Every boat needs a little bit of love, and as boat chandlers, we’re pretty well versed in knowing how to keep your vessel looking ship-shape. Whatever type of boat you sail, you’re going to need to put in some elbow grease to keep you sailing smoothly all the time. But what should you be doing to care for your boat?
Give it a Clean
Sure, half of your boat is submerged in water most of the time, but that doesn’t mean that it won’t need a good clean every now and then! If you sail in salt water, you will need to wash your vessel with fresh water regularly in order to prevent the salt from corroding and damaging hardware. Marine cleaning products will be your friend. Use a boat brush and wash to give it a good thorough clean.
Change Your Oil
Every engine needs oil to keep it running smoothly and efficiently so you need to make sure that you change the oil every 100 hours of operation or once a year.
Firstly, if your boat is in the water, start your engine to get it warmed up. If it’s not in water, you’ll have to supply cooling water to the water intake at the gearcase. After 5 minutes, turn the engine off and take out the oil dipstick.
Grab an oil extractor pump and insert the suction tube into the dipstick tube, then pump out the oil. Use a rag or cloth to hold around the oil filter, and then remove it with a wrench. Grab your new oil filter and rub oil onto the sealing gasket before screwing it on.
Now, you can replace the oil dipstick and fill the engine with new oil through the oil fill port.
Make sure that you use marine oil of great quality so you get the most out of your boat’s engine time and time again.
Use Quality Products
We’ve already mentioned that you should be using good quality marine oil, but it’s a good idea to make sure that you use products that are specifically designed to be used on boats, whether those are cleaning products, oils and greases or just general DIY products.
Check and Check Again
When you are out there on the water, you are relying on your vessel to keep you afloat. That’s why it’s so important to ensure that all the equipment and hardware aboard your boat is in good condition. Before you set sail, you should make sure that you check all the equipment and hardware is all in working order to prevent running into any problems when you’re all at sea!
Address Rust
A common problem for most boats is rust. Metal + water = rust, so make sure that you keep on top of those problem areas. Even stainless fasteners can fall foul to rust, so when you spot streaks of rust coming from these metal components, make sure to get them replaced as soon as you can. It’s better to get on top of it early rather than letting it become a bigger issue.
It’s important to keep your boat looking ship-shape. When you are sailing, you rely on your vessel to keep you safe, so maintenance is essential. Luckily for you, we have a huge range of products, here at Offshore Supply that can keep you above water! Whether you’re looking for oils and greases or marine cleaning products, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today by calling 01524 862010 to speak to a member of our friendly team.