Boat ownership is often an exhilarating experience that comes with opportunities you can’t find elsewhere. After all, there’s something unique about being able to explore the local bay or ocean whenever you want. Being out on the water also has mental health benefits. To minimize your ongoing boat maintenance cost, however, there are specific boat maintenance tips that you’ll need to keep in mind.
Let’s take a look at some of the most notable aspects of maintaining a boat.
Manage Your Fuel Systems
As you might guess, this is one of the most important aspects of boat maintenance.
In general, boat owners are unlikely to experience issues with their fuel systems. However, you can cause problems for yourself in the future if you don’t use the correct type of fuel. It’s in your best interest to use fuel that contains no ethanol at all.
Additionally, you should only purchase fuel from a retailer that regularly restocks their inventory, as this will allow you to acquire fresh gasoline. It’s also essential to use a fuel stabilizer in each tank of fuel to prevent oxidation.
This will also help prevent phase separation. Foregoing this obligation will cause harmful deposits to form in your fuel tank.
Care for Your Battery
Even if you only use your boat on occasion, your battery will degrade over time. A dead battery can easily prevent you from returning home or stop you from leaving in the first place.
It’s highly recommended to check your battery at least once per year. If you take regular trips, though, you should check it at least once every few months.
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Conduct Frequent Propeller Checks
Interestingly, many people are unaware that fishing lines can accumulate on the propeller prop shaft. If left unattended, it could eventually become tangled around the prop shaft and create tension around the prop shaft seal.
If the seal breaks, the gear case will be exposed to water, and significant damage will occur. To help combat this, you should remove the propeller from the prop shaft a few times each season. This will also allow you to inspect the propeller itself.
Keep an Eye on The Engine
You should also keep an eye out for corrosion while ensuring that no parts are loose. Of course, it’s also imperative that you check the quality of the oil in your engine to determine whether or not it needs to be changed.
Boat Maintenance Can Seem Complicated
The above guide, though, will ensure that you know all of the information you need. From here, you can help keep your vessel in prime condition through regular boat maintenance.
Are you looking for more tips that can help you out later on? Check out the rest of our blog for plenty of more helpful information.
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