How to care for your boat

[footloose42]

So, being in my early 20's, I have far less experience with boats compared to many other members of this forum. Something that surprised me is how well boats seem to hold their value compared to cars. I mean, a 20 year old 3-event boat can still fetch almost half it's original price!

 

So looking forward to the near (or perhaps distant) future, I can see myself one day owning a boat of my own. What are some tips you guys suggest as to prolonging the life of your boat? Anything from cleaning schedules to when to replace engine parts. It just surprises me that a 1984 MC prostar can still run like butter and look like gold, but a 2000 BMW M3 has everything under the sun breaking on it.

[east tx skier]

The easiest way to keep a boat looking good is to keep it covered in an enclosed storage space (garage) when not in use.

 

Wipe it down after use inside and out and pop the motorbox to vent the condensation. Wax a couple of times per year and use a protectant on the vinyl.

 

Mechanically, change your oil and transmission fluid at the recommended intervals, replace impeller, spark plugs and fuel filters regularly. Keep your eye on belts and hoses and keep your fuel treated when layups last longer than a week or so.

 

Apart from that, use the boat. Old gas sitting in a fuel tank is no good.

 

You will spend much less keeping a boat running well and looking good than an M3.

[GAJ0004]

east tx skier covered all the bases.. The most important things are change the oil every 50 hours, change the tranny fluid every 100 hours. Check the impeller every 6 six months or the beginning of each season(remove and store in a jar of antifreeze if you have to lay it up for the winter). If you see any of the vanes begin to tear, get a new one. An inexpensive part that can cause alot of expensive damage if it fails. It is easy to replace. My boat gets a full detail job before going in its garage for the winter, and winterized per the engine manual instructions. I wipe my boat down every time it goes back on the lift, and it gets a coat of wax once per month during the season. My boat is a 1994 Ski Nautique with 1600 hours on it, and it still looks and runs like new. I take it into the marina for service every 400 hours for tune-ups, engine alignment, and whatever else may require attention. My boat has only had 3 hours where it was out of service. We had an alternator go after 1000 hours. A marina a half hour drive away had the one for our boat. My dad and I put it in and we were back in the water that afternoon. Keep a notebook for a maintenance log, that way if you bring it in for service the mechanics will know what has been done..

The worst thing you can do to your boat is let it overheat. You can damage the heads, and the valves.

[6balls]

A well maintained M series does just fine, too. I'm driving a 12 yr old M5 with over 100K miles and won't post my speed today on the rural back roads. My Nautique 196 is now 12 yr old and bulletproof, as is my '91 Centurion Falcon Barefoot...all in fantastic condition for a reason.

[DAL]

@footloose42 : Keep it out of the sun, where possible. Of course I'm not talking about when it's in the water, but on dry land. UV breaks down everything over time, Gelcoat, Vinyl, Velour, Plastics etc.... It's a lot harder to bring these back after they're affected. Also be careful what products you use on the interior. Some cleaning products are too harsh and do more harm than good.

 

[DW]

Keep the boat covered when not in use, keep the bilge dry, moisture is the enemy of a well maintained craft (mold, rust, rot all byproducts of moisture) and follow the comments above.

[RCM]

I always make sure the boat gets dried off when it goes up on the lift and "Eagle 1 wax as you dry" is applied while drying it off, Prop the engine cover open and let it air out,

[eleeski]

Never wipe or wax - you'll remove the protective coating of dirt!

 

It's just a boat. Ski it as much as you can. Run enough hours that it has zero value when you are done with it. You do need to put gas in it. Maybe check the oil. But do you want to ski or play with your boat? It is OK if you enjoy playing with the boat but that does cut into your ski time.

 

Eric

[Wish]

I see a friend of mine do what Eric is saying. It has marit. He has limited time and just skies. Kinda admire that. I will be wiping down my boat after this mornings set. Another product I found that works crazy well is to spray Turtle Wax- "Wax and Dry" on while boat is wet and wipe down. Water on boat actually starts running off as the mist hits it. Takes seconds to mist\spray the boat so doesn't add any time to the wipe down.

[The_MS]

Get a cover that covers the entire boat from top to bottom of hull. It will keep all the UV off the boat. It is worth spending another 100 on a cover that covers everything.

[DAL]

Run enough hours that it has zero value when you are done with it

You crack me up Eric

[Bobbyroy]

Routine waxing, regular washing and anti-fouling paint can protect your boat from the elements.