Get ready for Summer Sailing

“You bought a boat last year. It has been in storage since September, and you now want to take it out of storage in preparation for the summer. However, being in storage, you want to make sure that your boat will function well, so you are giving yourself enough time to adequately prepare your boat for the season.

Does this sound familiar?

Many boaters experience this every year as they start to prepare their boats for the season. Like any recreational vehicle, a lot of preparation goes into getting boats ready for the season, especially for those who want to keep their boats in excellent condition.

Boats are a major purchase and it is important that you take all of the necessary steps to keep your boat in the best condition possible. Whether this be through simple maintenance tips like keeping it clean, to major restorative work like fixing cracks and splits.

If you are new to boating, or even an experienced boater who wants to learn something new or reinforce their knowledge, this article is for you.

Many seasoned boat owners take meticulous care when preparing their boat for the boating season. That season, the summer, is soon coming up, so you should take care of your boat as well. Preparing your boat may seem like a tedious task, or an overwhelming obstacle for the new or first-time boat owner, but it is a vital process to discover maintenance issues, cosmetic issues, and more, prior to launching your boat. If not, your boat’s performance may suffer.

In this article, we will discuss the best ways that you can prepare your boat for the season. The more work and effort you put in now, the more enjoyable your boating experiences will be. Let’s get started!

Why Boat Preparation Matters (At Any Time of the Year)

Preparing your boat for the season is relatable to the process of purchasing a boat in the first place. When purchasing a boat, you can either purchase one new, or one used. The used boat will be cheaper, but there may be additional work that needs to be done before it can be seaworthy. The new boat is more expensive but it is ready to be launched “as is.”

Instead of a commitment of money (although boat prep may cost money depending on the status of your boat), consider the commitment of time. It takes time to prepare a boat, no matter how long you have had it. A boat is like any other vehicle.

If your boat requires a lot of preparation, expect to spend a significant amount of time preparing it for the upcoming boating season. If not, expect to spend significantly less time. The amount of time you spend is correlated to the amount of work you need to put in, just like how the amount of money you spend is correlated inversely to the amount of work after purchasing your boat.

Make a List

Seasoned boaters have a second sense when it comes to knowing what to focus on during boat preparation. As a new boat owner, or a novice one, you will learn

what your boat needs in time. However, right now, you should make a list. The longer the list, the better. Sure, longer lists mean more preparation and maintenance. That being stated, as we previously discussed, the more work and effort you put into your boat, the more enjoyable your boating experiences will be.

Some of the most important things to include on your list are:

• General cleaning tasks (hull, deck, topsides)
• Check all drains for blockages
• Wash your boat and add a coat of wax to protect the paint
• Clean your wood finishes and oil them
• Clean fixtures like windows, hatches, blinds, and any other parts
• Replace things like your wiper blades if they are worn
• Check for general damage like scratches, blisters
• Inspect your ladder, trim, rails, rudder, and fittings
• Inspect your stanchion, pulpits, lines fenders, and other items on the deck
• Check your port lights to make sure they are functioning. Change any bulbs that are burnt or damaged
• Check your seacocks, make sure they are working and lubricated
• Inspect your hoses and clamps
• Look at your waterline hoses
• Check your bilge pumps, make sure both their automatic and manual functions work
• Inspect your electrical systems, look to see if your battery is still good, if it needs to be recharged, or replaced
• Look at any major contact points for corrosion and other wear
• Inspect all visible wiring to see if it is frayed (also check for potential damage from animals chewing the wires)
• Make sure all your gauges are working
• Check and replace damaged fuses
• If you have lights and other recreational devices, make sure they are working and that they didn’t kill your battery over the winter
• Inspect your antennas, make sure they are properly transmitting a signal
• Check all of your safety equipment (more on this below)
• Have your engine inspected or serviced by a certified mechanic
• Other things to check include fuel filters, cooling system fluids, belts, transmission fluid, your water strainer, and the bilge blower.
• If your boat uses sails, check their general condition, make sure they are functional, and ensure all ropes are in working order and not frayed

While that was a massive list of things to consider, not every boat will have to worry about each of those things. That list is meant to show you how extensive of a process it can be to prepare your boat and why it is important to check everything that you can.

Don’t treat your boat like most people treat their cars. Take the time to check all of its parts to make sure it is working properly because getting stranded out at sea is a terrifying experience that can easily be avoided through regular maintenance.

You can break down your list any way you want to. Usually boat owners make their lists based on specific areas of their boats, specific issues, specific onboard components, and more. You can make a list covering just electrical issues that need to be resolved, you can make a list covering exterior boat preparation, and you can make a list based on the quickest preparation task to the most time-consuming. The choice is yours. Everyone has a method that works best for them.

If you want your boat to last until Christmas, check your list and check it twice. Make sure that every possible issue regarding your boat is resolved. For example, if you forget to address a rusting issue with your boat, it is likely that the rust will spread, potentially damaging the working condition of your boat.

Tackle any big ticket items as quickly as possible. Typically, the more expensive a process is, the more necessary it is.