10 Tips To Help Get Ready for The Season
We all like cruising more than maintenance, but neglect is an expensive course to follow. As the promise of spring beckons, our boats call out for attention. What follows is a list of items on almost any boat that need attention. It will probably seem over-cautious and overwhelming, but most items require only seconds or minutes of inspection. Unfortunately, the tasks that must be done are the most time-consuming and physically demanding. On the other hand, a disciplined and methodical commissioning routine makes the work a little easier, the likelihood of costly repairs a lot less, and the enjoyment of worry-free cruising incalculable.
Plan Ahead
It’s easiest to break the job into three phases: outside, inside and bottom. Plan on a half to a full day for each phase with breaks in between. That way, it doesn’t seem quite so drudge-like and it gives time to adapt once again to squirming around in places not meant for the human physique. The timing for the underbody is locked in, rain or shine, by the haul-out booking, but the exterior can be done on any nice day and the interior whenever convenient. Start with the exterior, since no one is inspired to work on a boat covered in the grime of winter, whether it’s that green algae on the north side, bird droppings on the canvas, or rain-delivered oily black streaks from a nearby highway or aircraft flight path.
Outside
1. A Thorough Clean It’s important to perform a thorough cleaning of the topsides. It’s more pleasant to work — and, eventually, play — on a clean boat and it makes it easier to spot potential problems. Don’t forget the interiors of lazarettes and outside lockers. Take care to note leaks, and if necessary, either adjust the latch for a tighter seal, or replace the gasket. Make sure to clean lazarette gutters and drains.
2. Windows and Ports Using a hose, blast all windows and ports thoroughly so you can check for leaks. Then, take a plastic putty knife, dip it often in a small container of soapy water, and slide it carefully between all sliding glass panes and the fuzzy stuff in the track. Draw it all the way round and in both directions to break the seal that formed over winter. Try to remove or at least loosen as much of the grunge as possible. Then go inside, and after checking for any leaks around the windows, do the interior side of the tracks. Try to open each window. They can be difficult to free up if they haven’t been opened in a long time, but persistence will usually succeed. (Never pry with a metal tool, but if you’re careful, a wide wooden wedge can often get a frozen slider moving.) If all else fails and you still want it to open, the window will have to come out and the track material replaced. Before going back outside, turn on all exterior lights, particularly running lights, so you can ensure they are in good working order. (Don’t forget to turn them off.)
3. Deck Hardware Walk around the decks, and if any softness is sensed, note it. Pay particular attention to safety lines and tune them up. Also check the holding power of each stanchion by pushing on the rail, and look for spider web cracking radiating out from fitting screws. Because stainless steel is only somewhat stainless and depending on the grade/quality used, it can show surface rust so this is the time to remove it. Pay particular attention to any fittings that are obviously prone to deterioration.
Sailors will also want to check terminal fittings for cracks and rust and should routinely check the mast for indications of possible failure at all points where fasteners attach. Examine standing rigging, wire halyards and backstays for rust, crimps and broken strands.
Lubricate all turnbuckles, then back them off, re-tension and re-tape. Use a hose to check for leaks around the chain plates and re-caulk as required. Examine all sails for condition and, if necessary, reverse or replace halyards and other lines. Lubricate winches, and check line stoppers for holding power.
4. Ground Tackle Set the anchor on the dock, pull out all the chain and/or rode from the anchor locker and lay it out for cleaning and inspection. Look carefully for signs of wear or weakness, especially with connecting hardware and the stainless-steel seizing wires. If the rode is dirty, consider taking it home to launder with soap. Before replacing the ground tackle, refurbish the depth markings with spray paint, bottom paint or tags that won’t foul the gypsy. (Since anchoring is an imprecise art, when things become tense, a few, large easy-to-read marks are better than many smaller, complicated ones.) Test the windlass by using it to retrieve the rode and anchor, and don’t forget the down switch. Now turn on the anchor wash-down hose.
5. Accessories Make sure all the gear that should be on the boat is present. This includes the life ring, boat hooks, spare anchor and stern lines. Clean the barbeque if it wasn’t done last autumn, and fire it up to make sure it still works.
How have the dock lines and fenders fared over the winter? The former are probably repositories of algae and possibly chafed, the latter quite dirty and somewhat deflated. Do the necessary. Unplug and examine both ends of the shore power cord and any adapters for signs of overheating such as discoloration or stiffness in the wire near the plugs. If anything seems awry, it’s important to replace the cord and adapter, and to determine and repair the root cause before re-connecting.
6. The Dinghy Check the dinghy for damage or air leaks and ensure the mandatory emergency kit is complete, the flashlight battery is still fresh and the container remains watertight. Are the oars still there? Service the outboard engine and check the prop for dings. Empty the tank of old, untreated fuel and replace with fresh. (Make sure to dispose of petroleum waste responsibly.) Ensure that the engine starts and runs properly and the stream shows the water pump is providing adequate cooling.
The outside is now done. Take a long break.
Inside
7. Living Areas It’s probably better to start in the living areas otherwise some of these little checks might not be made. Confirm that all interior lights are working and test all GFI circuits. Put new batteries in propane, carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Determine if date-sensitive items such as fire extinguishers, flares, inflatable life jackets, life raft and so on are current or replace them as required. Check propane system(s) and connections and ensure the vent in the propane locker is not blocked by the other stuff that inevitably gets stowed there, and that the tank is secured.
Turn on the solenoid and light the stove. Replace in-line water filters before turning on the fresh-water pump. Flush the toilet and if it’s a Vacu-flush listen for the pump to shut off. If bedding was left on the boat, lift it up layer by layer and look and smell for mildew.
8. Helm Station Return to the helm(s), turn on all electronics, and ensure each is working properly. Request a radio check on VHF 22 for each unit. Turn the wheel while watching the rudder angle indicator if one is installed or available on the autopilot. If the wheel seems too light or the rate of change as evidenced on the rudder angle indicator is too slow or the wheel does not stop turning, top off the hydraulic fluid or check the drive mechanism. Turn on any thrusters and blip the boat to either side.
9. Systems Check Time to descend. In the tank room, check the sight gauges on the fuel tanks and note the levels. (Remember to turn off the stop-cocks.) If lead-acid battery banks are installed, remove the box covers and look for signs of boiling.
If there are none, top off each cell with distilled water and test the electrolyte readings in each cell. (It’s a good idea to wear old clothes for this task, because you will almost certainly find acid holes in them a few days hence.) If any cells fail, the battery should be replaced and, unfortunately, if it’s part of a bank, the entire bank should be replaced.
In the engine room, start by ensuring the engine and generator spare kits are complete. Check all hose clamps (which should be doubled if the barb is long enough) and replace any hose that shows cracking or areas of softness. Ensure that control cables are properly fastened and otherwise free and clear, that the propeller shaft and stuffing boxes are not leaking other than the required drop per minute when operating and that all fuel lines, vent and fill hoses remain un-kinked and in good condition. Run your hand over the muffler for any salt on the exterior, a sign of seeping. Tap on the fiberglass housing. If there are any signs of weakness, it must be refurbished.
Remove the engine’s fan shroud, if any, and inspect and tension the serpentine belt that drives several key components. If it’s not in pristine shape, replace it. With a strong light, look for any evidence of leaks around the water pump and, if necessary, take remedial action. Replace the shroud.
Replace fuel filters as well as the pencil zincs in the engine’s cooling system and check your manual to ensure you get all of them. Most generators on pleasure boats do not have zincs but check the manual to be sure.
Clean the strainers, open all sea-cocks and start the engine and generator in turn to warm them, then change the oil and filters. Check the transmission-oil level and change it according to the recommended schedule. Restart both and ensure there are no leaks from the filters. Re-check oil levels after shutting down. Clean the bilges and lay down oil absorbent mats.
While mechanics recommend that exhaust manifolds be removed and inspected for corrosion every few years and that the core be removed from the heat exchanger to check for scale build-up, you can avoid or considerably extend the intervals between these tasks. For about $30, buy a laser thermometer and routinely take the temperature of each exhaust manifold and each exhaust elbow when the engine is at normal operating temperature. The latter tend to wear from the inside out because of the abrasion of hot water under pressure. Create a chart at the back of the log and record the temperatures. If any increase is noted, pull the manifolds and elbows.
Similarly, so long as no increase in engine operating temperature is detected, the heat exchanger core is doing its job. However, if engine temperatures start to rise above normal and the coolant level is correct, the two most likely culprits are the water pump and the heat exchanger core.
While in the bilges, sailors should also check the tightness and condition of their keel bolts in the same manner as described for skeg bolts in the next section.
That’s it for the inside. Take another break.
10. Bottom
When the boat is hauled, pressure-wash the bottom and running gear. (Be careful not to spin the water speed paddlewheel since doing so can ruin its magnets.) Examine the prop for visible damage and tap it to determine if electrolysis is a problem — it should ring clear. Unfortunately, even with the growth removed, the propeller and rudder will still have an ugly coating, so polish them and coat all running gear with shellfish preventive.
Look for blisters or other damage to the hull and try to wobble the rudder post, where appropriate, to check the cutlass bearing for play.
If a skeg is attached to the keel, tap the bolts with a small hammer just enough to see if any move sideways in any direction. If even only one moves, replace them all. When starved of oxygen stainless steel can waste away.
Examine bow and stern thrusters, propeller, rudder, rudder post, skeg and so on and replace any zincs that are missing or any that have less than 50 percent in remaining weight.
Check all thru-hulls and replace any that are plastic if there is any sign of deterioration or problems with the chalking. Ensure that all sea strainers are undamaged and clear of debris. With the bottom dry and clean, it’s ready to be repainted or touched-up as necessary. (Note: do not paint over transducers.)