What regular maintenance should be done on a boat?
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A Simple Boat Maintenance Checklist
Owning a boat is amazing. You get to travel around on the ocean and explore the world in new ways, or even just take a peaceful fishing trip. However, there is also a lot of maintenance involved with boats. And if you don’t look after them properly, you’ll end up with some very expensive problems on your hands.
Regularly checking your boat for problems is key if you want to pick up on issues and fix them before they get out of hand. Unfortunately, many new boat owners don’t know how to properly assess their boats. This checklist will help you make sure you haven’t missed anything.
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Install a Marine Gauge
Knowing information like the speed, oil pressure, and battery conditions of the boat gives you some insight into the overall health of the vessel. You can get this information by installing marine gauges in your boat. You can then use these to help you when you are operating the vessel and to give you more information about any maintenance issues that may arise. This simple upgrade makes it a lot easier to keep your boat in perfect condition.
Walk Around the Hull
A quick walk around is always a good starting point for your boat maintenance routine. Check over the hull and look out for cracks, splinters, and areas where the paint is starting to wear. The exterior will be coated in boat varnish or another similar clear coat, which prevents water from getting in, if this is starting to wear down, it will need to be reapplied, furthermore, if there are any open cracks, they need to be properly filled before the boat hits the water again.
Check the Wiring
A boat has a lot of complex electrical instruments that help keep it working and allow you to operate it. If there are any electrical faults, this can be seriously dangerous. As it may start a fire while you are out at sea. So, you need to check the wiring regularly. Look for any frayed wires or any loose connections that could cause problems. If the wiring looks like it has seen better days, call an electrician that has experience working with boats and get them to replace it for you.
Check the Upholstery
Dorothy Levitt won the first Harmsworth Cup, driving the Napier motor yacht in 1903
People tend to focus on all the mechanical workings of the boat, which are important, but you should check the upholstery too. Often, this is where algae and mold first set in, especially underneath cushions. If you neglect this and let it spread, it will start causing more serious structural problems throughout the boat. So, give the cushions a quick check from time to time and if you see any mold or algae growth, take steps to clean it off. Sometimes, it’s best to just replace the cushions altogether. You can also use a hydrophobic spray to repel water and reduce the chances of mold.
Keeping a boat in good condition is no easy feat. However, if you follow this maintenance checklist, you can pick up on any problems before they get worse.
What regular maintenance should be done on a boat?
