embarking on fishing trips or just sailing around the bay, owning a boat provides so much pleasure for the individual. In order to keep the boat in the best possible condition, continual maintenance is essential. And it’s not just one time during the year where boat maintenance needs to be performed. There are certain steps the boat owner must take monthly, seasonally, and annually to ensure their watercraft is in the best condition and ready to go on a moment’s notice. Here are some reasons to perform regular maintenance on your boat and what you should do at periodic times throughout the year.
Why Should You Perform Periodic Boat Maintenance?
It would be nice if boats didn’t need occasional maintenance, however, this is not the case. It’s important to take steps throughout the year to maintain your watercraft and ensure that it’s seaworthy at all times. Boat maintenance routines may include checking the fluids, maintaining the engine, cleaning the hull, or undergoing comprehensive safety checks. Each of these tasks will be performed at certain times throughout the year and doing so ensures that every aspect of your boat is in the best condition possible.
What Maintenance Should Be Performed?
Now that you know why you should perform periodic maintenance on your boat, the next step is knowing what tasks to complete and when to do them throughout the year. Some boat maintenance duties may have to be performed only once a year while others may be more of a monthly occurrence. Here are some boat maintenance tasks for you to complete with your boat and how often you should do so:
Monthly Maintenance
Each month, there are certain boat maintenance tasks you should perform to make sure your Nor-Tech, Nitra, or other type of boat is ready to go. Here are some maintenance duties you’ll want to take care of each month:
- Inspect safety equipment: Make sure the life jackets and fire extinguisher are in proper working order.
- Run the engine: If you don’t use the boat often, run the engine to make sure it runs well.
- Wash the boat exterior/clean the interior: Keep your boat clean and wash the exterior/clean the interior monthly.
- Inspect the hull and bilges: Visually inspect the hull and bilges for proper working order.
- Empty the waste tank: Clear out the waste tank.
Seasonal Tasks
There are also tasks you should complete seasonally to ensure your boat remains in a top-notch condition. Here are some things you should do on your boat seasonally:
- De-winterize your boat in the spring, if necessary, and check the battery, hoses, fluids, etc.
- Inspect the hull and bilge pumps and clean the cooling system during the summer.
- Fill the fuel tank all the way and add fuel stabilizer before covering your boat for the off-season.
Annual Boat Maintenance Duties
Once a year you should perform the following boat maintenance duties to keep your watercraft in good operating condition. Here are the tasks you should complete with each component of your boat each year:
- Cooling system: Flush the cooling system and then replace the coolant.
- Engine tasks: Change the engine oil, inspect the belts and hoses, and replace the fuel filters.
- Hull: Clean the hull and also inspect it for any damage that may have occurred throughout the season.
- Propeller: Inspect the propeller to ensure it’s not damaged in any way.
- Gear oil: Change the gear oil in the boat once a year.
- Inspect the boat trailer: Make sure your boat trailer is in good condition and all of the parts are in proper working order.
- Engine mounts: Make sure the engine mounts are in alignment.
- Schedule a professional boat inspection: A professional inspection ensures that all aspects are covered and your boat is safe to take out on the water.
Find Your Next Boat at Sportboats Marine
If you’re ready to upgrade to a new boat, Sportboats Marine in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, offers an exceptional inventory of new and pre-owned boats. From Nitra to Nor-Tech, you can’t go wrong with the selection our popular boat dealership offers. You can visit us at our showroom or contact us ahead of time to see what inventory we currently have at the moment. We’ll work with you to find the exact type of watercraft you want to add to your dock.
View our boats online and contact us with any questions you may have regarding our selection!
